asked the Minister for Social Welfare if the free electricity allowance will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim who is in receipt of long-term disability benefit.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
517.
From the information available to my Department the person concerned is in receipt of a British invalidity pension which is not one of the specified pensions or allowances which would enable her to qualify for free electricity allowance.
518.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a free electricity allowance has been approved for an old age pensioner (details supplied) in County Donegal.
An application for a free electricity allowance from the person concerned was approved in 1977. The allowance was terminated from the September-October 1981 billing period, as the living alone condition of the scheme was no longer satisfied in his case.
519.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why pay-related unemployment benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
The entitlement of the person concerned to pay-related benefit could not be determined until certain inquiries were completed. All the necessary investigations have been finalised and payment of pay-related benefit at the weekly rate of £23.11 has been allowed. The person concerned is a postal recipient and an order was issued to him last week for encashment at his local post office paying all arrears of pay-related benefit due.
520.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why unemployment benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
Additional inquiries were necessary before the entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment benefit could be established. The investigations have now been completed and his claim for unemployment benefit has been allowed. Arrangements have been made to issue him with an order for encashment at his local post office paying all arrears due this week.
521.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason why disability benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 23 July 1981 but was not qualified for payment as he had no contributions paid or credited in the 1979-80 contribution year governing his claim.
Following inquiries it was established that the employer by whom he had been employed since 1977 had failed to pay the social insurance contributions due in respect of him. It has been decided, however, to grant special credits which will enable payment of benefit to be made pending the collection of the arrears of contributions due. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit due, less reimbursement to the health board of supplementary welfare allowance advanced, has accordingly been paid from 27 July 1981, fourth day of incapacity, to 13 November 1981.
522.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to an applicant (details supplied) in County Westmeath.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 3 September 1981 and has been paid all benefit due from 7 September 1981, fourth day of incapacity, to 12 November 1981, date of the latest medical evidence received, at the maximum appropriate rate. He was originally paid at the rate appropriate to a single man but on receipt of the completed claim form on 10 November 1981 giving particulars of his dependants he was paid the total amount of the arrears in respect of his wife and child.
523.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if her Department will continue to pay social welfare benefits to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath.
The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment benefit is due to be exhausted on 19 November 1981 on the completion of 390 days of benefit. He recently applied for a qualification certificate to enable him to claim unemployment assistance and his case is presently being investigated by a social welfare officer. His means will be assessed in the light of these inquiries and his entitlement to unemployment assistance following the exhaustion of unemployment benefit will be determined accordingly.
524.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 10 June 1981 to 10 November 1981, the date of the latest medical evidence received. As according to the records of my Department she has not the required minimum 26 contributions paid or credited in the 1979-80 contribution year which governs her claim she is not entitled to payment of benefit.
525.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange for the immediate payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 30 June 1981. She has been paid all disability and pay-related benefit due from 3 July 1981, fourth day of incapacity, to 18 July 1981 after which date she was certified fit to resume work.
526.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if arrears of pension due to a claimant (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid.
Arrears of old age pension due in this case are being withheld pending an investigation by the social welfare officer as to the entitlement to pension for the period when the pensioner was absent from the State.
527.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit, due since August, 1981, will be paid to an applicant (details supplied) in County Mayo.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit in August 1981. He was not qualified for payment as he had not the required minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited in the governing 1979-80 contribution year. It has, however, been ascertained that he was employed in Great Britain for a number of years up to December 1979 and for a short period in this country on his return. The British Department of Health and Social Security have accordingly been requested to furnish, as a matter of urgency, details of his British insurance record. If, on receipt of this record, he is qualified for benefit payment will be made promptly.
528.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why her Department have failed to reply to an application (details supplied) for unemployment benefit that was made on 29 March 1981; and why they have also failed to respond to correspondence from the applicant.
It has not been possible to trace a claim for unemployment benefit in respect of the person named by the Deputy from the details which he supplied. If the Deputy will inform me of the name of the local office at which she applied for unemployment benefit or particulars of her pay-related social insurance number I will have the matter investigated.
529.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will be granted an increase in his old age pension.
There is no record in my Department of a claim from the person concerned for an increase in old age pension. The reduced rate of pension in payment to him is the rate appropriate to the means assessment in his case. If his means have diminished he should apply for an increase in his pension as soon as possible.
530.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The claim of the person concerned to unemployment assistance was disallowed on the grounds that his means exceeded the statutory limit. The person concerned has appealed against the disallowance and his case was referred to an appeals officer for determination. However the appeals officer has requested that certain inquiries be made before giving his decision in the matter. When these inquiries are completed a decision will be given without delay.
531.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange to have an application for unemployment assistance processed for a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The application of the person concerned for unemployment assistance is being processed and investigations are presently being made by a social welfare officer. When the inquiries are completed a decision will be given in his case.
532.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a widow's pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo.
The person concerned whose husband died on 7 September 1981 has been awarded a contributory widow's pension at the maximum rate appropriate to a widow with no qualified children with effect from 23 October 1981. The old age non-contributory pension which she had been receiving was terminated from that date.
A pension book containing orders from 20 November 1981 was issued on 16 November 1981 to the designated post office and claimant has been notified accordingly. The arrears of pension due from 23 October 1981 to 19 November 1981 have been paid direct to the widow after adjustment for the amount of non-contributory old age pension which she received for that period.
As her husband had been in receipt of a contributory old age pension, payment continued to be made to her for six weeks after his death, that is, up to 22 October. She was not entitled to widow's pension until after the expiration of that period.
533.
(Wexford) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid in full to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned was in receipt of disability benefit from 1976 and was paid up to 24 October 1981, at which stage payment ceased in the absence of medical evidence of incapacity subsequent to July 1981. It has since been ascertained that he had in fact continued to submit medical certificates but that he had been quoting his old insurance number instead of the RSI number which had been allocated to him. Payment has now been restored and all benefit due to 21 November 1981 has been paid.
534.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why unemployment benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
The unemployment benefit claim of the person concerned could not be determined until inquiries about his contribution record were completed. The investigations in the case were recently completed and his claim was allowed. As he is a postal recipient an order issued to him last week for encashment at his local post office paying all arrears of unemployment benefit due. His current rate of unemployment benefit is £41.70 weekly.
535.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why unemployment benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
As all flat rate unemployment benefit due to the person concerned has been paid as weekly payments became due it is presumed that the Deputy is referring to the claimant's entitlement to pay-related benefit. Inquiries to establish his title to pay-related benefit have now been completed and payment at the weekly rate of £17.85 has been allowed. The claimant is a postal recipient and arrangements have been made to include all arrears of pay-related benefit in the order being issued to him this week for encashment at his local post office.
536.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if all disability and pay-related benefits have been paid to an applicant (details supplied) in County Mayo.
As already indicated in response to a previous question from the Deputy, payment of disability benefit in respect of the period from 22 September 1980 to 2 December 1980 was refused following the disallowance of his claim and an appeal to an appeals officer on the ground that he was not incapable of work. The period subsequent to 2 December was also the subject of an appeal but on this occasion the appeals officer decided that he was incapable of work from that date. On the basis of this decision payment of all disability benefit due at the maximum appropriate rate has been made to 21 November 1981. He is not, at present, entitled to pay-related benefit having already exhausted his entitlement to that benefit.
537.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will expedite the return of pension books to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
Due to an increase in the means of the person concerned she is no longer entitled to the rate of non-contributory old age pension which was in payment up to 2 October 1981. A question for reduction in the rate of her old age pension is being raised. Pending a decision on the question pension order books payable from 9 October 1981 at the rate of £1.15 plus £2.15 living alone allowance have been issued to her.
538.
(Wexford) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit at the full rate will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned has been in receipt of disability benefit continuously from 9 November 1978. All benefit due at the maximum appropriate rate has been paid up to 21 November 1981. He had been in receipt of an increase in benefit in respect of two qualified children up to 7 February 1981 but the rate of payment was reduced from that date when one of the children reached the age of 18 years.
539.
(Wexford) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an invalidity pension will be paid to the representatives of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The pensioner concerned attained age 66 years on 25 August 1980 and claimed old age (contributory) pension on 9 January 1981. He was awarded the pension at the maximum rate appropriate to a married man from 14 November 1980. The pension book was returned to my Department on 28 July 1981 with a notification of the death of the pensioner on 18 July 1981. The book was re-issued to his widow with orders valid for payment to her up to and including 28 August 1981, the 6th week following the death of her husband. She was awarded a widow's (contributory) pension with effect from 4 September 1981.
It has now been decided to revise the date from which the old age contributory pension was originally awarded to 10 October 1980, that is, three months prior to the date of application. On this basis payment of a further five weeks pension is due and a payable order in respect of the amount involved has issued to the widow.
540.
(Wexford) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an old age pension at the full rate will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
As the means of the person concerned have increased the question of her entitlement to pension is at present before the local pension committee. If she is dissatisfied with the pension committee's decision she may appeal against it within 21 days from the date it is conveyed to her.