asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit or some social welfare allowance is not being granted to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
576.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit from July 1980 to 11 May 1981 after which his claim was disallowed when he was considered to be capable of work by a medical referee. He claimed and received supplementary welfare allowance from 16 May 1981 to 3 October 1981 at the rate of £34.10 weekly. On 5 October 1981 he claimed unemployment benefit at the employment exchange, Waterford. His claim was allowed at the maximum rate appropriate to a married man, £41.70, and all unemployment benefit due to date has been paid as weekly payments became due.
577.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying a children's allowance to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The delay in dealing with this case was due to the fact that the papers dealing with the claim were mislaid. The matter has now been rectified and a children's allowance book in respect of the period October 1981 to June 1982 was issued to the person concerned on 30 November 1981. A payable order for the arrears due from July 1981 to September 1981 was issued on 1 December 1981.
578.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The person concerned originally claimed disability benefit from 24 May 1980 to 14 June 1980, after which date she was certified fit to resume work. She was not entitled to payments as, according to the records of my Department, she had not the required minimum of 26 paid contributions to her credit since her entry into insurance. The claimant was requested to furnish particulars of her previous employment but failed to do so. She again claimed disability benefit from 8 September 1980 to 13 September 1980 and following inquiries regarding her employment it was established that she had in fact sufficient paid contributions to qualify for benefit. Due to an oversight, however, payment only issued in respect of the second claim. A cheque for the arrears of benefit due from 28 May 1980, fourth day of incapacity, to 14 June 1980 has now issued. Her entitlement to pay-related benefit in respect of this claim is being investigated and any benefit due will issue as soon as possible.
579.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 8 May 1978 and has been paid at the maximum appropriate rate from that date. All disability benefit due to 9 December has been paid and arrangements have been made to transfer him to invalidity pension from 10 December 1981. During the course of examination of his claim for transfer to invalidity pension at the end of October and incorrect date for cessation of payment of disability benefit was inadvertently inserted in the computer with resultant delay in the payment of benefit.
582.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for discontinuing disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
There is no record in my Department that the person concerned was recently in receipt of disability benefit. He was, however, in receipt of unemployment benefit from 4 July 1980 to 14 October 1981, when he exhausted his title on the completion of the statutory 390 days benefit. He claimed unemployment assistance on 15 October 1981 and, following an investigation of his case by a social welfare officer, means were assessed at £22.80 weekly. His claim was allowed at £22.25, being the maximum rate of £47.05 less means £22.80.
583.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying a children's allowance to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
Correspondence sent to the claimant in September 1980 was returned by the post office marked "Gone Away". When the claimant notified my Department in September 1981 of her new address, an allowance book covering from October 1981 to June 1982 was issued to her on 25 November 1981. A payable order for the arrears due issued on 8 December 1981.
584.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying arrears of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The person concerned had been in receipt of unemployment assistance since 24 July 1981 at the rate appropriate to a single person with means assessed at £10.20 weekly derived from the value of board and lodging in his father's home. Following receipt of information that his circumstances had altered, his case was reinvestigated by a social welfare officer and in the light of inquiries the assessment of his means was reduced by a deciding officer to nil with effect from 14 October 1981. Accordingly the person concerned was entitled to unemployment assistance at the full weekly rate of £20.35 from 14 October 1981 to 21 October 1981, after which he ceased to sign as unemployment. The arrears due were paid to him on 26 November 1981.
585.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 17 August 1981 and has been paid, at the maximum appropriate rate from 20 August, fourth day of incapacity. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit due to 7 December 1981 has been paid. The delay in payment was due to the fact that the number of a final certificate submitted by another claimant was misread as referring to the person concerned and payment of benefit was accordingly terminated in error. In view of his age and the nature of the incapacity it has been decided to pay him on a weekly basis in future in order to avoid interruption in the payment of benefit.
586.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 30 July 1981 and all disability benefit and pay-related benefit due from 3 August 1981, fourth day of incapacity, to 2 December 1981, date of the latest medical evidence received, has been issued. All benefit cheques have issued promptly on receipt of medical evidence and there has been no delay in payment.
587.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying redundancy, unemployment and pay-related benefits to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
Following the completion of inquiries to ascertain the reason why the employment of the person concerned was terminated, his claim to unemployment benefit was allowed at the weekly rate of £71.75 and all benefit due to him has been paid less the amount paid by way of advances of supplementary welfare allowance.
It is a statutory condition for entitlement to pay-related benefit that the combined sum of flat-rate unemployment benefit and pay-related benefit may not exceed 85 per cent of a recipient's average weekly earnings. As the amount of flat-rate unemployment benefit payable to the person concerned exceeds 85 per cent of his earnings (£58.85), pay-related benefit is not payable to him.
The matter of redundancy payment, which is not appropriate to my Department, has been referred to the Department of Labour.