asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
242.
According to the records of my Department the person concerned originally claimed disability benefit from 3 March 1982 and was paid from 6 March 1982 to 26 March 1982, the date of the latest medical certificate received. All payments issued promptly on receipt of medical evidence during that period.
The claimant subsequently notified my Department that her illness had in fact commenced on 17 February 1982 and on receipt of covering medical evidence from that date the balance of benefit due from 20 February, fourth day of incapacity, was issued to her.
243.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why disability benefit is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 11 February 1982 but was not qualified for payment at the time as, according to the records of my Department, he had less than the required minimum of 26 contributions to his credit in the 1980/81 governing contribution year. Following inquiries it has been established that he had in fact sufficient contributions to his credit to qualify him for benefit.
Payment of all disability benefit due from 11 February 1982 to 27 March, date of latest medical evidence received has been made, less supplementary welfare allowance advanced by the health board. He is not entitled to pay-related benefit.
244.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an invalidity pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary.
The regulations regarding entitlement to invalidity pension provide that the claimant must be regarded as permanently incapable of work. In order to determine whether the person concerned can be regarded as permanently incapable of work arrangements have been made to have her examined by a medical referee of my Department on 19 April 1982. On receipt of the report of this examination the application for invalidity pension will be reviewed.
245.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why disability benefit is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and, if benefit is not being paid, why she is not receiving unemployment assistance.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 5 January 1981 and was paid to 7 January 1982. Payment ceased after that date on the expiration of 52 weeks on benefit, pending review of her entitlement to further payment. On completion of the necessary inquiries, payment was resumed and all disability benefit due to 3 April 1982 has been paid.
246.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary is not deemed to be eligible for unemployment assistance.
The person concerned last registered as unemployed at the employment exchange, Clonmel on 14 January 1973. He has not claimed unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance since that date.
On 28 July 1981 he claimed disability benefit and furnished medical evidence in respect of the period 16 December 1975 to 28 July 1981. Following investigation of the claim it was accepted that he had been incapable of work from 1975 and credited contributions were awarded for December 1975 to 27 January 1981. A cheque in respect of the period 28 January 1981 to 28 July 1981 was then issued to him. This is the maximum period for which payment can be made as the relevant regulations preclude payment of benefit in respect of any period more than six months prior to the date of notification of illness.
The claimant returned this cheque stating that he required payment for the full period of his claim. An inspector subsequently visited him and explained the position to him. No further medical evidence has been received since July 1981.
247.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why unemployment benefit was not paid to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary in 1979.
The person concerned did not claim unemployment benefit during the year 1979. He claimed unemployment benefit on 8 December 1981 but he has not qualified for benefit by reason of the non-payment of contributions by his employer during the contribution period April 1979 to April 1980.
The case was referred to a social welfare officer to pursue the collection of contributions and pending the outcome of inquiries the person concerned was paid unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £11.00 being the maximum rate of £21.00 less means of £10.00
Contributions which entitled the person concerned to unemployment benefit were collected recently and his claim has been allowed at the maximum weekly rate of £25.30. All arrears due to him less the amount paid by way of unemployment assistance were paid on 24 March 1982.
248.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why unemployment assistance is being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary at a rate of £13.53 only per week.
A deciding officer of my Department assessed the person concerned with means of £13.55 derived from his half share of the capital value of a premises after allowing for the debt due to the bank. His rate of unemployment assistance is £33.50 weekly being the maximum rate of £47.05 less means of £13.55.
The person concerned appealed against the assessment of means and his case was referred to an Appeals Officer for determination. The Appeals officer whose decision is final upheld the decision of the Deciding Officer.
249.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary has had his contributory old age pension reduced.
The person concerned has been in receipt of an old age contributory pension since 4 August 1967.
From 2 July 1971 he was awarded a prescribed relative allowance in respect of a daughter. This allowance is payable to an incapacitated pensioner aged 66 or over with whom there is living a prescribed relative who provides him with full-time care and attention. With the exception of children under 18 or persons who are mentally or physically incapacitated no other person may reside with him while he is receiving the allowance.
When the pensioner applied for the prescribed relative allowance in 1971 he stated that there was no person residing with him other than the daughter in respect of whom he claimed the allowance. In reply to an inquiry from my Department in August 1976 he again declared that this was the case.
In November 1981 the local social welfare officer reported that in addition to another daughter, who was in receipt of a disabled person's maintenance allowance, there were also two sons living in the house, each of whom was employed as a farm labourer. In the circumstances as the conditions for receipt of the allowance were not fulfilled it was necessary to terminate it.
250.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why a person (details supplied) is being paid only £11.70 per week unemployment assistance.
A deciding officer of my Department assessed the person concerned with means in excess of the statutory limit derived from profits from farming and he was disqualified from receiving unemployment assistance. He appealed against the decision on his claim and his case was referred to an appeals officer for determination.
The appeals officer, whose decision is final, assessed him with means of £40.00 weekly. The person concerned is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £11.70 being the maximum rate of £51.70 less means of £40.00.
251.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why a reduced contributory pension only is paid to a person (details supplied) in County Dublin.
The person concerned has been in receipt of a partial contributory widow's pension since 1 November 1966 on her own insurance record, based on a yearly average of 30 contributions at the time of her husband's death in 1956. The maximum rate of pension is applicable where the yearly average of contributions is not less than 48. The difference at present between her pension of £27.75 a week and the maximum rate is only £1.25 a week. Her pension will be increased to £34.70 a week from 2 April 1982.
This woman is also presently in receipt of half-rate disability benefit of £13.90 a week from my Department, which will rise to £15.83 from 5 April 1982.
252.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in granting a widow's pension to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The person concerned claimed a widow's contributory pension on 22 May 1981 but according to the records of my Department she was not qualified for such pension on the basis of her late husband's insurance. As, however, it appeared that her husband's insurance record might be incomplete, inquiries are continuing, to see if he had any insurable employment prior to 1974, which might serve to qualify her for her pension.
On completion of these inquiries the widow will be notified of the outcome. In the meantime she was asked if she wished to have her entitlement to a non-contributory widow's pension considered but she declined.
253.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the immediate payment of unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Galway, in respect of the periods September to October 1981 and January to March 1982.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit in respect of short periods of unemployment intermittently between September 1981 to March 1982. He was not entitled to unemployment benefit as he did not fulfil the statutory contribution condition and his claim was accepted for unemployment assistance.
The person concerned was not available for interview when the social welfare officer called to investigate his means. It is understood that he was employed between 15 October 1981 and 4 February 1982. The social welfare officer is endeavouring to contact him and when inquiries are complete his means will be assessed and his unemployment assistance claim will be determined.
Supplementary welfare allowance is being paid to him pending the determination of his unemployment assistance claim.
254.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Galway for the six-week period commencing 15 February 1982 as the notification from his Department to the person to attend for examination by a medical referee on 26 January 1982 was never received.
The person concerned was in receipt of disability benefit from 7 November 1977 to February 1982. As she failed to attend for examination by a medical referee of my Department on 26 January 1982 payment of benefit was disallowed for six weeks from 15 February to 27 March 1982.
It has since been established that she did not receive the notification to attend the examination. In the circumstances, payment has been restored and all benefit due to 3 April 1982 has been paid.
255.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the maximum amount of unemployment assistance to be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The claim to unemployment assistance of the person concerned, who is presently in receipt of unemployment assistance at the rate of £33.10 with a notional assessment of means has been referred to a deciding officer to assess his means on a factual basis. If it is found that a factual assessment is advantageous to him his rate of unemployment assistance will be increased accordingly. The decision of the deciding officer will be made shortly.
256.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if disability and pay-related benefits have been paid at the correct rate to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if a person over 18, attending school, is entitled to be included for pay-related purposes.
According to records at my Department the person concerned did not claim disability benefit. He did, however claim unemployment benefit from 12 September 1981 to 13 February 1982 and all flat-rate unemployment benefit and pay-related benefit to which he was entitled was paid.
The increase in the rate of flat rate unemployment benefit paid in respect of one of his children was terminated on the date on which the child attained the age of 18 years. No increase in flat-rate unemployment benefit is payable in respect of a child dependent after he attains the age of 18 years whether or not he is attending school.
Entitlement to pay-related benefit is based on a claimant's reckonable earnings during the relevant income tax year and the number of dependants has no bearing on the rate of pay-related benefit payable.