asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in Nenagh, County Tipperary, who has been unemployed since August 1981.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Payments.
840.
A claim to unemployment benefit or assistance has not been received from the person concerned. It appears that he may be entitled to unemployment benefit on the basis of his social insurance contributions in the 1980-81 contribution year and as he is in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance a claim form for unemployment benefit has been sent to him in care of his local community welfare officer who will help him to complete the form. When the completed claim form is returned a decision will be given regarding his entitlement without delay.
841.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in Fermoy, County Cork.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 15 October 1981 but did not submit medical evidence of incapacity to the Department until 10 May 1982. Her entitlement to benefit in 1981 was governed by contributions paid or credited in 1979-80 contribution year and entitlement in 1982 is governed by the contributions in 1980-81.
In the contribution year 1979-80 the claimant's employment was part-time and was not insurable for disability benefit purposes. She was, accordingly, not entitled to payment in respect of the portion of her claim from 15 October 1981 to 2 January 1982. In the contribution year 1980-81 she was in full-time employment which was insurable. She is, accordingly, entitled to payment of disability benefit at the maximum rate appropriate to a single woman from 4 January 1982.
All disability benefit due on the claim from 4 January to 15 June 1982 has now been paid, less the amount of supplementary welfare allowance advanced, which has been refunded to the Southern Health Board out of the arrears of benefit.
842.
(Donegal South-West) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when invalidity benefit which is due to a person (details supplied) in Arranmore, County Donegal, will be paid.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit under his old insurance number from 21 October 1981 and was paid to 10 February 1982 when he ceased to submit medical evidence of incapacity. He subsequently submitted medical certificates in respect of the period 10 March to 7 April 1982 under an RSI number.
At this stage it was necessary to make inquiries regarding the reason for the claimant's use of two numbers in connection with his claim. On completion of the inquiries the claim of benefit was allowed from 11 February to 7 April and payment for this period was issued on 15 June 1982. He has also been requested to submit further evidence from his doctor if he has remained incapacitated after 7 April 1982 and on its receipt further payment of benefit will be made to him.
843.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in Ballygunner, County Waterford.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 18 May 1982 but he was not entitled to payment as, according to the records of the Department, he has less than the required minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited in the 1980-81 contribution year which governed his claim. He was requested to furnish a form P.60 or statement from his employer regarding his employment in the relevant contribution year. The contribution record for 1981-82 was furnished initially instead of 1980-81.
It has now been established that the claimant has sufficient contributions in the contribution year 1980-81 to entitle him to disability benefit at the maximum appropriate rate. Arrears of benefit due to 12 June 1982, date of latest medical evidence received, less suplementary welfare allowance advanced were issued on 15 June 1982. The claimant is not entitled to pay-related benefit.
844.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when he will arrange to pay disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in Slane, County Meath, in respect of two weeks in February 1980, the certificates for which were lost, apparently fraudulently used to obtain cheques for disability benefit which were then cashed and if he is satisfied that the procedures are adequate to prevent this activity from happening.
Two cheques which issued to the person concerned in January 1980 in payment of disability benefit were subsequently stolen from him and cashed. The matter was reported to the Garda by the claimant and by the Department but the persons responsible for the theft were not identified. Although a notification stopping payment issued to the Bank the cheques had already been cashed before the notification was received.
The receipt of a cheque by a claimant is regarded as discharging the Department's obligation in relation to payment of disability benefit. In view of the circumstances of this case, however, replacement cheques have been issued.
845.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason no disability benefit has yet been paid to a person (details supplied) in Dunboyne, County Meath, who has been off work for the last 12 weeks because of an industrial accident.
The person concerned claimed occupational injury benefit in respect of an incapacity which he attributed to an accident at work on 10 March 1982, and submitted a first medical certificate only. No further medical certificates were received and, as the Department had no information as to the duration of the claim, no payment of benefit could be made.
As a result of inquiries made by an inspector, it has been ascertained that the claimant is still incapable of work but that the certificates which he received from his doctor were given to his employer who did not forward them to the Department.
Arrangements for payment of benefit to the claimant have now been made and he has been advised to forward all medical certificates direct to the Department in future in order to ensure prompt payment of benefit.
846.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in Dingle, County Kerry, is not receiving unemployment benefit.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 14 December 1980. However, his claim was disallowed on the grounds that he did not satisfy the relevant contribution conditions for receipt of the benefit which requires that he should have at least 26 paid contributions at class A rate.
According to the Department's records, the person concerned had been insurable at class J rate only which contributions are not reckonable for unemployment benefit purposes. He has appealed against this decision and further inquiries were necessary in regard to the class of contributions payable in his case before submitting the matter to an appeals officer. These inquiries are now nearing completion and his case will be referred to an appeals officer shortly. His entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the appeals officer's decision. However, he is in receipt of unemployment assistance at the rate of £47.20 a week.
847.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance is only being paid at a rate of £5 per week to a person (details supplied) in Navan, County Meath, whose mother is a widow and who is in severe financial hardship.
The person concerned was assessed by a deciding officer with weekly means of £20 derived from self-employment. He has, however, appealed against the decision of the deciding officer and inquiries are at present being made by the appeals officer to enable him to give a decision on the appeal. His entitlement will be reviewed in the light of the appeals officer's decision. In the meantime, the person concerned qualifies for unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £5.45 which is the maximum rate appropriate to a single person living in a rural area with weekly means of £20.