asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
341.
The person concerned is at present receiving £43.50 weekly which is the maximum appropriate rate of unemployment assistance payable to a married man with one qualified child and means of £7 weekly living in a non-urban area.
342.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny will receive a free-rental telephone.
There is no record in my Department of receipt of an application for free telephone rental allowance from the person concerned.
A claim form which was issued to her on 4 June 1982 has not yet been returned. When the claim is received a decision will be given and she will be notified of the outcome.
343.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the non-payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 18 June 1979 and was paid to 26 July 1980, the date of the latest medical certificate received at that stage.
On 2 April 1982 representations were received on the claimant's behalf forwarding medical certificates indicating that she had remained incapable of work from July 1980 to July 1981. On completion of inquiries it has been decided to accept that she remained incapable of work from July 1980 and to restore her to benefit. Under the regulations however the maximum period for which payment can be allowed is a period of six months prior to 2 April 1982. All benefit due on this basis to 18 June 1982 has now been issued.
344.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in Coulcullen, County Carlow.
The claim of the person concerned was disallowed by an appeals officer on 19 May, 1982 on the grounds that his means exceeded the statutory limit of £38 per week. The assessment of his means, consisting of half the value of free unfurnished lodgings under a deed of transfer and capital, the disposal of a large part of which was not accepted for old age pension purposes, is £45.42 per week.
345.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in Rahara, County Roscommon.
The person concerned applied for qualification certificate, which is a statement of his means, on 3 February 1982. Inquiries were necessary to determine his means and following completion of these inquiries he was recently granted a qualification certificate with means of £4.65 a week, derived from the value of free board and lodgings on his father's holding.
All arrears of unemployment assistance due to him were paid on 17 June 1982 and weekly payments of £20.80, being the appropriate maximum rate of £25.45 less means of £4.65, will continue to be paid as they fall due.
346.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will take immediate steps to rectify the delay in payments of disability benefit to numerous people; the steps he intends to take in the matter; and when.
The position generally in relation to disability benefit is that payments are being issued promptly where the claim is made correctly and the claimant is qualified on his or her insurance record.
It is relevant to point out that at present about 70,000 persons receive disability benefit from my Department each week. The majority of these are established claimants and payment issues promptly on receipt of medical evidence of incapacity.
In the case of an initial claim, of which some 5,500 are received each week, no payment is due on the first certificate which is merely a notification of the date of commencement of illness. Payment only becomes due on receipt of the second and subsequent certificates. The principal cause of delay in payment in these cases is where a claimant is not qualified for payment of benefit on his or her insurance record and it is necessary to make inquiries about the record in order to establish entitlement. The duration of the delay in such cases will depend on the amount of time taken to complete the inquiries. Delays in payment also frequently occur where medical certificates are not submitted promptly or where incorrect RSI numbers are quoted or where wrong addresses are given.
I am very concious of the need for the speedy processing of claims, not alone for disability benefit, but for all social welfare benefits. In this respect I am particularly interested in the possibility of achieving greater efficiency by regionalising to a greater extent the services of the Department. To enable this to be done, computer and telecommunications facilities are being developed and expanded in the Department so that visual display unit terminals can be located in offices outside the Department's headquarters in Dublin. Some have already been installed at local offices on an experimental basis. The extension of this programme will, in the first instance, enable inquiries on matters such as entitlement to benefit to be dealt with on the spot. Furthermore, in the case of delay in payment information can be given to the claimant as to the cause of the delay so that any necessary remedial action can be initiated immediately. The Department are pursuing the development of these facilities with all possible speed.