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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 28 Oct 1982

Vol. 338 No. 2

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

283.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.

Payment of all disability benefit and pay-related benefit due to the person concerned to 11 October 1982, the date of the latest medical certificate received, was issued on 26 October 1982.

284.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability and pay related benefits will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 22 September 1982 and submitted a first medical certificate dated 22 September. As no further medical evidence was received in the Department it was necessary to make inquiries as to the duration of the incapacity. It has since been established that she resumed work on 28 September 1982 and a cheque for the amount of benefit due from 25 September (fourth day of incapacity) to 27 September was issued on 27 October.

The claimant is not entitled to pay-related benefit as the period of incapacity did not exceed 12 days.

285.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.

The person concerned did not satisfy the statutory contribution conditions for unemployment benefit on the basis of his Irish contribution record. However, as he was employed in the United Kingdom during the relevant contribution period the British authorities have been asked to furnish details of his contribution record and when they do so his entitlement to unemployment benefit will be determined.

Pending receipt of his British contribution record a claim for unemployment assistance was accepted from him and he was paid at the weekly rate of £57.95 as payments became due. He has not been in touch with his local office since 11 July 1982.

286.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a pension book will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.

The person concerned attained age 65 years on 6 September 1982 and claimed retirement pension from my Department.

He does not qualify for this pension as he fails to satisfy the condition which requires him to have at least 156 paid contributions since his entry into insurance. The Department's records show that he has a total of 116 paid contributions recorded to his credit since his entry into insurance in 1936.

287.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a pension book will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.

It was decided by the local pension committee on 20 October 1982 that the person concerned is entitled to a non-contributory old age pension at the reduced rate of £32.45 a week plus an allowance of £16.30 a week in respect of his wife from 23 June 1982. The assessment of his means, consisting of half the weekly value of a holding and capital, entitles him to a pension at this rate.

The appropriate pension order book, payable from 1 October 1982 was issued provisionally on 18 October pending the pension committee's decision and the arrears due from 23 June 1982 are in course of issue.

288.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive disability benefit.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 29 March 1982 but he was not entitled to payment as he had less than the required minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited in 1980-81, the contribution year governing his claim. Following inquiries it was ascertained that he was employed in Northern Ireland during that year. It was therefore necessary to make inquiries with the Northern Ireland authorities to establish whether he had sufficient contributions to qualify him for payment. On receipt of his Northern Ireland record his claim was reviewed and payment was allowed from the commencement of his claim at the maximum rate appropriate to a married man with one qualified child. Payment of all disability benefit due to 30 September 1982, the date of the latest medical certificate received, has been made.

The question of his entitlement to pay-related benefit will be considered on receipt of details of his earnings in 1980-81 from the Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services.

289.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to sanction a free telephone rental allowance for a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

Applications for free telephone rental allowance from the person concerned which were received on 16 August 1982 and 31 August 1982 were approved on 6 October 1982. A notification to this effect was issued to her on 7 October 1982.

The Department of Posts and Telegraphs have been advised of the decision and will arrange to apply the allowance from the date on which telephone service is provided.

290.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

The person concerned is currently in receipt of unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £1.45 being the maximum rate payable to him £25.45 less means £24.00. Means in his case were assessed on the basis of the value of board and lodging on his brother's holding.

He appealed against the amount of means assessed in his case but an appeals officer upheld the decision.

291.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason no decision has been communicated in a claim for optical benefit to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12; and the benefit approved.

The person concerned claimed optical benefit in May 1982. As he did not quote his RSI Number on the claim form an inquiry was issued to him in the matter on 31 May 1982 but he failed to reply to this inquiry.

A subsequent claim for optical benefit was received dated 29 September 1982 but the RSI Number quoted by him on this occasion referred to another person of the same surname.

The correct number has now been established and as the qualifying conditions for optical benefit are satisfied a notification of the award of benefit has been issued to the claimant.

292.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 the reason only one payment has been made in respect of a disability benefit claim for a period just over three weeks; and when the outstanding payments will be made and the amount thereof.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 25 August 1982 and was paid from 28 August 1982, the fourth day of incapacity, to 30 August 1982 as medical certification had been received only in respect of this period.

Inquiries have been made as to the full period of incapacity and payment has been made from 31 August 1982 to 20 September 1982, after which date the claimant resumed claiming unemployment assistance. An adjusting payment of £87.90 has now been made.

293.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for unemployment assistance-benefit to be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and when payment will be made.

The person concerned exhausted his title to unemployment benefit on 6 July 1982. He then claimed unemployment assistance but as he failed to disclose his means the claim could not be allowed.

The claimant subsequently indicated that he was prepared to disclose his means and his case was referred to a social welfare officer for reinvestigation. It is expected that the inquiries will be completed shortly and a decision will then be given on the claim without delay.

294.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will now arrange to have a non-contributory old age pension paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

I have arranged for the social welfare supervisor to call on the person concerned as soon as possible to have a claim form for pension completed. As soon as this is done and the necessary details have been supplied by the claimant his claim will be dealt with as a matter of urgency.

295.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a retirement pension book will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.

The person concerned attained age 65 years on 4 July 1982 and claimed retirement pension under the Social Welfare Acts. He does not qualify for such a pension at the standard rates as he failed to satisfy the condition which requires him to have a yearly average of at least 24 contributions during the period from 5 January 1953 to 5 April 1982.

Under EEC regulations he qualifies for a pro-rata rate retirement pension in this country on the basis of his combined Irish and British rate contributions in addition to the retirement pension payable from the Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services since July 1982. However, this pro-rata rate pension was withheld as he was in receipt of disability benefit at a higher rate. As his entitlement to benefit ceases on 30 October 1982, payment of the pro-rata retirement pension will commence from 4 November 1982. A pension order book is being issued to the designated post office for collection by him and he has been notified accordingly.

296.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 8, the reasons unemployment benefit has not yet been paid; and if he will make immediate arrangements to have unemployment benefit and all arrears paid.

Before the entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment benefit could be determined inquiries were necessary to establish the reasons for termination of his employment and whether he was still available for work. Subsequently a deciding officer disallowed his claim from 13 August 1982 on the grounds that he lost employment through conduct which disqualified him for unemployment benefit but he allowed payment from 11 September 1982. All arrears of flat-rate unemployment benefit were paid in early October 1982 and weekly payments continue to be made to him as they become due.

Additional inquiries were necessary to establish his entitlement to pay-related benefit and these were recently completed. He is entitled to pay-related benefit at £16.84 weekly and arrangements have been made to pay all arrears of pay-related benefit due to him this week. Further combined payments of flat-rate unemployment benefit and pay-related benefit amounting to £47.34 will be paid as weekly payments become due.

297.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if, in view of the facts of a case (details supplied) in Dublin 8, he will now arrange to have the person concerned assessed for unemployment benefit; and if a decision will be made in the immediate future.

The unemployment benefit claim of the person concerned has been allowed and payment has been authorised at the weekly rate of £26.95. All arrears due are being paid this week and further weekly payments will be made as they become due.

298.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if in view of the facts of a case (details supplied) in Dublin 8, he will now credit contributions to the person concerned from October 1980 to April 1981 pending an investigation into the employer concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit in March 1982 but she was not entitled to payment as she had fewer than the required minimum of 26 contributions to her credit in 1980-81, the contribution year governing payment of disability benefit in 1982. She was notified to this effect at the time.

The employers were contacted by a social welfare officer but their records, which are held by the firm's accountants, show that the employment of this woman commenced in April 1981. Further inquiries are, however, being made and if it is established that she was employed for any period prior to April 1981 special credits will be awarded for any such period and action to recover the outstanding contributions will be taken.

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