asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will reconsider his decision and grant disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
96.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit from 5 October 1981, fourth day of incapacity, to 14 August 1982 at the maximum appropriate rate for a single person. Owing to an administrative error payment was inadvertently discontinued from 16 August 1982 and the claimant was notified accordingly.
The claim has been reviewed and payment has been restored with effect from 16 August. All benefit due to 13 November 1982 has now been paid.
97.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if unemployment benefit will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned has no history of insurable employment and he is accordingly not entitled to unemployment benefit.
He is presently in receipt of weekly payment of unemployment assistance at £107.90 which is the minimum rate payable to a married man with 12 qualified children residing in an non-urban area with means assessed as nil.
98.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if an old age pension will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned has been receiving an old age pension for seven years. A question for reduction of his basic pension from £32.45 to £10.45 a week will shortly go before the local pension committee for decision. The question arises following a reinvestigation of the case which revealed that a substantial increase in the person's means has occurred.
Pension at £10.45 is in payment pending the pension committee's decision. The person also receives a living-alone supplement of £2.70 a week.
99.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if an old age pension will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned has been an old age pensioner for some years. An application for an increase in pension was made on her behalf in August 1982 but was unsuccessful. The reinvestigation of her case revealed that her means had, in fact, increased.
A question for reduction of her pension from £22.45 to £16.45 a week is being raised and pension at this rate is in payment pending the pension committee's decision.
100.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if an old age pension will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The local pension committee have decided that the person concerned is entitled to pension at the weekly rate of £30.45 plus £2.70 living alone allowance from 31 May 1982. The appropriate pension books and arrears due have been issued.
101.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if an old age pension will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned was awarded an old age pension by the local pension committee at the reduced rate of £44.35 — including an allowance for three qualified children — plus an increase of £11.30 for his wife with effect from 14 June 1982. Pension order books at the appropriate rates were issued on 27 July 1982. One of the pensioner's children, however, reached the age of 18 on 10 September last and may no longer be regarded as a qualified child for pension purposes. It will accordingly be necessary to reduce the rate of pension payable to take account of this. The rate of entitlement with two qualified children from 16 September is £37.95.
102.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if an old age pension will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
An appeals officer has decided that the person concerned is not entitled to an old age pension. The assessment of his means, consisting of half his wife's earnings and the weekly value of holdings, the transfer of part of which has not been accepted for pension purposes, exceeds the statutory limit of £38. The appeals officer's decision is final and conclusive in the absence of new facts or fresh evidence.
103.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if an old age pension will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
An appeals officer has decided that the person concerned is not entitled to an old age pension. The assessment of his means, consisting of half the value of a small amount of capital and a holding, the transfer of which has not been accepted for pension purposes, exceeds the statutory limit of £38 a week. The appeals officer's decision is final and conclusive in the absence of new facts or fresh evidence.
104.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a widow's pension will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned was awarded a reduced rate widow's non-contributory pension, appropriate to a widow under 66 years with no qualified children, on the basis of her means derived from a farm and some capital. The pension was awarded with effect from Friday 9 April 1982 and a pension order book with orders payable from that date was issued on 16 June 1982 to the designated post office for collection by the widow. She subsequently appealed against the decision awarding her reduced rate pension but the decision was upheld by an appeals officer.
105.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
It has not been possible from the particulars supplied to trace a claim to unemployment assistance in the records of my Department. If the Deputy will furnish me with additional details to enable the claim to be identified I would be pleased to make further inquiries in the matter.
106.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reasons for the delay in paying an old age pension to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned, who has not attained old age pension age, applied in September last for widow's pension. When completing the application form, however, she gave very little information regarding her late husband's employment or social welfare insurance.
Inquiries are being made to establish his insurance record, if any, and to see if the widow is entitled as a result to a contributory pension. She has also been asked if she wishes to be considered for a non-contributory pension and, if so, to supply details of her means. No reply has been received from her to date. The papers have now been forwarded to the local social welfare officer who will contact the widow at an early date to obtain details of her husband's employment record and of her means.
108.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare where a living alone allowance will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned has been awarded a living alone allowance with effect from 12 July 1982. A pension book implementing the increase was issued to him on 27 September last.
109.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a deserted wife's allowance will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned was refused a deserted wife's allowance on the grounds that she could not be regarded as a deserted wife under the scheme. The deciding officer held that her husband did not of his own volition leave her. She appealed against this decision and following an oral hearing at which she gave evidence an appeals officer upheld the deciding officer's decision. He added that he did not consider that the appellant had, as required by the regulations, made reasonable efforts within the means available to her to secure maintenance from her husband.
An appeals officer's decision is final and is subject to review only in the light of new facts or fresh evidence which might have a bearing on the case. Documents submitted by the Deputy have been referred to an appeals officer for consideration and review of the case if warranted. The claimant will be notified of the outcome.
110.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
All arrears of unemployment benefit due to the person concerned were paid to him on 12 October 1982.
Weekly payments at the maximum rate of unemployment benefit payable to a single person, £31.65, continue to be made to him as they become due.
111.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an old age pension will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned is in receipt of old age non-contributory pension at a reduced rate of £14.45 per week due to means derived from a pension from his former employers, an annuity and some capital. His wife is also in receipt of a similar pension at the same rate.
He originally claimed an old age contributory pension but his claim was refused as he had less than the required yearly average number of contributions to qualify for such pension. His yearly average from 1953 to January 1976 was 12 contributions whereas he would require a yearly average of 20 contributions to qualify for an old age contributory pension at the minimum rate.
112.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the present position with regard to an application for a qualification certificate from a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
There is no record of receipt of an application for a qualification certificate at the local office dealing with the unemployment benefit claim of the person concerned. The question of payment of unemployment assistance does not arise at present in his case as he fulfils the statutory contribution conditions for unemployment benefit.
The person concerned, who had been engaged in part-time employment and in receipt of three days unemployment benefit each week advised his local office that he had terminated his employment on 27 October 1982. Arrangements have been made to pay unemployment benefit for each day of unemployment from that date pending the completion of inquiries as to why he left his employment. His entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed when the inquiries have been completed.
113.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a widow's pension will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned originally claimed a widow's non-contributory pension in February 1982. Following investigation it was decided that she did not qualify for a pension on the basis of her means derived from a farm and capital. She appealed against this decision but it was upheld by an appeals officer.
Following a notification to my Department on the claimant's behalf in July 1982 that there had been a change in her circumstances her case was reviewed but, as her means were found to be unchanged, it was again decided that she was not entitled to a pension.
The claimant has again appealed and her case will be considered by an appeals officer in the near future. She will then be notified of the outcome without delay.
114.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if unemployment benefit will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The claim of the person concerned was for disability benefit not unemployment benefit. She was paid disability benefit from 23 March 1981 to 4 August 1982 after which date payment was discontinued following examination by a medical referee of the Department who expressed the opinion that she was not incapable of work.
She appealed against the decision to disallow her claim to benefit and in this connection she was examined by a different medical referee who also considered her to be capable of work. The case is now being referred to an appeals officer for determination. She will be notified of the appeals officer's decision as soon as it becomes available.
115.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if full social insurance benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned is a school teacher who is employed by the Department of Education in a permanent and pensionable capacity. Social insurance contributions at Class D rate are payable in respect of his employment.
These contributions give title only to widows' and orphans' pensions, deserted wife's benefit and occupational injuries benefits. They are not reckonable for the purposes of disability benefit, unemployment benefit, pay-related benefit, treatment benefits, death grant, old age (contributory) pension or retirement pension.
116.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will have a decision regarding the payment of unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Galway favourably reconsidered.
The person concerned was never insurably employed and would not therefore qualify for unemployment benefit. He did, however, claim unemployment assistance but his claim was disallowed on the grounds that his means exceeded the statutory limit.
He appealed against the disallowance and in connection with his appeal additional inquiries are being made by a social welfare officer. When these are completed his case will be referred to an appeals officer for determination.