asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the long delay in paying disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry as she has been waiting for payment since 24 August 1982.
Written Answers . - Social Welfare Benefits .
547.
: The person concerned was paid disability benefit from 24 April 1981 to 24 August 1982. There is no record of the receipt of medical certificates after that date. The claimant was informed, accordingly, in response to an inquiry regarding non-payment of benefit to 14 December 1982. She then submitted a medical certificate covering from August to December 1982 and payment was issued to 14 December 1982 on the basis of this certificate. No further medical evidence of incapacity for work has since been received.
548.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Wexford, who applied for unemployment assistance, was only awarded £1 per week.
: The person concerned was assessed with means of £24.40 weekly derived from the value of board and lodging on her father's holding. She is accordingly in receipt of unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £1.05 being the maximum rate payable to her £25.45 less £24.40 means.
She has appealed against the amount of means assessed against her and arrangements are being made to have her case determined by an appeals officer. The rate of unemployment assistance payable to her will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
549.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason pay-related benefit was refused in a case (details supplied) in County Wexford.
: The entitlement of an applicant to pay-related benefit with flat-rate unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that the sum of flat-rate unemployment benefit, pay-related benefit and income tax rebate may not exceed 85 per cent of a claimant's net average weekly earnings.
The 85 per cent limit applicable to the person concerned is £29.86 and as the amount of weekly flat-rate unemployment benefit £31.65 exceeds this sum pay-related benefit is not payable to him.
550.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of children in respect of whom children's allowances were paid in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982; and if he will state in respect of each year the number (over 16 and under 18 years of age) (a) who were receiving full time instruction by day at any university, college, school or educational establishment, (b) apprentices, or (c) who by reason of physical or mental infirmity, were incapable of supporting themselves.
: The information, in so far as it is available, is set out in the following table. Statistics are not kept by the Department which would enable the breakdown sought by the Deputy to be given in relation to children between the ages of 16 and 18 years.
Number of children in respect of whom children's allowances were paid.
|
Year |
Total Number of Children |
Number of Children aged between 16 and 18 years |
|
1979 |
1,183,747 |
82,722 |
|
1980 |
1,185,322 |
85,739 |
|
1981 |
1,184,408 |
94,477 |
|
1982 |
1,188,948 |
87,823 |
Notes:
1. The figures quoted represent the monthly average number of children in respect of whom allowances were paid each year.
2. A recent sample survey of current claims, which was conducted with a view to establishing the number of apprentices aged between 16 and 18 years, indicated that there were approximately 4,500 such apprentices in respect of whom allowances were being paid.
551.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of births in respect of which a maternity grant was paid in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982.
: Maternity grant is payable to qualified women on their own insurance and on that of their husbands if they satisfy the contribution conditions.
The number of grants paid were as follows:
|
Grant Type |
1979 |
1980 |
1981 |
1982 |
|
1. Paid on Women's Insurance |
15,859 |
17,616 |
22,357 |
14,909 |
|
2. Paid on Men's Insurance |
27,349 |
27,282 |
27,798 |
24,146 |
|
Totals |
43,208 |
44,898 |
50,155 |
39,055 |
Where the contribution conditions are satisfied on both the woman's and her husband's insurance, two grants are payable. It is estimated that the number of births are as follows: 1979, 29,500; 1980, 31,300; 1981, 36,300; 1982, 27,000.
552.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will ensure that a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who became ill in October 1981, who is now permanently sick and who has not worked since October 1981, will be put on long term benefit immediately.
: The person concerned is in receipt of disability benefit at the maximum rate appropriate to a married couple with two qualified child dependants. Payment is issued to him at regular weekly intervals. He recently requested that he be transferred to invalidity pension.
The regulations provide that to qualify for invalidity pension an insured person who satisfies the contribution conditions must be permanently incapable of work. The medical adviser of my Department has requested the claimant's medical certifier to furnish a report on his condition for the purpose of assessing whether he is permanently incapable of work.
553.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a supplementary welfare allowance or disabled person's maintenance allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
: The person concerned is in receipt of disability benefit, at the rate of £68.05 a week, since August 1982. He would not, therefore, qualify for disabled person's maintenance allowance in addition.
I understand from the South Eastern Health Board, which administers the supplementary welfare allowance scheme in the Wexford area, that an application under the scheme from the person concerned for a weekly supplement for special dietary needs was disallowed. He has appealed against the disallowance and his case has been submitted to the appeals officer for determination. He will be advised of that officer's decision shortly.
The South Eastern Health Board provides free transport to a Dublin clinic on three days a week for the person concerned.
554.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to have all outstanding disability benefit paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny as he has submitted four certificates and has been in hospital for some time.
: The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 17 February 1983 but is not qualified for payment as he has not the required minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited in 1981-82, the contribution year governing his claim. No contributions are recorded to his credit for that year.
Inquiries are being made, however, by my Department to ascertain his record of insurable employment in 1981-82. When these inquiries are completed his entitlement to disability benefit will be reviewed.
555.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit was terminated in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary.
: The person concerned was disallowed payment of disability benefit from 20 December 1982 following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He appealed against this decision and in connection with the appeal he was examined on 7 February 1983 by a different medical referee who also considered him to be capable of work. He was notified of this result and a form was sent to him on which to set out the grounds for his appeal if he wished his case to be referred to an appeals officer for determination. The return of this form is awaited.
556.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason pay-related benefit is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary.
: Entitlement to pay-related benefit with unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that the total amount of weekly unemployment benefit, pay-related benefit and income tax rebate must not exceed 85 per cent of a claimant's net weekly average earnings.
The person concerned had no earnings from 6 April 1982 to 11 November 1982 when her unemployment benefit claim commenced, or in the previous income tax year 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982, and is not entitled to pay-related benefit with her flat-rate unemployment benefit.
557.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a blind pension was reduced in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary who has no other income.
: The £51.75 blind pension book of the person concerned, which represents the personal rate of pension and the increase for his wife, has been recalled for adjustment pending a decision by the local pension committee on a question for reduction of his pension. The book has not yet been received in the Department.
The question for reduction of pension arises following a re-investigation of his entitlement, which has revealed that the assessment of his means, consisting of half the weekly value of a holding, warrants payment at a lower rate. His total pension is being reduced from £96.65 to £81.65. The pensioner is also in receipt of disability benefit £52.15 a week.
558.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and when it will be paid.
: The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 26 October 1982 but was not entitled to payment between that date and 1 January 1983 as he had not the required minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited in 1980-81, the contribution year governing his claim for that period.
From 3 January 1983, the commencment of a new benefit year, entitlement to benefit in his case is determined on his 1981-82 insurance record. He had 49 contributions in 1981-82 and these contributions qualify him for the maximum rate of disability benefit from 3 January 1983. All disability benefit payable from 3 January to 8 March 1983, the date of the latest medical certificate received, has been issued.
The claimant has indicated that he had employment in 1980-81 in respect of which contributions have not been recorded. The extent of the employment is being investigated and when the inquiries have been completed his entitlement to disability benefit from the commencment of his claim to 1 January 1983 will be reviewed. His entitlement to pay-related benefit also depends on the result of the investigations as his reckonable earning in 1980-81 are the determining factor in relation to this benefit.
559.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary is not being paid disability or supplementary welfare benefit; and when it will be paid.
: All disability benefit due to the person concerned from 25 January 1983 to 9 March 1983, the date of the latest medical certificate received, was paid on 15 March 1983. A cheque in payment of pay-related benefit due will issue within the next few days.
The delay in payment of benefit was caused by an administrative error in completing his insurance record for 1981-82 on which his entitlement to benefit depended.
560.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary even though he informed his Department by letter that he had been discharged from hospital and was unfit to attend a medical referee examination; if the benefits will now be paid; and, if so, when.
: The person concerned was disallowed payment of disability benefit for the statutory period of six weeks from 9 February 1983 as he failed to attend on 8 February 1983 for examination by a medical referee. He did not submit medical evidence that he was unfit to attend for examination and his excuse, that he had recently been hospitalised, was not accepted as good cause for his nonattendance as he had been discharged from hospital 12 days earlier on 27 January 1983.
Payment of disability benefit will be restored from 23 March 1983, when the period of the disallowance is terminated, should the claimant continue to submit medical evidence of incapacity for work. A further date for examination by a medical referee will also be arranged and the disallowance will be reviewed in the light of the report of this examination.
561.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit in respect of four weeks will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
: The person concerned has been paid all disability and pay-related benefit due from 9 February 1983, fourth day of incapacity, to 5 March 1983, the date of the latest medical certificate received.
562.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
: The person named by the Deputy has not lodged a claim to unemployment assistance. However, her husband is currently being paid unemployment assistance at the rate of £50.50 which is the maximum rate payable to him as a married man with one qualified child.
563.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will grant an old age pension to a small farmer (details supplied) in County Wexford.
: The investigation of the old age pension claim of the person concerned has not yet been completed. The social welfare officer has written to the bank of the person concerned requesting details of her account and when a reply is received the case will be referred to the local pension committee for decision.
564.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford who is entitled to disability benefit for ten weeks but who has only received benefit for four weeks.
: The person concerned has been paid disability benefit in accordance with the medical evidence submitted from 21 January 1983, fourth day of incapacity, to 8 March 1983, the date of the latest medical certificate received. He has also been paid pay-related benefit from 1 February 1983, the 13th day of incapacity. The claimant has intimated in a letter to my Department that his incapacity for work commenced on 5 January 1983 and not 18 January 1983.
However, as his first certificate is dated 18 January 1983 and as he stated in the form completed by him in connection with his disability benefit claim that his illness commenced on 18 January 1983, he has been requested to submit confirmation of the revised date. His entitlement to additional payment will then be considered.
565.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will approve a maternity leave allowance from January to April 1983 and a maternity grant for a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
: A maternity claim was received in my Department from the person concerned on 14 March 1983. Payment of maternity allowance and maternity grant has been authorised. The allowance payment period is 17 January 1983 to 23 April 1983.
566.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork was refused unemployment benefit; and if he will rescind this decision.
: Before the entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment benefit could be determined inquiries were necessary to ascertain why her employment has terminated.
These investigations were completed recently and her claim to unemployment benefit has been allowed at the maximum rate of £31.65 weekly. Arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due to her this week and further weekly payments will be made as they become due.
567.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the present position in regard to an application for free electricity for an old age pensioner (details supplied) in County Galway.
: There is no trace of the receipt of an application for a free electricity allowance from the person concerned.
An application form, which should be completed and forwarded in the first instance to the ESB for attention, was issued to him on 14 March 1983. On receipt of the completed application in the Department the case will be considered and he will be notified of the outcome.
568.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Wexford was refused unemployment benefit.
: To be entitled to unemployment benefit an applicant must be fully available for work.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 14 June 1982 and stated that she was only available for work on specific hours each day. Her claim was disallowed on the grounds that she was not available for work. She appealed against the disallowance and following an oral hearing of her case an appeals officer upheld the disallowance. Her claim was later reviewed but it was again disallowed on the grounds that she was not available for work. She appealed the decision but again the disallowance was upheld by an appeals officer.
She ceased to sign as unemployed on 12 October 1982 and she has not been in touch with her local office since that date.