asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a substantive reply will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry to his letter dated 12 January, 1983 which requested detailed information in respect of the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry in view of the importance of the matter.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
659.
In the absence of details of the reckonable earnings of the person concerned it is not possible to furnish full details of all benefits which he would have been entitled to had he claimed and qualified for unemployment benefit during various periods between 1 November 1973 and 31 December 1977.
However, arrangements have been made to write to his solicitor this week and to furnish him with details of the flat-rate unemployment benefit rates which were payable during the periods in which his client is stated to have been unemployed.
660.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of social assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
Arrears in respect of herself and four of her children for the period from 14 October 1982 to 10 November 1982 were paid to the person concerned by means of a payable order which issued on 3 February 1983. Arrears of £184.30 in respect of her fifth child for the period from 14 October 1982 to 16 February 1983 were offset against a claim for refund of £650.00 supplementary welfare allowance paid to her by the South-Eastern Health Board after the commencement of her entitlement to the social assistance allowance. Accordingly, no further arrears of the allowance are due to her.
661.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the decision of the medical referee in regard to the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit from 29 April 1982 to 27 January 1983, after which date payment was disallowed following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work.
She appealed against the disallowance and was examined on 22 April 1983 by a different medical referee who also considered her to be capable of work.
Her case has been referred to an appeals officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in the near future. She will be notified of the time and place of the hearing as soon as the arrangements have been made.
662.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the outcome of his investigations into his Department's refusal to grant an old age pension to a person (details supplied) in County Laois; and if he will ensure that the pension is now granted following this person's appeal.
It was determined by an appeals officer on 29 October 1982 that the person concerned is not entitled to any pension as the assessment of his means, consisting of the value of a holding, the transfer of which has not been accepted for old age pension purposes, exceeds the statutory limit. Following further inquiries the case was again referred to the appeals officer who, however, considered that there are no new facts or fresh evidence which would warrant a revision of his decision. It transpired that the claimant's nephew to whom the holding was transferred still works a 45 hour week elsewhere and the claimant was effectively in control of the holding.
663.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance was reduced in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance at the rate of £50.90 being the maximum rate payable to him £53.05 less means £2.15 notionally assessed on the value of his land up to 1 February 1983. His claim was reviewed and following a reinvestigation of his case by a social welfare officer his means were assessed as being in excess of the statutory limit and his unemployment assistance claim was disallowed from 2 February 1983.
He appealed against the disallowance and his case was referred to an appeals officer for determination. The appeals officer assessed him with means at £40.00 weekly. He is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at £23.75 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £63.75 less means £40.00. Arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due to him this week and weekly payments will follow as they become due.
664.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason regular weekly payments of disability benefit are not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway even though medical certificates have been issued each week.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 11 May 1981 and has been paid to 14 May 1983.
Payment was interrupted temporarily from 11 April 1983 in the absence of medical certification of incapacity. On receipt of continuing medical evidence payment was restored.
Future payments will issue on a regular weekly basis while he remains incapable of work.
665.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when he will grant a free electricity allowance to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The ESB have been instructed to apply the allowance to the electricity account of the person concerned from the May—June 1983 billing period onwards.
666.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position in regard to an application for an old age pension from a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The claim of the person concerned will be referred to the local pension committee for decision shortly. Pension will not be recommended unless the claimant produces documentary evidence of the transfer of a holding. He was requested to furnish evidence to this effect but so far has failed to do so.
667.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a pension book will be returned to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal who is in receipt of both a British pension and an Irish old age pension; and the reason for the proposed reduction in the Irish pension.
The assessment of the means of the person concerned, consisting of a British retirement pension, entitles him to an old age pension of £30.45 a week. Pension at the rate of £28.45 has been in payment with effect from 1 April 1983 as £2 weekly was being withheld in recovery of a slight overpayment. The overpayment has now been fully recovered and a pension order book at the rate of £2 is in course of issue to the pensioner.
Payment of his living alone allowance of £2.70 a week was suspended some time ago when he was admitted to hospital. The Department was not made aware that he had returned home until recently. His entitlement to the allowance is now under review by the social welfare officer and payment will be restored on receipt of information that the living alone condition is fulfilled.
668.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will increase the rate of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford as his means have worsened in the past two months.
Following a review of his case and an investigation by a social welfare officer the means of the person concerned were assessed at £30.75 weekly, derived from self employment with effect from 20 April 1983.
He is accordingly being paid unemployment assistance at £49.25 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £80.00 less £30.75.
If he is dissatisfied with the amount of means assessed against him it is open to him to appeal and to have his case determined by an appeals officer. A form for this purpose may be obtained at his local office.
669.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick as he has been signing since February, 1983.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance on 16 February 1983 and his case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of his means.
However, the social welfare officer was unable to complete his inquiries as the applicant was not prepared to disclose his means. The person concerned was subsequently written to and asked to give an undertaking to co-operate with the investigating officer but he has not replied to date. When he does so his case will again be referred to a social welfare officer for investigation following which his means will be assessed and his entitlement to unemployment assistance determined.
670.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Limerick is in receipt of the full amount of old age pension.
The person concerned is currently in possession of a pension book in the amount of £8.45. As she has been awarded the maximum rate of £34.45 she has been asked to return the £8.45 book for adjustment, but it has not been received back from her to date. As soon as it comes to hand the maximum rate book will be issued to her.
671.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the reduction by £36 per week in social welfare payments being made under the farmers dole scheme to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
Following a review of his unemployment assistance claim and a reinvestigation by a social welfare officer the means of the person concerned were factually assessed at £61.50 weekly derived from land with effect from 6 April 1983. Accordingly the weekly rate of unemployment assistance payable to him £59.45 which was based on the notional value of his holding had to be reduced to £13.85 weekly being the maximum rate of £75.35 less £61.50.
He obtained an appeal form but has not returned it to date. When he does so his case will be referred to an appeals officer for determination and the rate of unemployment assistance payable to him will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
672.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to pay unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned is not entitled to unemployment benefit as she has less than 26 contributions paid or credited during the governing contribution period 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982.
During that period she had no Irish contributions and only 21 British contributions and accordingly her unemployment benefit claim which commenced on 18 January 1983 was disallowed.
673.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance is still not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Louth who has a wife and three children to support, and who has received no payment since October; the reasons given by the Special Investigation Unit, Dundalk; if he will produce a copy of reports received by this Unit; and when payment will be made to this person.
To be entitled to unemployment assistance an applicant must be the holder of a qualification certificate which is a statement of his means. The qualification certificate of the person concerned was revoked in November 1982 on the grounds that in the course of a review of his means he had failed to show that his means did not exceed the statutory limit. When interviewed by a social welfare officer the person concerned threatened the officer and refused to answer queries.
A letter received by the Department on behalf of the person concerned is being treated as an appeal against the decision revoking his qualification certificate and his case is being referred to an appeals officer. It will however be necessary for him to co-operate fully in the assessment of his means and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will then be reviewed in the light of the appeals officer's decision.
674.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the decrease of £2.15 in the social welfare allowance being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance at £47.65 being the maximum rate payable to him as a married man with one qualified child £50.50 less means £2.85.
His child attained the age of 18 years on 18 April 1983 and his entitlement to an increase in his rate for a child dependant ceased from that date. Accordingly the rate of unemployment assistance payable to him was reduced to £41.10 being the maximum rate payable to him £43.95 less £2.85 and payments at this rate continue to be made to him as they become due.