asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork has not yet received pay related and disability payments.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
708.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 28 February 1983 and payment was issued from 3 March 1983, the fourth day of incapacity, to 9 May 1983 the date of the latest medical certificate received.
Payment of pay-related benefit was delayed while inquiries were made to ascertain details of her earnings in the 1981-82 year on which her entitlement depended.
These details were received in the Department on 29 April 1983 and payment of pay-related benefit for the period from 14 March 1983, the thirteenth day of incapacity, to 2 May 1983 was issued on 9 May 1983. The subsequent cheque covering the period from 3 May to 9 May which was issued on 11 May 1983 represented both pay-related and disability benefit for that period.
709.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork has not yet received disability benefit.
The disability benefit claim of the person concerned was terminated on 12 January 1983 when she was found to be capable of work by a medical referee.
She claimed unemployment benefit on 26 January 1983 and extensive inquiries were necessary to ascertain if she was available for work. Following the completion of inquiries her claim was allowed and all arrears of unemployment benefit due to her were paid on 6 May 1983. The present rate of unemployment benefit payable to her is £27.80 weekly.
Inquiries to establish her average net weekly earnings are still being made. When they are completed her entitlement to pay-related benefit with flat-rate unemployment benefit will be determined.
710.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork has not yet received disability benefit, although medical certificates have been submitted since January, 1983.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 8 October 1981 and was paid continuously to 1 January 1983.
From 3 January 1983 payment depended on his insurance record in a new contribution year, 1981-82. As, according to the records of the Department, he had not the required minimum of 26 paid or credited contributions in that period he was not entitled to payment. The records showed 25 credited contributions for that period.
It was subsequently established that the claimant had a further 21 contributions paid in 1981-82. The total of 46 contributions qualified him for benefit at a reduced weekly rate from 3 January 1983.
Payment of benefit due to 28 May 1983 has been issued to the claimant. He was paid pay-related benefit up to 8 January 1983, when his title to that benefit was exhausted.
711.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of farmers in County Leitrim in receipt of unemployment assistance; and the amount of money paid to them weekly.
The approximate number of farmers receiving unemployment assistance in County Leitrim is 820. The Department does not maintain statistics which would enable the exact weekly amount of money being paid to them to be stated. However, it is estimated that the average weekly amount of unemployment assistance paid to a smallholder is about £34 and on that basis the total weekly amount paid to County Leitrim smallholders would be of the order of £28,000.
712.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason social welfare assistance is not being granted to a person (details supplied) in County Sligo.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed from 19 January 1983 on the grounds that by failing to furnish details of his earnings he failed to show that his means did not exceed the statutory limit and the disallowance was upheld by an appeals officer.
He applied for re-investigation of his means on 3 March 1983 and his case was referred to a social welfare officer for inquiries. These inquiries were recently completed and his claim has been allowed at £49.70 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £50.50 less £0.80 means derived from the value of capital with effect from 3 March 1983.
Arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due next week and further weekly payments will be made to him as they become due.
713.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon who applied in February 1983.
Extensive inquiries to ascertain the means of the person concerned were necessary before the entitlement to unemployment assistance could be determined.
The inquiries were recently completed and means were assessed at £56.00 weekly derived from the value of his holding and from capital. He is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at £19.35 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £75.35 less £56.00 and all arrears due were paid to him on 12 May 1983.
Further weekly payments will be made as they become due.
714.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the immediate payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 17 January 1983 but was not entitled to payment as he had not the required minimum of 26 paid or credited contributions in the contribution year 1981-82 which governed his claim. According to the records of the Department he had 15 credited contributions in that period.
It has since been established that the claimant had a further 36 contributions in respect of employment during 1981-82 giving him a total of 51 contributions in that year. He is, therefore, entitled to disability benefit at the appropriate maximum weekly rate.
Arrears of disability benefit and pay-related benefit due to 4 May 1983 were issued on 19 May 1983. His claim was disallowed from 5 May 1983 following examination by a medical referee of the Department who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work.
715.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for a living alone allowance to be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned is receiving an invalidity pension and a living alone allowance is payable with that pension only when the pensioner has reached pension age of 66 years. The person concerned has not yet reached that age and is not therefore qualified to receive a living alone allowance.
716.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the immediate payment of a blind pension to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The claim of the person concerned has been investigated and referred to the local pension committee for decision. Payment of blind pension has not been recommended by the social welfare officer on the grounds that evidence of blindness has not been produced and that the claimant's means, consisting of a holding, are in excess of the statutory limit of £38 per week. If he is dissatisfied with the decision of the pension committee the claimant will have the right of appeal against it.
717.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position regarding an application for unemployment assistance for a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance on 28 April 1983. He was the holder of a qualification certificate with means assessed at £3.15 weekly derived from the value of board and lodging on his parents' holding. His claim was allowed at £23.30 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £25.45 less means £3.15 and weekly payments are being made as they become due. In the meantime his case has been referred to a social welfare officer for reinvestigation of his means and when the inquiries are completed his means will be reviewed and the rate of unemployment assistance payable to him will be determined accordingly.
718.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny will receive arrears of social welfare benefit due to her.
A payable order for arrears of social assistance allowance for the period from 30 September 1982 to 9 February 1983, less deductions in respect of supplementary welfare allowance paid to her during that time, was sent to the person concerned on 23 May 1983.
719.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who has been signing since 24 March 1983 will receive unemployment benefit.
The person concerned has been in receipt of unemployment assistance since 9 November 1982. She changed her address on 16 March 1983 to an urban area and was paid weekly unemployment assistance at £11 being the maximum urban rate payable to her £26.25 less means £15.25 as weekly payments become due. She applied for a re-investigation of her means and following the completion of inquiries she was assessed with nil means since 16 March 1983. She is accordingly entitled to the maximum rate £26.25 weekly and all arrears due, less advances of supplementary welfare allowance which had been paid to her, were paid on 19 May 1983. Further weekly payments at £26.25 will be made as they become due.
720.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will ensure that a deserted wife's allowance is paid to a woman (details supplied) in County Wexford who has received no report of her husband for the past six years.
The claim of the person concerned to deserted wife's allowance/benefit is under consideration. Efforts have been made without success to have the husband interviewed to obtain his version of the circumstances of the desertion in order to establish whether the claimant fulfils the statutory conditions for receiving the allowance. This is a normal requirement in this type of case. She was requested to indicate what efforts she had made to prevail on her husband to support her but she has not so far done so.
As soon as inquiries have been completed in the case, a decision will be given and the claimant will be notified of the outcome.
721.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford whose circumstances have changed over the past few months and who is now fully qualified for assistance.
The means of the person concerned were assessed at £30 weekly and his application for unemployment assistance was accordingly disallowed on the ground that his means exceed the maximum rate payable in his case. The disallowance was upheld by an appeals officers on 6 May 1983.
However, it has now come to light that the person concerned has changed his address and his case has again being referred to a social welfare officer for investigation. When the inquiries have been completed the assessment of his means will be reviewed and his entitlement to unemployment assistance determined accordingly.
722.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Laois who has been signing for over seven months and who has has been unable to find employment.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance and her case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of her means. When the inquiries were completed the claim papers were returned to her local office but due to misfiling a delay occurred in referring the case to a deciding officer for assessment of her means.
The matter was recently rectified and means in her case were assessed as nil. She is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at the maximum rate of £25.45 weekly and as she is a postal applicant an order issued to her last week for encashment at her local post office paying all arrears due. Further weekly payments will be made as they become due.
723.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when full old age pension payments will be continued for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of a non-contributory widow's pension, the rate of which was recently reduced by £2 per week following an increase in her British pension. When her entitlement was being reviewed, it came to notice that, in addition to her British pension, she was entitled to payment of an Irish widow's contributory pension of £35 per week — the rate appropriate to a yearly average of 24 contributions. Arrangements are being made to have a new pension book issued to her in substitution for her existing book and the arrears of pension payable will be issued to her shortly.