asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway who was made redundant last January and has been signing the unemployment register since then.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
680.
Inquiries were necessary to establish whether the person concerned had sufficient contributions to qualify for unemployment benefit. These have now been completed and his claim has been authorised at the appropriate weekly rate in his case of £28.30. All arrears due will be issued to him this week by pay order for encashment at his local post office and further weekly payments of £28.30 will continue to be made as they become due.
681.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether in assessing a person's eligibility for unemployment assistance it is normal policy to request information on a person's means for more than three years previous to when the claim is made.
The purpose of the assessment of the means of an applicant for unemployment assistance is to determine what his means will be during the succeeding 12 months. Under the legislation the income actually received in the preceding year may be taken as the means in the absence of other ways of ascertaining it. In such cases, however, account is taken of current factors which might affect the future income.
Accordingly, it is not normal policy to request information about a person's means for unemployment assistance purposes for any more than 12 months previous to the date of claim. Cases can, however, arise, though infrequently, where there has been concealment of means and inquiries in such cases could extend over a period of more than three years.