asked the Minister for Social Welfare if disability benefit at the correct rate is being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
Written Answer. - Social Welfare Benefits.
633.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 3 May 1983 and in error cheques were issued at the rate appropriate to a married woman from 6 May 1983, fourth day of incapacity, to 17 June 1983, date of the latest medical evidence received.
As a person who is in receipt of a widow's pension, she is entitled to payment at a reduced weekly rate of benefit. She has, accordingly, been requested to return the cheques issued to her for replacement by cheques at the appropriate rate.
Deductions of £2.00 per week will continue to be made from her weekly payments of benefit towards the recovery of an earlier overpayment made on a claim to unemployment benefit.
634.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
Following the completion of inquiries to establish that the person concerned fulfilled the conditions for entitlement to unemployment benefit his claim was allowed at the maximum rate payable to him £31.65 weekly.
Arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due to him this week, less the amount of supplementary welfare allowance which had been advanced to him pending a decision on his unemployment benefit claim.
Further payments will be made as weekly payments become due.
635.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when children's allowance payments will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned submitted an application for continuation of allowance on 13 June 1983 in respect to her son who reached 16 years of age on 9 February, 1983.
Children's allowance at the rate of £11.25 per month has been awarded in respect of this child with effect from 1 March 1983. An allowance book payable from May 1983 was issued direct to the claimant's home address on 27 June 1983. A payable order at £22.50 in respect of arrears due for March and April 1983 is in the course of issue.
The claimant is now in receipt of allowance at the rate of £56.25 per month which is the correct rate payable in respect of her five qualified children.
636.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when pay-related benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The entitlement of the person concerned to pay-related benefit with flat rate unemployment benefit is governed by the amount of his reckonable earnings during the relevant income tax period 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982. According to the Department's records he was employed from 21 September 1981 to 5 April 1982 during this period and his reckonable earnings amounted to £3,868.00.
On the basis of his earnings the amount of pay-related benefit which he is entitled to at present is £11.34 weekly. He is, accordingly, in receipt of a combined payment of £39.64 representing flat-rate unemployment benefit £28.30 and pay-related benefit £11.34. The amount of flat-rate unemployment benefit payable to him will be increased to £31.15 weekly from 30 June 1983.
637.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if arrears of disability benefit for a period of a fortnight will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned was in receipt of disability benefit from June 1981 to 11 June 1983. Payment was disallowed from 13 June 1983 following an examination on 2 June 1983 by a medical referee of the Department who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work.
The claimant was notified on 9 June 1983 of the decision to disallow her claim. Consequently there are no arrears of benefit due in this case.
638.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 7 April 1982 and was paid for 52 weeks from 10 April 1982, fourth day of incapacity, to 8 April 1983. In order to qualify for payment after that date she was required to have 156 paid contributions since her entry into insurance but as only 92 contributions were recorded under her RSI Number, payment was suspended. Following inquiries it was established that she has additional contributions under her old insurance number which entitled her to continued payment of benefit.
Arrears of benefit for the period 9 April to 1 June 1983, date of the latest medical evidence received, have now been issued to the claimant.
639.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of an old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
A payable order in respect of arrears of widow's contributory pension for the period 1 April 1983 to 19 May 1983 has been sent to the person concerned. The orders for that period were contained in a renewal pension order book reported missing in April but found after a replacement book had been issued.
The claim of the person concerned to old age (contributory) pension was disallowe allowed in February 1983 because the statutory contribution conditions for its receipt are not satisfied on her insurance.
640.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit from 29 January 1983 to 6 April 1983 after which date payment was disallowed following examination by a medical referee of the Department who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work.
She appealed against the disallowance and in connection with her appeal arrangements were made to have her examined by a different medical referee on 27 June 1983. In the meantime, she submitted a new claim from 15 April 1983 in respect of a different incapacity and payment on this claim has been made to 20 June 1983, date of the latest medical evidence received. However, she did not attend for the examination by the medical referee on 27 June 1983 and as no explanation for non-attendance was given her claim has been disallowed for the statutory period of six weeks from 27 June 1983 to 6 August 1983. She has been informed accordingly.
641.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the means assessed against a person (details supplied) in County Limerick for the purpose of reducing his social welfare payments to £2.45 per week.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance at £39.10 a week being the appropriate maximum weekly rate in his case of £42.00 less notionally assessed means of £2.90. Following a review of his means he was tactually assessed with weekly means of £48.05 derived from land with effect from 18 May 1983. Unemployment assistance was accordingly authorised at £2.45 a week being the appropriate maximum weekly rate in his case of £50.50 less means £48.05.
642.
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 claimed unemployment benefit on 3 June 1983. His claim was allowed at the maximum rate payable to him £31.65 weekly and as he is a postal applicant an order issued to him on 16 June 1983 for encashment at his local post office paying all benefit due. Further payments will be made on receipt of certificates of unemployment.
643.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1 as medical evidence has been submitted.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 3 May 1983. Her claim was received in the Department on 30 May 1983.
Regulations provide that where notice of incapacity is not received within seven days of the commencement of the incapacity the claimant is disqualified from receiving disability benefit in respect of any period more than seven days before the notice is received unless good cause for late notice is given.
No cause for late notice was provided initially in this case and the claim was admitted from 24 May 1983. However, a satisfactory explanation for late notice has since been received and payment on the claim was authorised from 6 May 1983, fourth day of incapacity. Payment of disability benefit has been made to 21 June 1983, date of the latest medical evidence received.
644.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a widow's pension has been reduced in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
Following a routine re-investigation of the pension entitlement of the person concerned which revealed that there had been an increase in her means, consisting of half the weekly value of a holding and the combined British retirement pensions of herself and her late husband a question for reduction of her old age pension to £28.45 a week from 22 April 1983 has been referred to the local pension committee for decision. Pension at the rate of £28.45 is in payment to her pending the pension committee's decision. If the pensioner is dissatisfied with the committee's decision she will have a right of appeal against it.
645.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit and pay-related benefit to 21 May 1983. Payment was disallowed after that date following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that the claimant was capable of work.
The claimant subsequently submitted a final certificate which certified him as fit to resume work on 23 May 1983. Consequently there are no arrears of benefit due.