asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow as he has been signing for 19 weeks.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
950.
The person concerned applied for unemployment assistance on 26 June 1982. His case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of his means but he was not available for interview when called on by the investigating officer. He ceased to sign as unemployed after 17 August 1982 and was deemed to have withdrawn his claim.
He again claimed unemployment assistance on 22 March 1983 and his case was referred to the social welfare officer for investigation. Following the completion of inquiries he was assessed with means £0.30 from 26 June 1982 and nil from 29 September 1982.
Weekly payments of unemployment assistance at the maximum rate of £28.00 commence this week and when the amount of supplementary welfare allowance which had been paid him by way of advances and is due for recoupment to his local health board, is known, the balance of any arrears due will be paid.
951.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason an increase in contributory old age pension was not paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.
The person concerned is in receipt of a pro-rata rate old age contributory pension based on his combined Irish and British insurance records. The increase payable to him when he reached age 80 was also calculated on a pro-rata basis and amounted to £0.85 per week and has been included in his pension book since 1 October 1982. This was explained to him in a letter dated 10 December 1982.
The pension book issued to him from 1 April 1983 contained 13 orders payable at a pre-July rate of £13.15 and a further 13 orders at £14.75 payable from 1 July 1983.
He is also in receipt of a living alone allowance which was increased from £2.70 to £3.00 from 1 July 1983.
952.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an invalidity pension book will be furnished to a person (details supplied) in County Cork as he is in very bad health.
The person concerned is being paid disability benefit at regular weekly intervals and payment has been made to 9 July 1983.
A form on which to claim invalidity pension has been forwarded to him and on its return, duly completed, the claim will be dealt with without delay.
953.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the non-payment of unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath.
One of the conditions that an applicant for unemployment benefit must satisfy is that she is available for work and to be available for work an applicant must be making genuine efforts to find work.
The unemployment benefit claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that by not making efforts to seek work she was not available for work. She appealed against the disallowance and attended an oral hearing of her appeal on 23 May 1983. The appeals officer upheld the disallowance in her case.
She last signed as unemployed on 31 May 1983.
954.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the paltry unemployment payments currently being made to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; when correct payments will be issued; and the rate that will be paid.
The person concerned was assessed with means £25.50 derived from the value of board and lodging in his parent's home. Payment of unemployment assistance was authorised at £0.75 weekly being the maximum rate £26.26 less £25.50 increased to £3.40 weekly from 29 June 1983 on which date the rate of unemployment assistance was increased.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of means assessed against him and his case was again referred to a social welfare officer for an investigation. Following the completion of enquiries his means were reassessed at £13.10 weekly derived from the value of board and lodgings. The present rate of unemployment assistance payable to him is £15.80 weekly the maximum rate £28.90 weekly less £13.10 and arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due this week. Further weekly payments will be made as they become due.
955.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will pay unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The entitlement to unemployment benefit of the person concerned is subject to the contribution condition that she must have at least 26 contribution weeks with contributions paid or credited during the period 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982.
According to the Department she had a total of 25 contribution weeks with 11 paid contributions and 14 credited contributions. Her claim was accordingly disallowed and she was notified accordingly on 14 June 1983.
956.
Mr. Leonard
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying pay-related benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan.
The entitlement of the person concerned to pay-related benefit with his flat-rate unemployment benefit could not be determined until his reckonable earnings during the income tax period 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982 were known.
He was asked to furnish a form P.60 or a statement from his employer certifying the amount of earnings and he recently made a form P.60 available at his local office. Payment of pay-related benefit was allowed at £28.63 weekly and all arrears due were paid on 7 June 1983.
957.
Mr. Leonard
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in taking a decision on an appeal for unemployment assistance by a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan.
The person concerned was assessed with means at £28.85 weekly, derived from the letting of land and accordingly he was paid unemployment assistance at £51.15 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £80.00 weekly less £28.85. He appealed against the amount of means assessed against him but an appeals officer upheld the assessment and he was notified accordingly on 27 January 1983.
He subsequently applied to have his means reviewed but when a social welfare officer called to interview him he found that he had resumed work and was no longer in touch with his local office. Arrangements will be made by the social welfare officer to interview him at the earliest opportunity and when all inquiries are completed his case will be reviewed.
958.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned is under 18 years of age and his entitlement to unemployment benefit is limited to 156 days of benefit which he exhausted on 16 May 1983. He will not requalify for unemployment benefit until he resumes insurable employment for a period of at least 13 weeks.
He is not eligible to claim unemployment assistance until he attains the age of 18 years.
959.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry in respect of the months prior to 8 April 1982, when he was being paid at a reduced rate which subsequently proved to be incorrect.
The person concerned applied for unemployment assistance on 7 February 1981 and was assessed with weekly means of £1.00 derived from land. Following a reinvestigation his means were increased to £8.20 from 19 November 1981 derived from land and house property. He appealed against the amount of the assessment and the appeals officer determined his means at £6.00 with effect from 19 November 1981. The appeals officer's decision is final. He applied for a review of his means on 8 April 1982 and was assessed at 25 pence a week derived from land from that date. All arrears due have been paid to him. Weekly payments of £27.75 being the maximum rate in his case of £28.00 less means 25 pence will be paid to him as they become due.
960.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance and arrears will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
It has not been possible to trace receipt of a claim to unemployment assistance or unemployment benefit which refers to the person named in the details supplied.
Further inquiries will be made if the Deputy will furnish additional information to enable the person concerned to be identified.
961.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
The person concerned is a postal applicant for unemployment benefit and his claim has been allowed at the rate of £85.55 weekly.
An order for encashment at his local post office paying all arrears due was issued to him last week.
He ceased to sign as unemployed after 15 June 1983.
962.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry as he has been signing for the past two months.
The person concerned is not entitled to unemployment assistance as his means derived from his holding exceed the statutory limit applicable to him of £2,350.40 a year. He appealed against the means assessment and an appeals officer has confirmed the decision in his case.
The person concerned also claimed unemployment benefit but he does not satisfy the condition of having an income less than £2 a day from his holding which is applicable to landholders who have less than 78 contributions paid in the three years preceding the date of their claims.
963.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will pay a deserted wife's allowance to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry in view of the fact that her solicitors informed his Department that all efforts to trace her husband failed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The claim of the person concerned to deserted wife's allowance/benefit has been disallowed for the reasons that she had not made reasonable efforts to trace her husband and prevail on him to contribute to her support.
A letter has recently been received from her solicitors enclosing a copy of a reply from the British Department of Health and Social Security, Newcastleupon-Tyne, stating that they have no information concerning the husband's whereabouts. Claimant was however in touch with him at his place of employment in London in January last and she is being asked to make further enquiries from this source, which might help to locate him.
964.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a free electricity allowance and television licence has been cancelled in the case of persons (details supplied) in County Meath who live alone.
The person concerned ceased to have an entitlement to a free electricity allowance and a free television licence when his son, who, on the information supplied to the Department, was resident with him, reached 18 years of age and therefore no longer came within the excepted categories for satisfying the living alone condition of the scheme.
If the person concerned now considers that the qualifying conditions for these benefits are satisfied in his case, it is open to him to make a fresh application.
965.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason an old age pension was not paid to a person (details supplied) in County Meath.
It has been decided by an appeals officer that the person concerned is not entitled to an old age pension as the assessment of her means, consisting of a holding, the transfer of which has not been accepted for pension purposes, and capital, exceeds the statutory limit.
Further evidence, which was recently submitted, was brought to the attention of the appeals officer who decided in the circumstances to hold an oral hearing in the case. The person concerned will be notified of the arrangements for the hearing in due course. She will also be notified of the outcome.
966.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will pay benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who is available for work but who cannot obtain any.
The claim of the person concerned to unemployment benefit on 2 May 1983 was disallowed on the grounds that she was not available for employment in that she had left her previous employment to care for her child. She appealed against the disallowance but the appeals officer confirmed the decision. She ceased to sign the unemployed register on 14 June 1983.
967.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a non-contributory old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The old age non-contributory claim of the person concerned has been referred to the social welfare officer for investigation. When his inquiries have been completed, the claim will be forwarded to the local pension committee for decision. If payment of pension is recommended it will be put into payment pending the committee's decision.
968.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary as he was made redundant on 31 May 1982 and was refused unemployment benefit here but is getting unemployment assistance; when unemployment benefit will be paid to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned does not satisfy the contribution condition for unemployment benefit on the basis of his Irish contribution record. He was employed in Greece and in accordance with the provisions of EEC Regulations his contribution record was requested from the Greek authorities to enable his entitlement to unemployment benefit to be determined.
Details of his contribution record were recently received but he has insufficient contributions to qualify for payment of unemployment benefit from the commencement of his claim on 16 June 1982 to 1 January 1983. He does however satisfy the contribution conditions from 3 January 1983, when a new benefit year commenced and payment of unemployment benefit has been authorised at the maximum rate payable to him £52.15 weekly increased to £57.35 from 30 June 1983.
All arrears due, less the amount of weekly unemployment assistance paid to him, will be paid this week and further payments will be made as weekly payments become due.
969.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a deserted wife's allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
An application for deserted wife's allowance/benefit was received from the person concerned on 23 June 1983. She gave the date of her desertion as 9 May 1983.
Under the regulations governing the schemes a woman must be three months deserted by her husband before she can qualify for the allowance/benefit. This condition is not satisfied in this case and the claimant has been notified accordingly and advised that it is open to her to re-apply when the three months have elapsed. In the meantime, if she is in need, she should apply to her local community welfare officer for supplementary welfare allowance.
970.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in providing free telephone rental to a person (details supplied) in County Meath as he is disabled and married with three children.
It has not been possible from the particulars furnished to trace an application for free telephone rental allowance from the person concerned. If the Deputy will furnish further details and in particular the type of qualifying pension or allowance in payment in the case and the relevant pension or allowance number, the matter will be further considered.
971.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a sum in excess of that due to a health board was deducted from the arrears of pension due to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The amount claimed by the local health board in respect of supplementary welfare allowance paid to the person concerned was deducted from arrears of widow's contributory pension issued to her in May 1983. It has now been established that she had already refunded £175 of that amount to the board. Accordingly a payable order for £175 will be issued to her shortly.
972.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit to 18 June 1983. Payment was disallowed after that date following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that the claimant was capable of work.
If the claimant contends that he is still incapable of work it is open to him to furnish medical evidence to this effect and arrangements will then be made to have him examined by a different medical referee.
973.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned has been in continuous receipt of unemployment assistance since 1 April 1974.
Following an investigation of his case nine unspecified days during the month of August 1982 were disallowed on the grounds that he was not unemployed on those days. It is open to him to appeal against the disallowance and a form for this purpose may be obtained at his local office.
In the meantime payment of unemployment assistance continues to be made to him. The rate payable to him from 29 June 1983 is £76.35 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £76.55 less £0.20 means.
974.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to pay a deserted wife's allowance to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned was reawarded deserted wife's allowance at the maximum rate for herself and five children with effect from 23 September 1982. An allowance book, payable from 7 January 1983, was forwarded to the designated post office on 5 January 1983 for collection by her and she was notified accordingly.
Arrears for the period from 23 September 1982 to 6 January 1983 were withheld and offset against a previous overpayment of deserted wife's allowance to the claimant and supplementary welfare allowance paid to her by the Western Health Board during that period.
975.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to pay arrears of an old age pension to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The arrears of old age contributory pension for the period from 20 August 1982 to 3 February 1983 are in the course of being issued to the person concerned by payable order. He should receive the payment amounting to £1,543.75 within the next few days.
976.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the immediate payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that his means derived from land exceeded the statutory limit.
He obtained an application form at his local office to enable him to appeal against the amount of means assessed against him but he has not returned it to date. When he does so his case will be referred to an appeals officer for determination.
He ceased to sign as unemployed after 26 April 1983.
977.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to pay a prescribed relative allowance to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
It has not been possible from the particulars furnished to trace an application for prescribed relative allowance in this case. If the Deputy would furnish further details and, in particular, the name of the pensioner who is being cared for and the relevant pension number, the matter will be further considered.
978.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position regarding an application for an old age pension by a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
From the particulars supplied it has not been possible to trace an old age pension application from the person concerned in the records of the Department. If the Deputy could supply further details, particularly the person's pension reference number, the matter will be further examined.
979.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will correct an error in the rates of old age contributory pension and living alone allowance being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon.
The rate of £42.40 was the correct amount of the combined weekly rates of old age contributory pension and living alone allowance payable to the person concerned prior to 1 July 1983. The amount of the pension payment was £39.70 per week and was the rate appropriate to his yearly average of 43 qualifying contributions during the prescribed period which, in his case, was from 5 January 1953 to 5 April 1979. A yearly average of at least 48 is required to qualify for the pension at maximum rate.
His weekly pension and living alone allowance payments were increased by £4.75 and £0.30 respectively, from 1 July 1983.
980.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider extending the free television licence allowance for old age pensioners to cover coloured sets; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The free television licence scheme provides for payment by the Department of the full cost of television licences in respect of monochrome television sets. Pensioners with colour sets receive credit for the full cost of a monochrome set licence and are only required to pay the difference of £18 a year in the licence fees.
At a time when financial resources are limited extension of the scheme to cover the full cost of colour TV licences would not have a high priority.
981.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when the correct amount of disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow as she only received £43.33 between 11 April and 28 June, 1983.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 11 April 1983 and has been paid to 27 June 1983, the date of latest medical certificate received, at the rate of £27.80, the maximum weekly rate appropriate to a married woman dependent on her husband. Pay-related benefit was also issued from 2 May 1983, the nineteenth day of incapacity, at the weekly rate of £15.53.
She subsequently made a claim in respect of a child dependant and the appropriate increase has now been awarded with effect from 11 April 1983. It has also been ascertained that she is not mainly maintained by her husband at present and accordingly she has been awarded the appropriate higher personal rate of benefit, also with effect from 11 April 1983.
However, the person concerned has been overpaid £5,350.15 Social Assistance Allowance and the arrears of disability benefit amounting to £140.69 are being withheld against the overpayment. It is proposed to recover the balance of the overpayment by deductions of £5.00 per week from any further benefit payments.
982.
asked the Minister for Agriculture when a land reclamation grant under the farm modernisation scheme will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The grant in this case has been paid.
983.
asked the Minister for Agriculture when an interest subsidy will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
984.
asked the Minister for Agriculture when a land reclamation grant will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 983 and 984, which refer to the same individual, together.
The local office of the Department have not yet been notified by the applicant that the work approved under the farm modernisation scheme has been completed. When notification is received, a final inspection will be carried out and, if the work is satisfactorily completed, a grant will be paid without delay. The grant is payable only if the work is completed, and the Farm Development Service notified to that effect, by 30 September 1983.
Subsidies under the interest subsidy schemes operated by my Department are payable only on loans approved for farm investment grant-aided under the Farm Modernisation Scheme. Accordingly, if the grant referred to above is paid, an application under the National Interest Subsidy Scheme would be considered.
985.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will pay a grant for farm buildings under the farm modernisation scheme to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
It is a condition for payment of grants to development farmers under the Farm Modernisation Scheme that an extract of farm accounts is submitted for each year of the farm development plan within a period of twelve months from the end of the accounting year.
The applicant in this case is a development farmer. As the relevant farm accounts extracts for 1980 and 1981 were not received within the specified period he has forfeited entitlement to the development rate of grant and to the special aids available to development farmers. Arrangements are being made for payment at an early date of the grant at the lower rate.
986.
asked the Minister for Agriculture when he will pay grant aid under the farm modernisation scheme to a fully qualified person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
There is no record of an application for grant aid under the farm modernisation scheme from the person mentioned.