asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance at the full rate is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
375.
The person concerned was assessed with means of £21.40 weekly derived from the value of board and lodgings in his parents' home. He appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and, following the completion of a further investigation, the assessment was reduced to £17.80 reducing to £11.00 weekly from 21 February 1983 with a further reduction to £9.35 weekly with effect from 28 September 1983.
He is accordingly in receipt of unemployment assistance at £19.55 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £28.90 less £9.35. If he is dissatisfied with the latest assessment of his means it is open to him to appeal and to have his case determined by an appeals officer. The rate of unemployment assistance which is presently being paid to him would be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer in his case.
376.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Meath whose claim was submitted on 12 April 1983.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that by failing to furnish details of his income he failed to show that his means did not exceed the statutory limit.
He was afforded a further opportunity to co-operate with the investigating social welfare officer and to disclose his means but he informed the officer that he had withdrawn his claim. He last signed as unemployed on 12 July 1983.
377.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will restore an old age pension to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
It has been decided by an appeals officer that the person concerned is entitled to an old age pension at the rate of £12.45 a week plus £6.30 adult dependant allowance from 13 May 1983 and £16.60 a week plus £8.40 adult dependant allowance from 1 July 1983. These are the rates appropriate to the latest assessment of his means, consisting of half the weekly value of his net earnings.
The appropriate pension book and the arrears due have been issued.
378.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
According to the Department's records the person concerned did not satisfy the contribution conditions during the contribution period 6 April 1980 to 5 April 1981 which governed her entitlement to payment of unemployment benefit from 14 July, 1982.
A new benefit year commenced on 3 January 1983 and as she satisfied the contribution conditions for maximum rate unemployment benefit during the contribution period 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982 her claim was allowed at the maximum weekly rate of £31.65 increasing to £34.80 in accordance with 1983 budget increases and weekly payments were made to her until 26 July 1983 when she ceased to sign as unemployed.
On 6 September 1983 she furnished her local office with documentary evidence certifying that she had additional weeks of employment during the period 6 April 1980 to 5 April 1981. The effect of these contributions was to qualify her for unemployment benefit during the period 14 July 1982 to 1 January 1983 and an order representing the balance of unemployment benefit due issued to her on 24 September 1983 for encashment at her local post office.
379.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 19 November 1982 to 16 April 1983 but was not entitled to payment as she had less than the required minimum of 26 contributions paid since entry into insurance.
There is no record in the Department of any claim by her for unemployment assistance.
380.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed from 9 September 1982 on the grounds that his means, derived from the profit of his holding, exceeded the statutory limit.
He has not been in touch with his local office since the date of his application on 9 September 1982.
381.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that by failing to furnish details of his means he failed to show that his means did not exceed the statutory limit. He did not appeal against the disallowance of his claim.
He has not been in touch with his local office since 15 February 1983.
382.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance from 24 May 1982 to 28 September 1982 but his claim was disallowed on the grounds that his means, derived from the value of his holding, exceeded the statutory limit. He appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and an appeals officer reduced the means assessment to £42.00 weekly following which his unemployment assistance claim was allowed and all arrears due were paid.
He again claimed unemployment assistance from 19 July 1983 to 19 September 1983 and his claim was allowed at the weekly rate of £34.55 being the maximum rate payable to him £76.55 less means £42.00 and weekly payments were made to him as they became due.
383.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason the unemployment assistance being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork was reduced from £18.80 to £8.35 per week.
The person concerned was previously in receipt of unemployment assistance at £18.80 on the basis of notional value of his holding.
His case was referred to a social welfare officer for a factual investigation of his means after which he was assessed with means of £35.60 weekly derived from the profit from his holding. His rate of unemployment assistance was reduced to £8.35 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £43.95 less £35.60. However, he qualified for a budget increase from 29 June 1983 whereby his rate was increased to £12.75 weekly and to a further increase to £15.15 weekly from 5 October 1983 as a long-term recipient of unemployment assistance.
Weekly payments at £15.15 continue to be made to him as they become due.
384.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a deserted wife's allowance has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry as she has made every effort to trace her husband and his Department have been made so aware by her solicitor.
One of the qualifying conditions for receipt of deserted wife's allowance/benefit is that the claimant must make reasonable efforts to trace her husband and prevail on him to contribute to her support. The claim of the person concerned was refused on the ground that she did not satisfy this condition.
The requirements in this respect were explained to the claimant both in writing and in the course of interviews by officers of the Department and she was also advised of her right to appeal against the decision rejecting her claim but did not do so.
The person concerned was last interviewed by an officer of the Department on 29 September 1983 when she was accompanied by her solicitor. The circumstances of the case were gone into in detail and the inadequacy of the efforts made by the claimant to comply with the statutory requirements were explained and understood by the claimant's solicitor. A further communication is now awaited from the claimant's solicitor in the light of the discussions which took place on the matter.
385.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a free electricity allowance will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
A free electricity allowance will be applied to the account of the person concerned as soon as an electricity supply which, it is understood, the ESB is in the process of providing, is connected to his home.
386.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork since April 1982.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 9 March 1981 but was entitled to payment for only a maximum period of 52 weeks as she has fewer than the required minimum of 156 reckonable contributions paid since her entry into insurance.
According to the records of the Department she has only 125 contributions paid since her entry into insurable employment in this country on 1 November 1978. It has been established that contributions paid by her while in Britain between 1952 and 1978 were not reckonable for disability benefit.
In order to requalify for payment of disability benefit it will be necessary for her to resume insurable employment, for which the appropriate contributions are paid, for a minimum period of thirteen weeks.
387.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 16 February 1982. All benefit due to 6 October 1983 has been issued to her.
Payments have issued on a regular basis on receipt of medical evidence in the Department.
388.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will expedite the payment of social welfare benefit for a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit from 14 October 1982 (fourth day of his claim) up to 24 May 1983 when payment was disallowed following his examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. Benefit was subsequently restored for the period from 31 May 1983 to 21 June 1983 during which time the claimant was in hospital.
He was examined on 7 October 1983 by a different medical referee who also considered him to be capable of work. He has been sent an appeal form on return of which his case will be referred immediately for determination by an appeals officer.
389.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 18 June 1983 to 6 August 1983. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit payable was issued without delay on receipt of medical evidence of incapacity.
390.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when pay-related benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Meath.
The person concerned was requested on numerous occasions to furnish evidence of his earnings to enable his entitlement to pay-related benefit with flat-rate unemployment benefit to be determined during the period of his claim from 16 May 1983 to 25 June 1983 after which he ceased to sign as unemployed.
He recently submitted a form P. 45 on the basis of which his pay-related claim was allowed at the weekly rate of £8.84. All arrears due were paid last week.
391.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit which was claimed for on 14 June 1983 will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Meath.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 14 June 1983. He was not qualified for benefit at the commencement of his claim as according to the records of the Department he had less than the required minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited in 1981/82 the contribution year governing his claim.
Following inquiries it was subsequently established that he had sufficient contributions credited on his behalf in respect of his British insurance record in 1981-82 to entitle him to payment at the maximum rate appropriate to a married couple.
All benefit due to him to 28 September 1983, date of the latest medical certificate received, has been paid.
392.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit which was claimed for on 16 May 1983, will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Meath.
The person concerned has been paid all disability benefit due from 20 May 1983, fourth day of incapacity to 17 September 1983, after which date she was certified fit to resume work. Pay-related benefit has also been paid from 7 June 1983, nineteenth day of incapacity to 17 September 1983.
A difficulty arose initially because the claimant quoted her married RSI number while her employment contributions were recorded under her single RSI number.
393.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when pay-related benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Meath.
The entitlement of an applicant to pay-related benefit with flat-rate unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that the sum of flat-rate unemployment benefit, pay-related benefit and income tax rebate may not exceed 85 per cent of his average net weekly earnings. The 85 per cent limit applicable to the person concerned is £29.62.
The weekly flat rate of unemployment benefit payable from the commencement of his claim £31.65 weekly increasing to £34.80 from 30 June 1983, exceeded the 85 per cent limit and accordingly no pay-related benefit was payable. However he did not satisfy the contribution condition for continuous payment at the maximum rate after exhaustion of 156 days of benefit and the rate of flat-rate unemployment benefit payable to him from 22 September 1983 was reduced to £28.90 weekly. Consequently he qualified for pay-related benefit from that date at £0.72 weekly and combined payments of £29.62 weekly continue to be made to him as they become due.
394.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason the amount of supplementary welfare allowance advanced to a person (details supplied) in County Meath was deducted from a cheque in respect of arrears of benefit, as it had already been deducted at the local employment exchange.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 27 May 1982 and was paid to 16 February 1983. Payment was disallowed after that date following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work.
The claimant appealed against the decision to disallow his claim to benefit and subsequently submitted a final certificate which certified him as fit to resume work on 24 February 1983. The case was then referred to an appeals officer who decided that the claimant was not capable of work from 17 February to 23 February 1983.
While the appeal was under review however he claimed supplementary welfare allowance and the amount advanced by the health board was recovered from the arrears of disability benefit payable.
He subsequently claimed unemployment benefit from 28 February 1983 but the initial payment was not made until 11 March 1983 as a claim for separate payments was lodged by his wife. While awaiting payment of unemployment benefit he again claimed supplementary welfare allowance from 28 February to 2 March 1983 and the sum advanced was withheld from the arrears of unemployment benefit payable and refunded to the health board. Unemployment benefit was paid to 30 August 1983 after which date he ceased to sign the unemployment register.
The deductions from benefit made were accordingly in respect of different payments of supplementary welfare allowance on different dates.
395.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance has not yet been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance on 20 September 1982 and was assessed with nil means.
A pay order was issued to him on 21 April 1983 for encashment at his local post office paying all arrears due.
He reported non-receipt of the pay order paying the arrears and inquiries revealed that the order had been cashed by an unknown person. A pay order representing the amount due, less the amount of an overpayment which was assessed against him in the meantime arising out of an earlier claim, was issued to him on 15 September 1983.
He has accordingly been paid all unemployment assistance to which he is entitled and weekly payments at the maximum rate of £28.00 weekly are being made to him as they become due.
396.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position regarding the application for a free telephone rental allowance made by a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
In order to qualify for a free telephone rental allowance an applicant must be either living alone or living only with other persons who are so permanently incapacitated that they would be unable to summon aid in an emergency. The person concerned is married and his wife resides with him. He has applied for a telephone rental allowance but did not supply the necessary medical certificate in respect of his wife. He has been requested to do so and when the certificate is received a decision will be made on his claim and he will be advised of the outcome.
397.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will explain the reason unemployment benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 18 January 1983 and she was paid at the reduced weekly flat rate of £28.30 on the basis of 31 weeks of insurable employment during the governing contribution period 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982.
Inquiries to ascertain her contribution record were undertaken by a social welfare officer following which it was established that she fulfilled the conditions for the maximum rate of unemployment benefit on the basis of 52 weeks of insurable employment during the relevant period. An adjusting payment was made to her on 13 September 1983 and further weekly payments at the maximum weekly flat rate payable to her £34.80 continue to be made as they become due.
She has insufficient earnings to be entitled to pay-related benefit with her flat-rate unemployment benefit.