asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in taking a decision on the unemployment assistance appeal in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cavan.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
275.
Mr. Leonard
In support of his appeal against the amount of means assessed against him the person concerned contended that his expenses had not been accurately taken into account in the calculation of his means.
His case was returned to a social welfare officer for further investigations related to his contention. When these inquiries are completed his case will be submitted to an appeals officer for determination and the rate of unemployment assistance payable to him will be reviewed in the light of his decision. In the meantime he continues to receive payment at the rate of £10.80 per week, that is the maximum rate of £97.70 payable in his case less means of £86.90 assessed against him.
276.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of people in receipt of unemployment assistance based on the notional assessment in County Donegal in the year ended January 1982 and the year ended January 1983.
Statistics have not been kept in such a form as would enable the information sought by the Deputy to be given in respect of the dates mentioned. On 16 March last, when statistics on the lines mentioned were first obtained, 1,720 people in County Donegal were receiving unemployment assistance based on the notional method of assessment.
277.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a contributory old age pension will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned reached age 66 on 11 June 1982 and claimed old age contributory pension. His claim was rejected as he failed to satisfy the condition which required him to have entered into insurance before he reached age 60. He submitted an appeal claiming that his employment commenced on 3 June 1976 and not on 14 June 1976 as he had originally stated when he applied for an insurance card. A prolonged investigation failed to find any evidence to support this and the appeals officer upheld the decision that he did not qualify for the pension.
He recently submitted a statement in which he says that the employment from 3 June 1976 was in respect of employment by an employer other than the person for whom he commenced to work on 14 June 1976. This new claim is being investigated and a final decision will be made when the investigation is completed.
278.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when social welfare benefit will be increased for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
It has not been possible to trace a benefit claim for the person concerned. If the RSI number of the claimant can be quoted this will enable the claim to be identified and the information sought by the Deputy to be supplied.
279.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
A re-investigation of the means of the person concerned was completed by a social welfare officer and the report was sent to the local office for transmission to headquarters for a reassessment of means. However, the relevant documents were inadvertently delayed at the local office due to a filing error and they are at present in postal transit to headquarters.
The means of the applicant will be reassessed as soon as the report is received and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined accordingly. In the meantime he continues to receive advances of supplementary welfare allowance pending the outcome of his unemployment assistance claim.
280.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a deserted wife's allowance will be paid to a fully qualified person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
A qualifying condition for receipt of deserted wife's allowance/benefit is that the claimant's husband must have left her of his own volition.
Following investigation of the claim of the person concerned by a local officer of the Department, the deciding officer held that the condition was not satisfied in this case. He also held that she was legally disqualified for receipt of a deserted wife's payment in that she and another person were living together as man and wife. The claim was accordingly disallowed.
The claimant has indicated that she wishes to appeal against the decision. An appeal form for this purpose has been sent to her. On receipt of the completed form her case will be submitted to an appeals officer for consideration and she will be notified of the outcome as soon as his decision is given.
281.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a deserted wife's allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The claim to deserted wife's allowance/benefit of the person concerned is at present under investigation by a local officer of the Department. When his inquiries are completed a decision will be given and the claimant will be notified of the outcome without delay.
282.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will as a matter of urgency pay full unemployment assistance and refund £100 in unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance from 30 June 1983 at the weekly rate of £27.95 being the maximum rate £28 less means £0.05. Following an investigation of his case him means were assessed at £6 weekly derived from the value of board and lodging in his parents home. He was accordingly paid unemployment assistance at £22 weekly from 28 September 1983 increased to £23.40 from 5 October 1983.
He appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and in the light of his contentions made by him in support of his appeal his case was reconsidered by a deciding officer and he was assessed with nil means with effect from 28 September 1983. He is accordingly qualified for the maximum rate of unemployment assistance £28 from 28 September 1983 and £29.40 from 5 October 1983. An adjusting payment representing the arrears of unemployment assistance due, £18, will be made to him this week in addition to the current payment of £29.40.
283.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will immediately pay invalidity benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford as he was certified unfit for work by his own doctor.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit from 17 April 1978 to 18 April 1983. Payment was disallowed after that date following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He appealed against the disallowance and, in connection with his appeal, he was examined on 27 May 1983 by a different medical referee who also considered him to be capable of work. His case was then referred to an appeals officer who held an oral hearing of his case on 25 August 1983. Before making a decision however, the appeals officer wishes to consider the result of an independent specialist examination arranged for the claimant on 8 November 1983.
284.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will pay disability benefit at the maximum rate to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford in respect of the period 7-18 July 1983, inclusive.
The person concerned has been paid all disability benefit due from 4 July 1983 to 17 October 1983, date of the latest medical evidence received. Payment of disability benefit was made at the weekly rate of £103.90, the maximum rate appropriate to a married man with six qualified children. He is not entitled to payment of pay-related benefit as he had no reckonable earnings in 1981-82, the tax year relevant to his claim.
Payment for the period 4 to 6 July 1983, amounting to £51.96, was withheld and refunded to the South-Eastern Health Board to offset payment of supplementary welfare allowance advanced to the person concerned.
285.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will pay unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
It has not been possible to trace receipt of a claim to unemployment assistance which refers to the person named in the details supplied. Further inquiries in the matter will be made if the Deputy will furnish additional information to enable the person concerned to be identified.
286.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will increase the rate of old age pension being paid to a fully qualified person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned is currently in receipt of old age pension at the rate of £22.60. This is the rate to which he is entitled having regard to the assessment of his means, consisting of capital. His means were last assessed in March 1982. It is open to him to apply for an increase in his old age pension if his circumstances have declined since that time.
287.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if dental charts have been received in his Department for a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and when he will be called for dental treatment.
The person concerned claimed dental benefit on 22 April 1982. Inquiries were necessary to determine his correct RSI number and, on completion of these, his claim was approved on 15 June 1982. A letter of authorisation for presentation to his dentist was issued to him on that date. The normal procedure is for the dentist to complete the treatment and re-submit the dental chart to the Department for payment when the treatment has been completed. In this case the chart was not returned to the Department for payment and further action was not considered necessary.
On 13 October 1983, following receipt of an inquiry, a further letter was issued to the claimant confirming his entitlement to benefit. His dentist was also notified that the proposed treatment, including the provision of dentures, was approved by the Department.
288.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made on an unemployment assistance appeal made by a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned only recently completed an appeal application form at his local office appealing against the disallowance of his unemployment assistance claim and this document is in postal transit to the headquarters of the Department. When it is received his case will be referred to an appeals officer for determination and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of his decision.
289.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment assistance cannot be determined until his case has been investigated by a social welfare officer and his means have been assessed. He was not available for interview when the social welfare officer last called to his residence. The social welfare officer will be calling again this week. When the inquiries are completed his means will be assessed and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined accordingly.
290.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 28 April 1983 to 9 August 1983 after which he ceased to sign as unemployed. He was a postal applicant. His claim was disallowed from 28 April 1983 to 7 May 1983 on the grounds that he lost his employment through circumstances within his own control. Inquiries had to be made to establish that he fulfilled the condition of being available for work from 9 May 1983 and these investigations were only recently completed. His claim was allowed at the maximum flat-rate unemployment benefit £31.65 increasing to £34.80 from 30 June 1983 and pay-related benefit at £12.47 from 26 May 1983 reducing to £9.32 from 30 June 1983 by reason of the 85 per cent limit applicable to his case. Arrangements have been made to issue an order for encashment at his local post office paying all arrears due this week.
291.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to pay disability benefit and arrears to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 22 August 1983. Payment was made from 25 August 1983, fourth day of incapacity, to 30 August 1983, date of the latest medical certificate received. If, however, she continued to be incapacitated after that date, she should furnish medical certificates to that effect and all payment due will be issued.
292.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when social welfare benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 11 July 1983 but following inquiries to ascertain what efforts she was making to find employment, her claim was disallowed on the grounds that she was not available for work. She appealed against the disallowance and attended an oral hearing of her case on 11 October 1983. The appeals officer upheld the disallowance of her claim and she was notified accordingly on 14 October 1983. She continues to sign as unemployed and her case is being examined to establish whether she fulfils the conditions of being available for work from 12 October 1983. Her entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the outcome of the inquiries.
293.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying an old age contributory pension to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned is in receipt of a widow's contributory pension at the maximum personal rate of £40.60 a week at present. This would increase to £41.40 when she reaches age 66 on 5 December 1983. However, she will then be entitled to old age contributory pension at the rate of £44.45 a week based on a yearly average of 42 contributions since her entry into insurance on 30 September 1973. A claim for old age contributory pension has not yet been received from her. She should, therefore, obtain one now from her local post office and send it in duly completed to the Department.
294.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo is entitled to pay related benefit.
Entitlement to pay-related benefit with flat-rate unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that the sum of weekly flat-rate unemployment benefit, pay-related benefit and income tax rebate may not exceed 85 per cent of an applicant's average net weekly earnings. The 85 per cent applicable to the person concerned is £59.43 weekly. He is, however, in receipt of flat-rate unemployment benefit at £65.60 weekly and as this amount exceeds the 85 per cent limit in his case he is not entitled to pay-related benefit.
295.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a widow's pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in Galway city.
The qualifying conditions for receipt of widow's contributory pension under the general scheme of social insurance provide that there must be a yearly average of at least 39 contributions in either the last three contribution years or the last five contribution years or an average of at least 24 contributions over the period from entry into insurance up to the end of the year prior to the death of the husband. None of these conditions is satisfied in this case and the person concerned has been informed that she is not entitled to this pension.
However, her late husband also had an insurance record in Britain and the relevant papers have been forwarded to the Department of Health and Social Security, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in order to have her title to a British widow's pension considered. That Department will notify her of the result.
A copy of the United Kingdom insurance record has also been requested from the Department of Health and Social Security and when this is received her title to a pro-rata widow's pension under EEC regulations, based on his combined Irish and United Kingdom insurance records, will be examined and she will be advised of the outcome.
In view of the circumstance of her late husband's death her possible entitlement to a widow's pension under the occupational injuries benefits scheme is also being examined.
An inquiry regarding her means has been issued to her to complete and return if she wishes to have her entitlement to widow's non-contributory pension investigated.