asked the Minister for Social Welfare the circumstances under which unemployment assistance was refused to a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
434.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that the means assessed against him £48.05 weekly derived from the profit from his land, exceeded the maximum rate of unemployment assistance payable to him.
He appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and in the light of contentions made by him in support of his appeal his case was referred to a social welfare officer for further inquiries. When these are completed his case will be submitted to an appeals officer and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined in the light of his decision.
435.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a single woman's allowance has been reduced from £19.50 to £7.05 per week in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary as there seems to be some error in computing her other income; and when this matter will be resolved.
The cause of the person concerned has been referred to a social welfare officer for additional inquiries about her income. When the investigations are completed the assessment of her means will be reviewed and the rate of single woman's allowance payable to her will be determined accordingly.
436.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a single woman's allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned claimed single woman's allowance and her case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of her means. Inquiries are still being made in the matter but it is expected that these inquiries will be completed shortly. Her means will then be assessed and her entitlement to single woman's allowance determined accordingly.
437.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Dublin who has been on disability benefit for the past ten years has not been granted invalidity pension.
The person concerned has been in receipt of disability benefit since 1 September 1977 and payment is being made at regular weekly intervals.
Invalidity pension is payable in place of disability benefit to insured persons who satisfy the contribution conditions and who are permanently incapable of work. The person concerned is being considered for invalidity pension and in this connection the medical adviser of the Department has requested further medical evidence from his doctor. His entitlement to invalidity pension will be reviewed in the light of this medical evidence.
438.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit has been discontinued in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin.
The person concerned exhausted her title to unemployment benefit on 21 September 1983, when she had received 312 days of benefit. Before she can requalify for benefit she must have a minimum of a further 13 weeks of insurable employment.
439.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance was reduced in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance up to 25 October 1983 at the weekly rate of £78.40, being the maximum weekly rate of £80.30 appropriate in his case less means of £1.90 assessed against him. Following review of his case, a deciding officer reassessed his weekly means at £34.20 derived from the profit from the beneficial occupation of two holdings and from the sale of turf. His weekly rate of unemployment assistance was accordingly reduced to £46.10 from 26 October 1983. It subsequently came to light, however, that his means should have been increased to £44.20 and his weekly rate of unemployment assistance was accordingly further reduced to £36.10 with effect from 26 October 1983. He has now applied to have his means reinvestigated and his case has been referred to a social welfare officer for a report on his means. His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the social welfare officer's report.
440.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 15 February 1983. She is not entitled to payment of benefit because she does not have the required minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited in 1981-82, the contribution year governing her claim. According to the Department's records she has no paid or credited contributions recorded since the 1979-80 contribution year.
441.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will ensure that the rate of unemployment assistance being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway is restored to the rate he previously received.
Following a review of the means of the person concerned his weekly means derived from a half share intestacy in land were increased from £2.10 to £21.15 with effect from 19 October 1983. His weekly rate of unemployment assistance was accordingly reduced from £27.30 to £8.25 being the appropriate minimum rate in his case of £29.40 less means £21.15. He has appealed against the decision and his case has been referred to an appeals officer for determination of his means. His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the appeals officer's decision.
422.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit has not yet been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The application of the person concerned for unemployment assistance on 5 October 1983 was authorised, following the investigation of his means, at £14 a week being the appropriate maximum rate in his case of £28.90 less means £14.90 derived from the value of board and lodging in his parents' home and capital. All arrears due have been paid to him and further weekly payments of £14 continue to be made as they become due.
443.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a free electricity allowance which was applied for in December 1983 was not allowable on his ESB bill until October 1983 in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
An application for a free electricity allowance was received from the person concerned on 9 August 1983. There is no record either in the Department or in the district ESB office of the receipt of a previous application or correspondence from the person concerned. A free electricity allowance has therefore been applied to his electricity account from the November-December 1983 billing period onwards, which is the appropriate commencement date for the allowance in this case.
444.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will expedite the payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned was assessed with means at £16 weekly derived from the value of board and lodging in her parents' home. She is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at £12 weekly being the maximum rate payable to her £28 less £16 and all arrears due were paid to her last week. Further payments are being made as weekly payments become due.
She expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of means assessed against her and she was supplied with a form to enable her to appeal the case. When she returns it her case will be referred to an appeals officer for determination and the assessment of her means will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
445.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will expedite the payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance on 25 January 1983. Protracted inquiries to establish the letting value of a holding left jointly to him and his wife have recently been completed and unemployment assistance has now been authorised at the weekly rate of £29.10 from 25 January 1983 and £34.90 from 29 June 1983 being the maximum weekly rates of £57.95 and £63.75 appropriate in his case less means assessed against him of £28.85 derived from the letting value of the holding. Arrangements have been made to commence payment to him this week. Any arrears due will be paid to him when details are obtained of supplementary welfare allowance he received. Weekly payments of £34.90 will continue as they become due.
446.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the long delay in restoring a prescribed relative's allowance to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
A routine investigation of the entitlement of the old age pensioner concerned revealed that, in addition to her son Thomas, who is the prescribed relative in this case, her son, Eoin, was also residing with her. In the circumstances her prescribed relative allowance was revoked because the condition of the scheme, which requires that she should be living alone, except for the prescribed relative, was no longer satisfied.
The pensioner appealed against this decision and the matter was referred to an appeals officer who has requested further information before giving his decision. Investigations have just been completed and the necessary information will be referred to the appeals officer shortly for his decision and the pensioner will be notified of the outcome in due course.
447.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be granted a free telephone rental service, as she resides with her retarded son.
In order to qualify for a free telephone rental allowance an applicant must be living entirely alone or only with persons who are so permanently incapacitated as to be unable to summon aid in an emergency. The person referred to in the Deputy's question is residing with her two sons and her grandson. As one of her sons, and her grandson are not permanently incapacitated persons free telephone rental allowance cannot be applied in this case. The applicant was notified to this effect on 27 October 1983.
448.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the long delay in having unemployment assistance at the maximum rate restored to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance on the basis of a notional assessment of his means. Following a review of his case, his unemployment assistance claim was disallowed with effect from 20 July 1983 on the grounds that his means, derived from the profit from his land, exceeded the statutory limit. He did not appeal against the amount of means assessed against him to date. If he wishes to appeal a form on which to do so may be obtained at his local office.
449.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be restored to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
Following a re-investigation of his case the means of the person concerned were assessed at being in excess of the statutory limit and his unemployment assistance claim was disallowed. Means were derived from the profit from his holding, from capital and from the capital value of a house. He appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and his case has been referred to an appeals officer for determination. His means will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined accordingly.
450.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when all arrears of a social assistance allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
A payable order in respect of the arrears of social assistance allowance for the period from 2 June 1983 to 7 September 1983, less the amount of supplementary welfare allowance paid to her by the Southern Health Board during that time, has been sent to the person concerned.
451.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the long delay in granting a single woman's allowance at the maximum rate to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
The person concerned applied for a single woman's allowance from 11 April 1978. She was assessed with means at £6.28 weekly reduced by an appeals officer to £5 weekly. Means were derived from the benefit of board and lodging on her brother's holding and from capital. She was accordingly entitled to single woman's allowance at rates increasing under budget provision from £6.15 weekly at the commencement of her claim to £29.05 from 30 June 1983.
The person concerned refused to accept the single woman's allowance order books which were issued through her local post office up to and including 30 September 1982. She is, however, cashing the orders payable to her from 1 October 1982 onwards.
She is at present in receipt of weekly payments at £29.05 being the rate appropriate to an applicant with means of £5 weekly. She is accordingly not entitled to single woman's allowance at the maximum payable to her by reason of the assessment of her means being determined by an appeals officer whose decision is final.
452.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be restored to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry as he has appealed the decision to discontinue payment under the small farmers scheme.
The person concerned had been in receipt of unemployment assistance of £45.40 weekly based on notionally assessed means of £13.90 until 9 August 1983 when following factual assessment of his means payment was disallowed on the grounds that his means derived from land and capital exceeded the statutory limit in his case. He appealed against the decision and the appeals officer determined his weekly means at £74.10 from 10 August 1983, £72.15 from 7 September 1983, £69.85 from 13 September 1983 and £67.95 from 18 October 1983. Unemployment assistance was accordingly authorised at the weekly rate of £19.05 from 10 August 1983, increasing to £21 from 7 September 1983, £23.30 from 13 September 1983, £27.85 from 3 October 1983 and £29.75 from 18 October 1983. All arrears due will be paid to him this week and weekly payments of £29.75 will continue to be made as they come due.
453.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the long delay in paying arrears of a contributory old age pension to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and the reason for the delay in paying a living alone allowance.
The person concerned reached age 66 on 21 August 1983 and claimed a contributory old age pension on 26 August 1983. He was awarded the pension at the rate appropriate to his yearly average of 47 contributions with effect from 26 August 1983 calculated on the basis of his total of 1,412 contributions in the period from 5 January 1953 to 5 April 1983. A contributory old age pension book containing orders payable from 30 September 1983 was issued on 23 September 1983.
He also claimed a living alone allowance and, following investigation, this was awarded to him with effect from 26 August 1983. A supplementary book containing orders payable from 7 October 1983 was issued on 21 November 1983. A payable order in respect of arrears of pension and living alone allowance was issued to him on 25 November 1983.
454.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry as she has been signing for the past eight weeks.
The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment benefit could not be determined until inquiries to establish that she fulfilled the conditions of being available for work had been completed.
The inquiries were recently completed and her claim was allowed at the maximum rate payable to her £34.80 weekly. She is a postal applicant and arrangements have been made to issue to her an order for encashment at her local post office this week paying all arrears due.
Further payments will be made as weekly payments become due.
455.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the numbers of persons in continuous receipt of supplementary welfare allowance for more than (a) 12 months; (b) two years, (c) three years and on the latest date for which figures are available.
The latest information available to the Department is that on 31 December 1982 there were 6,981 persons in continuous receipt of supplementary welfare allowance for 12 months or more, which included 1,769 in receipt of a basic allowance and 5,212 in receipt of a supplementary to other income. Statistics are not kept by the Department in a form which would enable the more detailed information requested by the Deputy to be supplied. Inquiries are being made from the health boards, however, and any further information which becomes available will be communicated to the Deputy.