asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Louth.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
292.
The person concerned has been in receipt of disability benefit from 17 June 1974 and all benefit due has been paid to date. An overpayment of £25.30 is being recovered by weekly deductions of £5 from his current claim. The deductions commenced on 16 January 1984 and the overpayment will be fully recovered on 25 February 1984. The claimant was advised of the position on 4 January 1984.
293.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if an old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The old age pension claim of the person concerned has been investigated and forwarded to the local pension committee for decision. Payment of pension at the maximum weekly rate of £38.60 plus £19.40 adult dependant allowance has been recommended by the social welfare officer with effect from 11 November 1983.
The appropriate pension book payable from 3 February 1984 has been issued on a provisional basis pending the committee's decision and a payable order covering the arrears due in respect of the period 11 November 1983 to 27 January 1984 is being issued separately.
294.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the 12 week delay in processing a claim for unemployment benefit for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and when it will be paid.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 12 December 1983 but her claim was disallowed up to 2 January 1984 on the grounds that she lost her employment through circumstances within her own control.
Inquiries were undertaken to establish that she fulfilled the condition of being available for employment from 3 January 1984. These inquiries were recently completed and her claim was allowed from that date. Payment of flat-rate unemployment benefit was authorised at £30.60 weekly and pay-related benefit at £13.63 weekly being the maximum rates appropriate in her case. Arrangements have been made to have all arrears of benefit due from 3 January 1984, paid to her on her next attendance at her local employment office. Further payments of unemployment benefit and pay-related benefit at the combined weekly rate of £44.23 will continue as they become due.
295.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reasons for the delay in processing a farmer's dole application by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; when the last payments were made; and when it is likely that his appeal will be dealt with.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed from 24 August 1983, on the grounds that his means derived from land exceeded the statutory limit. Prior to the disallowance of his claim, he was in receipt of unemployment assistance at £31.60 weekly, being the maximum rate payable to him £52.80 less means £21.20 derived from the notional value of his holding.
He appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and his case was referred to an appeals officer for determination. The appeals officer required additional information about his income and his case was again referred to a social welfare officer for further inquiries. When these were completed, the case was again submitted to the appeals officer. It is expected that the appeals officer will decide the matter shortly. His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the appeals officer's decision.
296.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in processing a dole application for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
The entitlement to unemployment assistance of the person concerned could not be determined until inquiries about his means had been completed. These inquiries were recently completed and he was assessed with means at £34.60 weekly derived from the profit from land. He is, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance at £39 weekly, being the maximum rate payable to him 73.60 less £34.60 means.
Arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due this week, less the amount of supplementary welfare allowance which he received pending the outcome of his unemployment assistance application and is due to be recouped to his local health board. Further weekly payments will be made as they become due.
297.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
Following extensive inquiries by a social welfare officer during which the person concerned was provided with several opportunities to give information about his means, his unemployment assistance claim was disallowed on the grounds that by failing to furnish details about his means he failed to show that his means do not exceed the statutory limit.
He has been issued with an appeal application form and when it is returned arrangements will be made to have his means determined by an appeals officer. His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer in his case.
298.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
A claimant to unemployment benefit who is a landholder but does not satisfy the contribution condition of having not less than 78 reckonable contributions paid in the three-year period is not entitled to unemployment benefit if the income from his holding exceeds £2 daily.
The person concerned is a landholder who does not satisfy the 78 contribution condition. His case has been referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of the income from his holding and inquiries are still being made in the matter. His entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the outcome of the investigation.
299.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 28 November 1983 but following investigations in the matter her claim was disallowed on the grounds that she was not making a genuine effort to find work and, accordingly, she was not available for work. She appealed against the disallowance and arrangements are being made to have her case determined by an appeals officer. Her entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
300.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 11 January 1984 and his claim was authorised at £65.60 being the maximum rate appropriate in his case. The first payment was made to him on 19 January 1984 and further payments continued to be made as they became due. He is also entitled to pay-related benefit at £8.83 weekly payable from 1 February 1984 and he is at present in receipt of a combined weekly payment of £74.43 representing weekly flat rate unemployment benefit and pay-related benefit due to him.
301.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon.
A claimant to unemployment benefit who is a landholder but does not satisfy the condition of having 78 contributions paid in a three-year period is not entitled to unemployment benefit if the income from his holding exceeds £2 daily.
The person concerned is a landholder who does not satisfy the 78 contribution condition. His case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of the income of his holding and inquiries are still being made in the matter. His entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the outcome of the investigation.
302.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if the maximum rate of pay-related and unemployment benefits are being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny as he has been out of work since October 1983.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 17 October, 1983, and was paid at the weekly rate of £90.15, which is the maximum weekly rate payable in his case. From 24 November 1983, his weekly rate of unemployment benefit was reduced to £82.50 when one of his children reached 18 years of age.
Entitlement to pay-related benefit with his flat-rate unemployment benefit is subject to an 85 per cent limit of his average net weekly earnings and the amount in his case is £75.65. His weekly flat-rate unemployment benefit exceeds this sum and, accordingly, pay-related benefit is not payable to him.
303.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to have a free electricity allowance and a TV licence approved for a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who is in receipt of a widow's pension and is living alone.
To qualify for a free electricity allowance and a free television licence the person concerned would need to have reached the age of 66. As she has not reached that age, she does not qualify for these benefits.
304.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position in regard to the disability benefit claim of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if all the arrears due will be paid immediately.
Payment of disability benefit to the person concerned was disallowed from 5 December 1983 following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He appealed against the disallowance of the benefit and was examined by a different medical referee who decided that he was incapable of work. Payment was restored from 5 December 1983 and all benefit due to him to date has been issued.
305.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if it is still necessary for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5 to walk each day from Coolock to the city centre unemployment exchange as he has been required to do so every working day for the past two years; how long more he will be required to do so as it is causing him severe hardship; and the reason one day's assistance was stopped on 30 January 1984 despite evidence being produced that he was attending a pre-arranged appointment with a social welfare officer to discuss his entitlement to unemployment assistance.
The person concerned, who has been in receipt of unemployment assistance since August 1981, was until October 1983 residing in the city centre area and was being required to attend daily at the employment exchange. In view of his change of address, arrangements have now been made to reduce the frequency of signing the unemployed register in his case to once weekly.
Payment of one day's unemployment assistance to him in respect of 30 January 1984 was withheld as he did not sign the register on that day, having also failed to keep the appointment arranged with the social welfare officer.
306.
Mr. Coughlan
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an old age pension will be finalised and a pension book provided for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
It was decided by the local pension committee on 29 October 1983 that the person concerned is entitled to an old age pension at the weekly rate of £36.60 plus £18.40 adult dependant allowance from 4 November 1983, date claimant reached pension age. This is the rate of pension to which he is entitled having regard to the assessment of his means, consisting of half the weekly value of a holding and capital.
The appropriate pension book payable from 4 November 1983 issued on 1 November 1983.
307.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin I will be examined in detail by his Department and the Eastern Health Board to see if financial assistance towards living costs will be paid because of the necessity for her to remain at home on a full-time basis to look after her aged and ill parents.
The person concerned resides with her parents, both of whom are in receipt of non-contributory old age pension. In addition the household includes her brother and two sisters. She is at present in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance at the rate of £15 a week from the Eastern Health Board and has appealed to have the amount of the allowance reviewed. The determination of the appeal is a matter for the appeals officer of the health board. She does not appear to be entitled at present to payment under any scheme administered by the Department of Social Welfare. However, if she wished to put herself in a position to take up employment the Eastern Health Board would be prepared to discuss with her suitable arrangements for looking after her parents. In such circumstances while she was genuinely seeking employment she would be entitled to claim unemployment assistance.