asked the Minister for Social Welfare if arrangements will be made to resolve the problem involving the social welfare payments to a person (details supplied) in County Dublin having regard to the fact that his payment advice is continually being sent by the Department to another person of the same name at a different address, virtually every week, causing intense problems for him and he has made every effort to have the matter rectified without result.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
450.
The person concerned is a postal applicant for unemployment benefit. His address was, however, incorrectly recorded at the employment exchange dealing with his claim but this was recently corrected and orders for encashment at his local post office are now being posted to his proper address.
451.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if inquiries have been completed in relation to the payment of a higher rate of unemployment benefit and pay-related benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny as he has been receiving a reduced amount for the last number of months.
The inquiries to establish the reckonable earnings of the person concerned were recently completed and payment of flat-rate unemployment benefit at £32.25 weekly and pay-related benefit at £12.51 has been allowed. He is a postal applicant and an order for encashment at his local post office for £195.60 representing the amount of adjustment due is being issued to him this week. He last signed as unemployed on 7 February 1984.
452.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a non-contributory old age pension at the maximum rate is being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will investigate the possibility of having a contributory old age pension paid to her.
It was decided by the local pension committee on 15 February 1984 that the person concerned is entitled to old age pension at the weekly rate of £24.60 from 1 March 1984, the date the claimant reached 66 years. This is the rate of pension to which she is entitled having regard to the assessment of her means consisting of half the weekly value of her husband's army disability pension. Pension at this rate is at present in payment.
A claim form to enable the person concerned to claim old age contributory pension has been issued to her and on receipt of the completed application form in the Department her entitlement will be investigated and she will be notified of the outcome in due course.
453.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to have disability benefit paid on a regular basis to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who has been in receipt of same for the past 12 months.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 11 May 1983 and was paid at the maximum appropriate rate from 14 May 1983, fourth day of incapacity. All benefit due to 20 March 1984, date of the latest medical certificate received, has been issued.
Payment is made on receipt of medical evidence of incapacity in the Department and there has been no delay in the issue of payment. In this case payment is normally made within one day of the receipt of the relevant medical certificates. It is not, possible, however, to guarantee that payment would issue on a particular day each week as any delay in the receipt of certificates would have a resultant delay in the issue of payment.
54.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason an invalidity pension has not yet been granted to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary as he has been on disability benefit for the last four years; and when it will be granted.
The regulations provide that the claimant, apart from satisfying the contribution conditions, must be regarded as permanently incapable of work, in order to qualify for invalidity pension. The person concerned was examined on 22 December 1983 by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was not permanently incapable of work and asked to have him referred again for a further examination after nine months. He is not, therefore, qualified for the receipt of invalidity pension. His entitlement will be reviewed in the light of the next examination by the medical referee. In the meantime, he continues to receive disability benefit at the rate of £34.80 a week, the maximum rate appropriate to a single man.
455.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a decision has been reached on an appeal for payment of unemployment assistance made by a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that his means derived from self-employment as a painter exceeded the statutory limit. He appealed against the assessment of means 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 inquiries are completed arrangements will be made to have his case determined by an appeals officer.
His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
456.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made on an application for unemployment assistance made by a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan.
The person concerned is an applicant for unemployment benefit. His claim was disallowed from 13 June 1983 to 21 July 1983 on the grounds that he lost his employment through misconduct. He was paid unemployment benefit from 22 July 1983 to 4 January 1984 but following completion of inquiries about this period he was disallowed unemployment benefit for two unspecified days each week during the period 13 June 1983 to 24 January 1984 on the grounds that he was concurrently working and signing on these days and an overpayment in respect of the unemployment benefit paid has been assessed against him. Arrangements have been made to notify him of the decision in his case this week.
Inquiries to establish whether he fulfilled the condition of being unemployed from 5 January 1984 are still being made and when they are completed his entitlement to unemployment benefit from that date will be considered.
457.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan did not receive deserted wife's allowance.
The statutory conditions for the receipt of deserted wife's payment include the requirements that (a) the husband must have left his wife of his own volition, (b) she must make and continue to make reasonable efforts within the means available to her to trace her husband and to prevail on him to contribute to the support and maintenance of herself and her children and (c) she must not be cohabiting with any person as man and wife.
The claim of the person concerned which was received on 23 January 1981 was refused because the deciding officer held that these conditions were not satisfied in her case. She was notified accordingly on 4 May 1981 and of her right of appeal against the decision. There is no trace of the receipt in the Department of any further correspondence from her in the matter since that date.
458.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason the rate of unemployment benefit was reduced by 50 per cent from June 1983 in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; if she has the facility for appeal against the decision at this stage; and if he will make a decision on the matter.
The person concerned is a widow who qualified for a widow's pension from 20 May 1983, having been in receipt of unemployment benefit since 6 December 1982. Under the regulations where a widow is in receipt of a widow's contributory pension only half the personal rate of unemployment benefit is payable. Accordingly, the rate of unemployment benefit payable to the person concerned was reduced by half on and from 20 May 1983. She has the right to appeal against the reduction of her unemployment benefit and an application form for this purpose may be obtained at her local office. Such an appeal would, however, be unlikely to serve any useful purpose as she is receiving the maximum payments to which she is entitled under the regulations.
459.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 who is available for work has been refused unemployment benefit, as she has all her stamps paid up, and was in receipt of maternity benefit and disability benefit following the birth of her child last September and has been available for work since January of this year, but was turned down by the board three weeks ago.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a claimant must be available for and genuinely trying to get work. The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 12 December 1983 but her claim was disallowed on the grounds that she was not available for employment.
She appealed against the disallowance and she attended an oral hearing of her appeal on 28 February 1984 at which she was afforded a full opportunity of making representations in her case but the appeals officer also decided that she was not available for employment.
She ceased to sign the unemployment register on 8 March 1984 and she has not been in touch with her local employment office since.
460.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 who applied for a deserted wife's allowance last September has not, as yet, had any reply, and who had previously been in receipt of a deserted wife's allowance from 1979 until December 1980 when her husband removed the children from her and who have now been returned to her since 5 September 1983 for which evidence has been submitted.
One of the conditions for receipt of deserted wife's allowance is that the person concerned must make and continue to make reasonable efforts within the means available to her to trace her husband and to prevail on him to contribute to the support and maintenance of herself and her children. Difficulties relating to this aspect gave rise to delay in dealing with the case. Deserted wife's allowance has however now been awarded in respect of the person concerned and two children, with effect from 8 September 1983. An allowance order book payable from 29 March 1984 has been sent to the designated Post Office for collection by her. She has been notified to this effect.
The arrears for the period of 8 September 1983 to 28 March 1984 are being withheld to enable adjustments to be made for supplementary welfare allowance paid to her during that time by the Eastern Health Board and in respect of a previous overpayment of deserted wife's allowance which took place between September and December 1982. Any balance after these adjustments will be sent direct to the claimant by payable order.
461.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason that pay-related benefits have not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the date on which they will be paid; the total amount of arrears to be paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 29 September 1983 and his claim was allowed at £34.80 weekly being the maximum rate appropriate in his case.
To enable his entitlement to pay-related benefit with his flat-rate unemployment benefit to be determined he was requested to furnish a form P.45 or a statement of his earnings from 6 April 1983 to the date on which he commenced to claim unemployment benefit. A form P.45 was forwarded to his local office at the end of January 1984 following which his claim for pay-related benefit was allowed at £9.90 weekly.
Arrears of pay-related benefit amounting to £146.54 issued to him on 3 February 1984 and further weekly payments at £44.70 representing the combined weekly rate of unemployment benefit and pay-related benefit payable continue to be made as they become due.
462.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a non contributory old age pension will be provided for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12.
It was decided by an appeals officer on 27 March 1984 that the person concerned is entitled to old age pension at the weekly rate of £34.60 from 2 February 1984, date claimant reached 66 years. This is the rate to which she is entitled having regard to the assessment of her means, consisting of half the weekly value of British retirement pension and capital. The appropriate pension book payable from 30 March 1984 was issued on 27 March 1984 and arrears due will be issued separately.
463.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway despite the fact that he has been signing for an abnormal length of time; the date he first signed; the date on which he will receive his first weekly payment and all arrears due; the total amount of each payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance on 11 August 1982 following exhaustion of his title to unemployment benefit on 10 August 1982 when he completed 390 days of benefit. His claim 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 appealed against the disallowance of unemployment assistance and the appeals officer requested further clarification of the case. Difficulty has been experienced in ascertaining the facts and extensive inquiries are still being made. When the inquiries have been completed means will be assessed by the appeals officer and entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined accordingly. In the meantime the person concerned is in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance at £65.00 weekly.