asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason five weeks of old age pension was not paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork as it was due to him from his late wife's pension; if an application has been received for his late wife's funeral expenses; and if the grant will be paid.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
544.
A claim form to enable the person concerned to claim any arrears of old age pension due to his late wife has been issued. On its return, arrangements will be made to pay whatever pension is uncashed and due. A claim for death grant was received from the person concerned on 9 May 1984 and payment was issued on 15 May 1984.
545.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance for the period 4 April 1984 to 10 April 1984 was not paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned is a postal applicant for unemployment assistance. According to the records of the Department all unemployment assistance due to him from the commencement of his claim on 7 February 1984 to 1 May 1984 has been paid. He did not however furnish a certificate of unemployment in respect of the period 2 May 1984 to 8 May 1984 and there is no record of its receipt at the Garda station where he signs the unemployed register. It is presumed that this is the period about which the Deputy intended to inquire.
Inquiries are being made at present to ascertain that he fulfilled the conditions of being unemployed from 2 May 1984 to 8 May 1984 and when these are completed consideration will be given to payment of unemployment assistance for the period.
546.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit was disallowed in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the conditions that a person must be fully available for and genuinely seeking work.
The person concerned claimed to unemployment benefit on 25 July 1983 and was paid to 24 January 1984. Her claim was then reviewed and it was disallowed on the grounds that she was not available for work. She appealed against this decision and attended an oral hearing of her appeal on 10 February 1984. The appeals officer also decided that she was not available for work and disallowed her unemployment benefit claim.
She continues to sign the register as unemployed and inquiries are being made to ascertain if she is at present available for work. Her entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the outcome of the inquiries.
547.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a funeral grant will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
No claim for a death grant has, as yet, been received in the Department in respect of this death. A claim form has been issued to the relatives of the deceased and the claim will receive immediate attention on its return.
548.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork was reduced; and if he will reconsider the decision.
Following a reinvestigation of his unemployment assistance claim the means of the person concerned were reassessed at £43.25 derived from the profit from his land. He is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at £37.05 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £80.30 less means £43.25. Weekly payments at £37.05 continue to be made as they become due.
If he is dissatisfied with the amount of means assessed against him it is open to him to appeal and to have his means assessed by an appeals officer. A form for this purpose may be obtained at his local office.
549.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason the unemployment assistance being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork was reduced; and if they will reconsider the decision.
Following a reinvestigation of his unemployment assistance claim the means of the person concerned were reassessed at £28.85 weekly derived from the profit from his land. He is at present in receipt of unemployment assistance at £21.90 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £50.75 less means £28.85 weekly.
If he is dissatisfied with the amount of means assessed against him it is open to him to appeal against the decision. A form on which to appeal may be obtained from his local office.
550.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a pension at the maximum rate is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
It was decided by an appeals officer on 16 March 1984 that the person concerned is entitled to an old age pension at the weekly rate of £20.60 from 7 September 1983. This is the rate to which she is entitled having regard to the assessment of her means, consisting of half the weekly value of her husband's occupational pension and capital.
551.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork as he has been signing at the unemployment exchange since 2 September 1983.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 2 September 1983 but according to the records of the Department the contributions paid by him did not provide cover against unemployment during the governing contribution period 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982.
However following the completion of inquiries it was established that as an army reservist he was entitled to a credited contribution which qualified him for unemployment benefit during the relevant contribution period. Accordingly he is entitled to unemployment benefit at the maximum rate of £57.35 and arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due this week. Further payments will be made as weekly payments become due.
552.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Galway is not receiving the maximum rate of old age pension despite the fact that he has no assets of any type; if he will pay the maximum rate of pension to him since his original application; the date on which he will be paid; the total amount of arrears that will be paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The entitlements of the person concerned are currently under review by the social welfare officer and when his inquiries have been completed the matter will be referred to the local pension committee for decision. The social welfare officer is currently awaiting details of capital.
Meanwhile, pension at the rate of £32.60 will continue to be paid in accordance with the last assessment of his means, consisting of the weekly value of a British retirement pension and capital.
553.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reasons a person (details supplied) in County Galway has not been given butter coupons, granted a free electricity allowance or a free television licence; the date on which these will be granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The EEC butter subsidy scheme applies only to recipients of social assistance payments and as the person concerned is receiving a contributory old age pension he is not qualified under the scheme. There is no trace either in the Department or in the District ESB office of the receipt of an application for a free electricity allowance from the person concerned.
An application form has therefore been issued to him and it should be completed and forwarded in the first instance to the ESB for attention. On receipt of the completed application in the Department the matter will be considered further and he will be notified of the outcome.
A person who qualifies for a free electricity allowance is also entitled to a free television licence which may be obtained on application at the local post office.
554.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if an appeals officer of his Department has determined the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5 who is deemed ineligible for unemployment benefit arising out of a dispute at a firm (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if he will review the case of another employee at the company (details supplied) in the light of that decision.
An oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned against the disallowance of her unemployment benefit claim under the trade dispute provision of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981 has taken place and the matter is still under consideration by the appeals officer. Her entitlement to unemployment benefit and that of other employees whose claims were disallowed by reason of a trade dispute will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
555.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be transferred from her retirement pension to a contributory old age pension; if she is receiving a living alone allowance; and if not the reason.
It would be of no advantage to the person concerned if she were transferred from retirement pension to old age contributory pension. There would be no increase in the rate of pension payable to her. Her claim for a living alone allowance has been approved and this has been awarded to her with effect from 12 January 1984.
A supplementary book for the living alone allowance, containing orders payable from 5 April 1984, has been issued to the designated post office for collection by her and she has been notified accordingly. The arrears of the allowance for the period from 12 January 1984 to 4 April 1984 will issued direct to her within the next few days.
556.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if an old age pension will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; if so, when; and the rate at which it will be paid.
The repeat claim to old age pension of the person concerned has been investigated and referred to the local pension committee for decision. Payment of pension at the maximum rate plus "over-eighty" allowance has been recommended by the social welfare officer with effect from 14 February 1984.
The appropriate pension book payable from 6 April 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 14 February 1984 to 5 April 1984 is being issued separately.
557.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reasons for the delay in dealing with representations made on behalf of persons (details supplied) in County Limerick who wish to be allowed to continue signing for their unemployment assistance to which they are entitled, at a Garda station as opposed to one further away (details supplied); and if he will make the appropriate arrangements so that they will be able to sign in future at the more convenient Garda station.
The representations made by the Deputy in this case cannot be traced. The persons concerned are at present signing at their appropriate Garda station which is the nearest Garda station to them within the Garda district in which they reside. The Garda authorities have agreed, as an exceptional measure in this case, to permit them to sign at the more convenient Garda station in Athea which is outside the Garda district in which they reside.
558.
Mr. Coughlan
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be given in respect of an appeal against the reduction in the unemployment assistance of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The person concerned was assessed with means of £28.85 weekly derived from the profit from his holding. He is at present in receipt of unemployment assistance at £51.45 weekly being the maximum rate of unemployment assistance payable to him £80.30 less means £28.85.
He recently appealed against the amount of means assessed against him. His case has been referred to a social welfare officer for additional inquiries arising from contentions of the applicant made in support of his appeal. 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 the decision of the appeals officer.
559.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The entitlement of an applicant to unemployment assistance is subject to the condition that he must be available for, capable of and genuinely trying to find work.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned on 11 November 1983 was disallowed on the grounds that he was not available for full-time employment. He appealed against the disallowance of his claim and attended an oral hearing of his case on 2 May 1984. The appeals officer also decided that he was not available for work and disallowed his unemployment assistance claim for the period 11 November to 19 December 1983 but allowed the appeal from 20 December 1983.
All arrears for the period 20 December 1983 to 8 May 1984 were paid on 10 May 1984 less advances of supplementary welfare allowance which were paid to him pending a decision on his case. Further weekly payments of £28.00 will be made as they become due.
560.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider making the payment of all social welfare benefits by cheque to help counteract post office robberies.
The method of paying the various social welfare benefits varies from scheme to scheme and is largely determined by the nature of the payment involved. In the case of long-term benefits, such as pensions and children's allowance, where the periods of entitlement can be established well in advance, books of vouchers cashable at post offices are issued to recipients. Some 362,000 pensioners and 454,000 families on children's allowances are paid by this method. Payments to 82,000 unemployed persons living more than 6 miles from their local unemployment office are also made at post offices.
An Post, through its country-wide network of post offices, provides a very acceptable level of service to social welfare recipients which, it is considered, would not necessarily be provided by a cheque payment system. The possession of a pension book provides pensioners with a sense of continuity and security which a cheque system might lack.
The changeover to a system of complete payment by cheque would not necessarily, therefore, be to the advantage of social welfare beneficiaries. Apart from this it would require fundamental administrative changes and an input of resources that would have significant cost implications and would not be feasible in the short term.
The administration of the Department's services is continually under review with a view to its improvement to the advantage of beneficiaries by the use of modern technology and administrative methods. The method of payment of benefits receives special attention in this respect.
While the problem of security at post offices is primarily a matter for An Post, it is understood that considerable progress has been made in reducing losses due to robberies at post offices. Security arrangements are regularly reviewed and improved.