asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit was not paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
537.
The person concerned has been in receipt of disbility benefit since 16 March 1982 and all benefit payable up to 2 June 1984 has been issued.
A list of cheques which issued during the month of April has been sent to the claimant and if he confirms which cheque he did not receive consideration will be given tothe issue of a replacement.
538.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an old age pension will be sanctioned for a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
An old age pension claim from the person concerned has been referred to the social welfare officer for investigation. The claimant was not available for interview on a number of occasions when the social welfare officer called. When inquiries have been completed the claim will be referred to the local pension committee for decision. If payment of pension is recommended by the social welfare officer, it will be put into apyment on a provisional basis pending the committee's decision.
539.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be restored to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Following a reinvestigation of his unemployment assistance claim the means of the person concerned were reassessed at £7.70 weekly, derived from beneficial occupation of land. He is accordingly in receipt of unemployment assistance at £21.70 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £29.40 less £7.70 means. If he is dissatisfied with the amount of means assessed against with the is open to him to appeal and to have his means determined by an appeals officer. A form for this purpose may be obtained at his local office.
540.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Galway for disability benefit will be decided upon.
The person concerned submitted a claim for disability benefit on 28 February 1984 in respect of an incapacity for work which commenced on 22 November 1983. Payment was disallowed from 25 November 1983 to 19 February 1984 as he failed to give notice of his incapacity within the prescribed time (within seven days from the day on which he became incapable of work). His claim was authorised from 20 February 1984 (seven days before the date on which notice of incapacity was given) and payment was made to 21 February 1984, after which date he was certified fit to resume work. Further consideration is being given to his entitlement to benefit for the period prior to 20 February and in this connection an officer of the Department will call on him shortly.
541.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
The person concerned is in receipt of unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £0.20 being the maximum rate payable to him £55.55 less means £55.35. The means are derived from self-employment as an appeals officer also assessed his means at £55.35. He is being notified accordingly. Payment of unemployment assistance continues to be made as it falls due.
542.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan is entitled to a dependants allowance with his disability benefit; and if so, when it will be paid.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 19 April 1984 and was initially paid at the maximum rate for a single prson. He subsequently completed and returned a claim form in respect of his dependants. He has now been paid at the rate appropriate to a married couple with three dependent children. All benefit has been paid to him to 31 May 1984, the date of the latest medical certificate received.
543.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan has been refused unemployment assistance.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed from 23 May 1984 on the grounds that by failing to furnish particulars of his means he failed to show that his means do not exceed the statutory limit. It is open to him to appeal against the disallowance of his unemployment assistance claim. A form for this purpose may be obtained at his local office.
544.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan has ceased to receive disability benefit.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 6 March 1984 and was paid to 29 May 1984, after which date he was certified fit to resume work.
545.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a peson (details supplied) in County Monaghan has been deemed unavailabe for employment.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that an applicant is available for work and to be available for work an applicant must fulfil the condition of being genuinerly trying to find employment.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 8 March 1984 but following the completion of inquiries her claim was disallowed from 8 March 1984 to 24 April 1984 on the grounds that she was not available for work as she was not making efforts to find work. She continued to sign as unemployed and she was deemed to satisfy the conditon of availability from 25 April 1984 and her claim was allowed at the maximum rate payable to her £30.60 weekly. All arrears due will be paid this week and further payments will be made as weekly payments become due.
She appealed against the disallowance of her claim from 8 march 1984 to 24 April 1984 and arrangements are being made to have her case determined by an appeals officer at the earliest opportunity. Her entitlement to unemployment benefit during the period will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
546.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the basic social welfare increases given since 1970; and the dates that they were applicable from in each year.
The increases in the weekly rates of basic social insurance and social assistance payments since 1970 are set out in the following table:
|
Year |
Increase |
Payments affected |
|
|
1970, |
January |
10/- (13.8%-15.5%) |
Insurance benefits |
|
August |
10/- — 11/6 (13%-17%) |
Assistanc benefits |
|
|
October |
15/- — 17/6 (20%-21%) |
Insurance benefits |
|
|
1971, |
August |
35p-40p (9.4%-9.7%) |
Assistance benefits |
|
October |
45p-£1.25 (10%-25%) |
Insurance benefits |
|
|
1972, |
August |
40p-50p (10% approx) |
Assistance benefits |
|
October |
60p-70p(12%-13.5%) |
Insurance benefits |
|
|
1973, |
July |
£1.00 (16%-26%) |
All benefits |
|
1974, |
July |
18% |
All benefits |
|
1975, |
April |
21%-23% |
All benefits |
|
October |
5% |
All benefits |
|
|
1976, |
April |
10% |
All benefits |
|
October |
5% |
Long-term benefits only |
|
|
1977, |
April |
9% |
Long-term benefits |
|
14% |
Short-term benefits |
||
|
October |
5% |
All benefits |
|
|
1978, |
April |
10% |
All benefits |
|
1979, |
April |
16% |
Long-term benefits |
|
12% |
Short-term benefits |
||
|
October |
£1.00 (6% approx) |
All benefits |
|
|
1980, |
April |
25% |
Long-term benefits |
|
20% |
Short-term benefits |
||
|
1981, |
April |
25% |
Long-term benefits |
|
20% |
Short-term benefits |
||
|
October |
3% |
Beneficiaries under 66 |
|
|
5% |
Beneficiaries over 66 |
||
|
1982, |
April |
25% |
All benefits |
|
1983, |
end June |
12% |
Long-term benefits |
|
10% |
Short-term benefits |
||
|
October |
5% |
Long-term Unemployment |
|
|
Assistance only |
|||
|
1984, |
July |
8% |
Long-term Unemployment |
|
Assistance only |
|||
|
7% |
All other benefits |
547.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Following the completion of extensive inquiries the means of the person concerned were assessed at £12.65 weekly, derived from the benefit of board and lodging on his brother's holding. He is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at £15.35 weekly being the maximum rate of unemployment assistance payable to him £28 less £12.65 and arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due this week. Further weekly payments will be made as they become due.
548.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason social welfare assistance payable to a person (details supplied) in County Galway has been reduced; and if he will give details of the means assessed against him which necessitated a reduction of the assistance by half.
The person concerned was assessed with means of £21.15 weekly derived from the profit from his holding. He is accordingly in receipt of unemployment assistance at £8.25 weekly being the maximum rate to unemployment assistance payable to him £29.40 less £21.15.
The assessment of his means was mainly based on a gross income of £1,750 per annum from the sale of stock less expenses incurred in earning that income amounting to £650. If he is dissatisfied with the amount of means assessed against him it is open to him to appeal and to have his means determined by an appeals officer. A form for this purpose may be obtained at his local office.
549.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reasons a person (details supplied) in County Galway is only in receipt of £18.95 social welfare assistance; and if he will have an immediate re-examination of his means in order to determine if he is entitled to the full social welfare assistance.
Following investigation of his unemployment assistance claim the means of the erson concerned were assessed at £53.85 weekly derived from self-employment. He is accordingly in receipt of £22.70 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £76.55 less £53.85 means. He recently applied to have his means reinvestigated. His case has been referred to a social welfare officer for inquiries and when these inquiries are completed the assessemnt of his means will be reviewed and the rate of unemployment assistance payable will be determined accordingly.
550.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will outline the reasons the amount of social welfare assistance, payable to a person (details supplied) in County Galway, has been reduced despite the fact that he has six children and lives on a 20 acre farm of mountain land; and if he will issue an appeal form in order to have his means reassessed and his full social welfare assistance restored.
Following a reinvestigation of his unemployment assistance claim the means of the person concerned were reassessed at £38.90 weekly, derived from the profit from land and from the partial letting of a house. He is accordingly in receipt of £53.45 weekly being the maximum rate payable £92.35 less £38.90 means.
He appealed against the means assessment and his case was referred to an appeals officer who requested that further inquiries be made regarding the person's circumstances. These inquiries have now been completed and the case is being resubmitted to the appeals officer. The person's entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
551.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the date on which a small farmers social welfare assistance was concelled for a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the dates of each movement of the application, from Dublin to Ennis, to Gort; if he will give details of the reason it was transferred from one office to another; the reason for the delay in relation to the appeal; the number of visits to him since his assistance was cancelled; the date on which it is anticipated a decision will be made; and if he considers it satisfactory that he should be left without a decision on his case since 31 August 1983.
The papers in the case of the person concerned are at present in postal transit between the local office at Ennis and headquarters and it is therefore not possible to state the precise movements of the documents as requested by the Deputy.
According to records the person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance from 28 March 1979 to 30 August 1983 with means assessed on the notional value of his land. Following a reinvestigation of his case his means were assessed as being in excess of the statutory limit with effect from 31 August 1983 and his unemployment assistance claim was disallowed.
He appealed against the disallowance of his claim and his case was referred to a social welfare officer for inquiries in the light of contentions made by him in support of his appeal. When these investigations were completed his case was referred to the appeals officer. However, the appeals officer required further information in the case and the papers had to be referred again to a social welfare officer in March 1984 for further investigation. The inquiries have recently been completed and the case will be referred back without delay to the appeals officer for determination. The person's entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
552.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a decision has not been made on a claim for occupational injury benefit made in October 1983 by a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed injury benefit from 26 October 1983 in respect of an incapacity resulting from an accident at work.
Pending the completion of investigations arising from the accident, he was allowed disability benefit on an interim basis from 29 October, the forth day of incapacity.
Inquiries made from his employers failed to confirm that the accident concerned was an occupational accident. The case was referred to the social welfare officer for further investigations of the alleged accident. A decision on the claim to injury benefit will be made as soon as possible.
553.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
An applicant for unemployment benefit who is a landholder but does not satisfy the contribution 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 who is an applicant for unemployment benefit is a landholder who did not satisfy the contribution condition of having 78 contributions in a three-year period. His case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of the income of his holding. Following the recent completion of inquiries which revealed that the value of his holding did not exceed £2 daily, his unemployment benefit claim was allowed with effect from 12 January 1984, at the rate of £65.60 weekly. Arrangements are being made to pay all arrears due, less supplementary welfare allowance which was paid to him pending a decision on his case. Further weekly payments will be made as they become due.
554.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position regarding a non-contributory pension and contributory pensions for couples where a husband is only entitled to a non-contributory pension and the wife on his death is entitled to a contributory pension; and the reason a wife is unable to claim a contributory pension and state her husband as a dependant in such cases.
Any person, man or woman, married or single, may claim a non-contributory or contributory old age pension, as appropriate to his or her circumstances or insurance contribution record in respect of previous employment. Pension is payable in the person's own right, on reaching the age of 66 years.
Where a man is in receipt of a non-contributory or contributory old age pension he may also be paid an increase in respect of his wife as his dependant. The wife on reaching 66 years of age may then, as an alternative, qualify in her own right, for a non-contributory old age pension or, depending on her contribution record, for a contributory old age pension.
A woman whose husband is entitled to an increase of contributory old age or retirement pension in respect of her automatically qualifies for the maximum personal rate of contributory widow's pension on the death of her husband. Where a man who was a non-contributory old age pensioner dies his widow would normally qualify for a non-contributory widow's pension (or, if she were over 66, non-contributory old age pension which is payable at the same rate). Depending on her own former employment record, however, she might satisfy the contribution conditions for the corresponding contributory pension.
The husband of a woman in receipt of a non-contributory or a contributory old age pension cannot normally be regarded as he adult dependant by reason of the fact that the relevant definitions of adult dependant in the legislation are:
"a husband who is incapable of self-support by reason of some physical or mental infirmity and who is being wholly or mainly maintained by his wife", and
"a wife who is living with or being wholly or mainly maintained by her husband."
The elimination of this difference in the definition of an adult dependant between male and femal beneficiaries is being considered in the context of the provision of equal treatment for men and women in matters of social security in accordance with EEC Directive 79/7/EEC. Legislative proposals to deal with this matter will be introduced later this year.
555.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in making payments which are due to a person (details supplied) in county Limerick in connection with his unemployment assistance claim, even though he was notified that he was to be paid on 19 November 1983.
The person concerned was assessed by an appeals officer with means at £62 weekly derived from the profit from his holding witheffect from 27 July 1983.
According to the Department's records all arrears of unemployment assistance to which he was entitled were paid to him on 19 December 1983 and weekly payments followed as they became due. The rates of unemployment assistance payable to him at present is £25 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £87 less £62.
Following recent receipt of representations made on his behalf his case was referred again to an appeals officer. The appeals officer decided that there was no new evidence or new facts which would warrant a revision of the assessment of his means at £62 Per week.
556.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in payment of a claim for insurance made by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and when these payments will be made.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 20 December 1982 and payment was made from 23 December 1982, fourth day of incapacity, to 31 December 1983. Payment ceased after that date as she had not the required 26 contributions paid or credited for the 1982-83 contribution year that governs her claim from 2 January 1984. According to the records of the Department she has only 15 credited contributions recorded on her behalf for that year. She is not, therefore, entitled to payment of benefit.
She was requested to give details of any employment she may have had in the period from 6 April 1982 to 10 December 1982 but did not reply.
557.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance payments will be made again to a person (detail supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance of £77.75 weekly being the appropriate maximum rate £80.30 less means of £2.55 per week previously assessed against him. Following his failure to fully disclose his means to the social welfare officer his unemployment assistance claim was disallowed from 7 March 1984.
He appealed and the case has been returned to the social welfare officer to afford the applicant a further opportunity to disclose his means.
When the inquiries are completed 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.
He is at present in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance.
558.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if two old age pensioners (details supplied) in County Wexford will be awarded a free telephone rental allowance.
The application for a free telephone rental allowance from the two pensioners in this case has been approved and a notification to this effect was issued to them on 1 June 1984.
Telecom Éireann will arrange to apply the allowance from the date on which they are provided with telephone service.
559.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will expedite payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon.
Entitlement to unemployment assistance is subject to the condition that the applicant is a holder of a qualification certificate and to obtail a qualification certificate an applicant must satisfy a means test.
The person concerned has been visited by a social welfare officer on a number of occasions in connection with the investigation of her means but she has failed to co-operate in the inquiries. In these circumstances unemployment assistance cannot be paid to the person concerned.