asked the Minister for Health the reason a disabled persons' maintenance allowance has not been granted to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; when this allowance will be paid, and the amount which will be paid.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
556.
The South Eastern Health Board is examining the person's application for a disabled persons' maintenance allowance at present. A decision on the matter will be taken in the very near future.
Disabled persons' maintenance allowance is payable at a maximum personal rate of £39 per week. Allowances in respect of adult and child dependants are also payable. As the amount payable depends on the means of the applicant it is not possible for me to indicate the rate at which the allowance might be paid to the person referred to by the Deputy.
557.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a non-contributory old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
It was decided by an appeals officer on 27 August 1984 that the person concerned is not entitled to any old age pension on the ground that he does not fulfil the statutory conditions as to means. The assessment of his means, consisting of half the weekly value of capital and a holding, the transfer of which was not accepted for pension purposes, was in excess of the statutory limit of £44 a week.
Information was subsequently received from the claimant's solicitor in the light of which further inquiries had to be made. These inquiries have now been completed and the matter has been referred to the appeals officer to consider if there is new evidence which would warrant a revision of his decision in this case. The claimant will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible.
558.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in reaching a decision in the case of an application for unemployment assistance by a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5.
The claim for unemployment assistance of the person concerned was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of his means.
Inquiries into the person's circumstances have been somewhat protracted. It is expected however that they will be completed within a further week after which his means will be assessed and his entitlement to unemployment assistance can be determined.
559.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason the full amount of unemployment assistance is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £41.60 being the appropriate rate payable £54.80 less means £13.20, derived from the value of board and lodgings in his father's home.
He recently applied for a review of the amount of means assessed against him and his case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation. When the inquiries are completed the assessment of his means will be reviewed and the rate of unemployment assistance payable to him will be determined accordingly.
560.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if there is a dermatologist among the panel of his Department's medical referees; and if so, how he can be involved in a special case and the procedures to be followed.
All the medical referees in the Department of Social Welfare have experience of dermatology. However, if it is considered necessary in any case, specialist advice is obtained by the Department. It is also open to any claimant to submit a specialist report in support of his claim.
561.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason payments of unemployment assistance have ceased in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that he failed to fully disclose his means to the social welfare officer. He appealed against the refusal of his unemployment assistance and the case was returned to the social welfare officer to afford the applicant a further opportunity to co-operate. Inquiries are not yet completed and when they are his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed accordingly. He ceased signing at his local office on 16 October 1984.
562.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment benefit could not be determined until inquiries to establish that her employment during the period 6 April 1982 to 5 April 1983 was insurable at a class of contribution which provided cover against unemployment. The investigations were recently completed and her claim was allowed at the rate of £31.75 weekly. Arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due this week. She ceased to sign as unemployed after 5 September 1984.
563.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made to grant full old age pension to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon who appealed her case four months ago; and how long it takes to expedite an appeal of this nature.
Representations from the Deputy were accepted as an application for an increase in pension on behalf of the person concerned which was referred to the social welfare officer for investigation. It is expected that the social welfare officer's inquiries will be completed shortly and the claim will be forwarded to a deciding officer for decision. The pensioner will be notified of the outcome in due course.
564.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who was disallowed in early September, will receive a further examination following her appeal on 21 September, as her last payment was 11 September 1984.
Payment of disability benefit to the person concerned was disallowed from 17 September 1984 following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. She appealed against the disallowance and arrangements were made to have her examined by a different medical referee on 22 November 1984. Her entitlement to further payment of disability benefit will be reviewed in the light of the medical referee's report following this examination.
565.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a separated woman and her family (details supplied) in County Wexford are not receiving a level of payment in line with other social assistance levels of payment for people in identical circumstances.
The person concerned is living apart from her husband and she is in receipt of the dependant's portion of his unemployment assistance payment, £47.75 weekly, in respect of herself and three qualified children. This is the maximum amount of unemployment assistance to which she is entitled as a married woman in receipt of the dependant's portion of her husband's unemployment assistance entitlement. She is also at present in receipt of a weekly payment of supplementary welfare allowance at £12 weekly. She did however claim deserted wives allowance but her claim was disallowed on the grounds that her circumstances rendered her ineligible for payment. It is open to her to reapply for this allowance if she feels that there have been any changes in her circumstances.
566.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when full unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned was assessed with means at £8.50 derived from a pension payable to him from a former employer. He exhausted his title to unemployment benefit on 4 October 1984 and is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance from 5 October 1984 at the weekly rate of £46.30 being the appropriate rate £54.80 less means £8.50. Weekly payments continue to be made to him as they become due. If his circumstances have changed since his means were assessed in November 1983 it is open to him to apply to have his case reinvestigated. A form for this purpose may be obtained from his local office.
567.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a fully qualified person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 13 August 1984 but her claim was disallowed on the grounds that she was not available for employment. She appealed against the disallowance and attended an oral hearing of her case on 1 November 1984 following which an appeals officer allowed the appeal.
Her claim has been authorised at the maximum flat-rate unemployment benefit £32.75 weekly and pay-related benefit at £10.49 weekly. All arrears due will be paid this week and further combined payments of £43.24 will be made as they become due.
568.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit payments have been discontinued to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary as this person has been in insurable employment for many years; when payments will be resumed; and the amount that will be paid.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 20 August 1983 and she was paid to 21 August 1984, a period of 52 weeks which was the maximum period payable based on contributions made on her behalf under her RSI number.
Because of an administrative error, earlier contributions made on her behalf under her old insurance number were not taken into account when deciding her entitlement to benefit beyond 52 weeks. The error has since been rectified and a cheque for £198.71 which represents arrears of benefit for the period 22 August 1984 to 31 October 1984, the date of the latest medical certificate received, less the amount of supplementary welfare allowance advanced by the South-Eastern Health Board, was issued on 6 November 1984.
Further payment of disability benefit will be issued to her, at the weekly rate of £37.25, on receipt of appropriate medical evidence while she remains unfit for work.