asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of persons in receipt of family income supplements receiving weekly (a) between £10 and £15, (b) between £5 and £10, (c) between £2 and £5, and (d) under £2.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
268.
The information requested is as follows: (a) 530, (b) 1237, (c) 888, and (d) 273.
269.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated number of persons eligible for the family income supplement; the number of persons at present in receipt of a weekly family income supplement; and the average number of recipients provided for in the 1985 Estimates.
While it is difficult to ascertain with accuracy the number of persons who would be entitled to family income supplement it was estimated at the introduction of the scheme that up to 35,000 persons could qualify and this was the basis on which the estimate for 1985 was drawn up. Up to 18 January 1985 a total of 9,076 applications had been received and 2,928 supplements had been awarded.
270.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the average number of unemployed provided for in the 1985 Estimates for unemployment benefit and assistance.
The 1985 Estimates for unemployment benefit and assistance are based on a projected average live register of 217,600 in the year. This projection makes allowance for the impact of the new employment schemes to assist the long duration unemployed announced in the national plan.
271.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if, in view of the very special circumstances of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 24, he will review the application of this person with a view to granting her free fuel under the free fuel scheme.
It is understood from the Eastern Health Board, which administers the national fuel scheme in the Dublin area, that a person concerned has applied for a fuel allowance under that scheme and that no decision has been made on her application pending further information on her circumstances. As soon as this information is supplied a decision will be made and the applicant will be notified. The question of determining entitlement to free fuel in any individual case is a matter for the health board.
272.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance at the full rate will be restored to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry having regard to the fact that he is in serious financial difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed from August 1984 on the grounds that his means exceeded the rate payable to him. His means were derived from the profit from his holding. He appealed against this decision and arising out of contentions made by him in support of his appeal, his claim was referred to a social welfare officer for further inquiries. These inquiries have proved to be extensive as the information on the various documents submited by him had to be checked and verified. However, it is expected that these inquiries will be completed shortly and his case will then be referred to an appeals officer for determination of his means. His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the appeals officer's decision.
273.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork has not been granted a children's allowance in respect of her daughter, who was born on 9 May 1984 as she has forwarded two birth certificates and his Department still claim that they have not received any notification.
A claim for children's allowance was received in the Department on 3 July 1984 from the person concerned in respect of her two children. As birth certificates were not received until 10 December 1984 a decision could not be given on the claim until that date. The appropriate allowance books were issued to the nominated post office of payment in December 1984 for collection by the claimant and she was notified accordingly. She should now be in receipt of an allowance at the rate of £24.10 per month. All arrears due have also been issued. In the light of the Deputy's question, however, the Department is writing to the claimant in the matter and when her reply is received any action necessary will be taken without delay.
274.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork who applied for unemployment assistance on 7 November 1984, has not yet been made aware of a decision; and the reason for the delay.
The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment assistance cannot be determined until inquiries about his means which are being made by a social welfare officer have been completed. These inquiries have proved to be extensive but every effort is being made to have them completed as soon as possible. His means will be assessed in the light of the outcome and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined accordingly.
275.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork is being charged £32 for dental treatment; and if he will have the matter reviewed.
A claim to dental benefit was received from the person concerned on 8 January 1985 in respect of treatment which included the supply and fitting of a partial upper denture. Under the dental benefit scheme dentures are provided to qualified insured persons at a fixed cost, part of which is paid by the Department. The claimant is liable for payment of the balance direct to the dentist. The claim was approved on 14 January 1985 and the claimant was informed that her portion of the cost was £32.10.
This amount should be paid to the dentist on completion of the treatment.
276.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork is in receipt of a reduced rate of unemployment assistance; and if he will have the matter reviewed with a view to payment of the maximum rate.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of unemployment assistance at £20.50 weekly the appropriate rate £31.75 less £11.25 means. His means are derived from self-employment. His claim was received recently and his means were reduced to nil effective from 22 October 1984 and accordingly he is now entitled to unemployment assistance at £31.75 weekly. All adjusting arrears due will be paid this week and further weekly payments at the maximum rate appropriate to him £31.75 will be made as they become due.
277.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for refusing an unemployment benefit claim from a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment benefit could not be determined until inquiries to establish whether the employment which she intermittently engaged in, following the date on which she had drawn 156 days of unemployment benefit, was insurable at a contribution class which provided cover against unemployment.
The inquiries which were recently completed established that her employment fulfilled the conditions for requalification of her entitlement to unemployment benefit and her claim in respect of broken periods of unemployment since the date of exhaustion of her unemployment benefit has been allowed. Arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due this week.
Further payments of unemployment benefit at the weekly rate of £30.90 will be made in respect of periods of proved unemployment.
278.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in approving an application for unemployment assistance from a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
The person concerned was assessed with means of £48.05 weekly, derived from the profit from his holding. Accordingly his claim to unemployment assistance was disallowed on the grounds that his means exceeded the rate payable to him. He appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and an appeals officer also assessed him with means of £48.05 weekly and disallowed his unemployment assistance claim. He was notified accordingly.
279.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in approving an unemployed assistance claim for a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
It has not been possible to trace receipt of a claim to unemployment assistance which refers to the person named in the details supplied. Further inquiries in the matter will be made if the Deputy will furnish additional information to enable the person concerned to be identified.
280.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying an unemployment assistance claim to a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance on 2 November 1984 and her case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation into her means. Some delay occurred in the investigation of her means as a result of her changing her address, however her claim has now been decided and she is entitled to £31.75 weekly which is the maximum appropriate rate payable to her. All arrears due to her will be paid this week and payments of unemployment assistance at £31.75 weekly will continue to be made as they become due.
281.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to pay unemployment assistance at an increased rate to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned is currently entitled to unemployment assistance at £13.15 weekly the appropriate rate £81.85 less means £68.70. His means were derived from the value of self-employment as a painter and from capital. He was originally assessed with means of £69.65 weekly but he appealed against that decision and an appeals officer reduced the amount of means assessed against him to £68.70 weekly.
He has refused to accept payment of £13.15 weekly and has asked for a further review of his means. His claim has been referred to a social welfare officer for further inquiries. It is expected that these inquiries will be completed next week. The assessment of his means will be reviewed in the light of the outcome of the inquiries.
282.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a free electricity allowance will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
An application for a free electricity allowance from the person concerned has been approved and the ESB have been instructed to apply the allowance to his electricity account from the November-December 1984 billing period onwards.
283.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if unemployment assistance payments for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be reconsidered on the basis of the new evidence provided; and if he will ensure that sympathetic attention is given to this case as there is real hardship involved.
The person concerned is in receipt of unemployment assistance at the rate of £22.80 weekly. This is the maximum rate of £62.95 less £40.15 means. His means are derived from the benefit of his wife's earnings.
He appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and his case was referred to an appeals officer for determination. The appeals officer also assessed his means at £40.15 weekly and he was notified accordingly on 3 January 1985. He has not applied for a review of the assessment of his means since his case was dealt with by the appeals officer. It is however open to him to do so and a form for this purpose may be obtained at his local office.
284.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if optical benefit will be reconsidered for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford in view of the terms of his employment record which are adequate to meet the contribution conditions required in the scheme.
In order to qualify for optical benefit claimants must satisfy certain statutory contribution conditions, one of which requires persons over 21 years of age to have not less than 26 employment contributions paid or credited in a particular governing contribution year. The governing contribution year for claims received in 1984 was the 1982-83 contribution year (from 6 April 1982 to 5 April 1983).
A claim to optical benefit was received from the person concerned on 26 October 1984. According to the records available then only four contributions had been paid on his behalf. He was asked to supply additional information relating to the date of commencement of his employment and on receipt of this a further 18 credited contributions were entered on his record. This was not sufficient to satisfy the contribution conditions and his claim was disallowed on 2 January 1985.
Arising out of the information supplied by the Deputy relating to his employment further inquiries have been made and it has now been established that he has sufficient contributions to qualify for benefit. His claim has now been approved and a letter of authorisation has been issued to him.
285.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason arrears of unemployment benefit are being witheld from a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if his Department will provide evidence to show that there were dual payments at a given period in 1983 in view of the fact that the applicant totally refutes this.
According to the Department's records, the person concerned claimed unemployment benefit and disability/occupational injuries benefit concurrently on various dates during the period 3 October 1983 to 24 December 1983. Consequently, an overpayment of £318.06 was assessed against him. He has appealed this decision and arrangements are being made to have his case heard at the earliest opportunity.
His current claim for unemployment benefit commenced on 5 November 1984. He is entitled to unemployment benefit of £80.15 weekly being the appropriate rate applicable to a married man with two qualified children. All arrears due on his claim of 5 November 1984 have been paid less advances of supplementary welfare allowance which were paid to him pending a decision on his claim. Weekly payments of £80.15 are continuing to be made as they become due.
286.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath will be transferred from disability insurance to invalidity pension as all necessary details have been furnished to his Department.
The person concerned has been awarded an invalidity pension from 10 January 1985. A pension book payable from 7 February 1985 has been issued to the designated post office of payment and arrears in respect of the period from 10 January 1985 to 6 February 1985 less the amount of disability benefit paid during that period will be paid by payable order.
287.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he is aware that this person has full entitlements to such benefit through the stamps he has accumulated while working.
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 is a land holder who does not satisfy the 78 contributions condition. He claimed unemployment benefit but following the completion of inquiries which revealed that the value of his holding exceeded £2 per day his claim to unemployment benefit was disallowed. He was notified of the disallowance on 21 November 1984. A claim for unemployment assistance was allowed with effect from 14 August 1984. He is currently in receipt of unemployment assistance and weekly payments of £42.35 are continuing as they become due.
288.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will make arrangements to have a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath restored to her father's old age pension book as she is only 16 and is in full time education.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of old age pension at the weekly rate of £62.65 which includes £14.75 adult dependant allowance and £18.60 dependant child allowance in respect of his two dependent daughters, one of whom is the daughter mentioned in the details supplied. This is the rate to which he is entitled having regard to the assessment of his means consisting of half the weekly value of capital and a holding.
289.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will order a complete review of the social welfare entitlements of a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon as the applicant understands the situation regarding deserted wife's allowance/ disability benefits but feels that the correct computation of arrears etc. has not been carried out.
The following is a full statement of the position with regard to the claim of the person concerned to deserted wife's allowance and disability benefit and of the payments made to her.
She was intially awarded a deserted wife's allowance at the reduced weekly rate of £6.55 from 30 June 1983 based on weekly means of £56.99 derived from earnings and was issued with an order book at this rate payable from 10 November 1983. The book contained payments to 4 April 1984. A payable order for £124.45 for arrears for the period from 30 June 1983 to 9 November 1983 was sent to her on 27 January 1984.
Her rate of allowance was revised to £58.55 per week from 1 March 1984 when she was assessed with nil means and she was issued with a supplementary order book at £52.55 weekly payable from 22 March 1984 to 4 April 1984 and a book at £58.55 weekly payable from 5 April 1984 (increased to £62.65 from 5 July 1984). The supplementary book however should have only been for £52 and she was therefore overpaid £1.10 over the two weeks. Arrears for the period from 1 March 1984 to 21 March 1984 amounted to £156 and a payable order for the balance of £154.90, after the overpayment had been deducted, was sent to her on 10 May 1984.
On 23 August 1984 following correspondence from her it was decided to allow the increase in her entitlement from 3 November 1983. The arrears for the period from that date to 29 February 1984 amounted to £936. However, a total of £1,471.46 had been overpaid to her in disability benefit during the period 5 November 1983 to 22 August 1984, when she was paid at the full rate plus increases for two children instead of at half rate (without child increases) which is payable concurrently with deserted wife's allowance. All the arrears of deserted wife's allowance were used as an offset against this overpayment of disability benefit leaving a balance of £535.46 due. Arrangements are now being made to have this amount repaid by deductions of £5 per week from current disability benefit of £18.63 weekly which is being paid to her (in addition to her deserted wife's allowance payment of £62.65).
During the period 27 April 1984 to 27 December 1984 an amount of £280 due to the Western Health Board, for supplementary welfare allowance paid to the claimant from 28 November 1983 to 14 January 1984, was also recovered from her by deductions of £8 a week from her disability benefit payment.
290.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cost of increasing children's allowances by 6 per cent, 7 per cent, and 8 per cent from (a) April 1985 and (b) July 1985.
The estimated cost in 1985 of increasing rates of children's allowances is as follows:
|
6% increase |
7% increase |
8% increase |
|
|
in rates |
in rates |
in rates |
|
|
Increase effective from— |
|||
|
(a) April 1985 |
£7.7m. |
£9.3m. |
£10.5m. |
|
(b) July 1985 |
£5.1m. |
£6.2m. |
£7.0m. |
291.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cost of increasing short term weekly welfare rates by 5 per cent, 6 per cent, 7 per cent and 8 per cent (a) from April, 1985 and (b) from July, 1985.
The estimated cost in 1985 of increasing short term weekly welfare rates is as follows:
|
5% increase |
6% increase |
7% increase |
8% increase |
|
|
in rates |
in rates |
in rates |
in rates |
|
|
Increase effective from— |
||||
|
(a) April 1985 |
£21.6m. |
£26.1m. |
£30.2m. |
£34.8m. |
|
(b) July 1985 |
£14.4m. |
£17.4m. |
£20.1m. |
£23.2m. |
292.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cost of increasing long term weekly welfare rates by 6 per cent, 7 per cent and 8 per cent (a) from April 1985 and (b) from July 1985.
The estimated cost in 1985 of increasing long term weekly welfare rates (including the rates payable to the long-duration unemployed) is as follows:
|
6% increase |
7% increase |
8% increase |
|
|
in rates |
in rates |
in rates |
|
|
Increase effective from— |
|||
|
(a) April 1985 |
£59.7m. |
£69.4m. |
£79.4m. |
|
(b) July 1985 |
£39.8m. |
£46.3m. |
£52.9m. |