asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly who made a new claim for disability benefit on 10 January 1985, and whose previous claim is on appeal.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
119.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit from 7 November 1983 to 1984. Payment was disallowed after that date following an examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He appealed against the disallowance and was examined on 4 October 1984 by a different medical referee who also considered him to be capable of work.
His case was referred to an appeals officer who decided that the claimant was incapable of work within the meaning of Social Welfare Acts during the period from 19 July 1984 to 22 January 1985, and is entitled to be paid disability benefit in respect of that period. All arrears payable will be issued when details of supplementary welfare allowance already advanced to the person concerned have been ascertained. The claimant submitted an intermediate medical certificate dated 23 January 1985, showing a different incapacity and payment of benefit was, accordingly, restored from that date. All benefit payable up to 5 March 1985 the date of the latest medical certificate received, less the amount of supplementary welfare allowance advanced in the period has been issued.
133.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the refusal to pay unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who has proved that she is available for work.
The person concerned does not satisfy the contribution condition for entitlement to unemployment benefit as the contributions paid in respect of her employment are appropriate to a contribution class which does not provide cover against unemployment. She claimed unemployment benefit but her claim was disallowed on the grounds that she did not fulfil the condition of being available for work. In notifying her of the decision in her case it was inadvertently omitted to advise her that she also failed to satisfy the contribution conditions for entitlement to unemployment benefit. She appealed against the disallowance of her unemployment benefit claim but before her appeal is referred to an appeals officer her case has been referred to a social welfare to investigate her employment history with the objective of verifying the class of contribution applicable to her particular employment. Her entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the outcome of the inquiries and she will be advised accordingly.