asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in granting a medical card to persons (details supplied) in County Cork who are old age pensioners and are in very bad health; and if he will have their case examined.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
535.
Eligibility for a medical card is a matter for the chief executive officer of a health board. In this instance the couple's medical card was not renewed as their income considerably exceeded the guidelines covering medical card eligibility.
536.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason an expectant mother (details supplied) in Dublin 13 who is unemployed is being denied any assistance from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned is aged 16 and a dependant of her mother with whom she resides. In these circumstances she would not at present be entitled to any social assistance payment from my Department. It is understood from the Eastern Health Board, however, which is responsible for the administration of the supplementary welfare allowances scheme in the Dublin area, that a supplementary welfare allowance including an increase in respect of the person concerned is being paid to the mother. It has been explained to the person concerned that when her child is born it will be open to her to apply to the Department for an unmarried mother's allowance.
537.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if approval can now be given for the deserted wife's allowance application of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin having regard to the fact that she has made every effort to secure maintenance from her husband through the courts but to no avail, and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The claim of the person concerned for a deserted wife's payment is at present under investigation. She has been visited by a local officer of the Department but it is also necessary to interview her husband. When this has been done and the report received a decision will be given and the claimant will be notified of the outcome without delay.
538.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned initially claimed disability benefit from 26 March 1985 and payment was issued from 29 March 1985, fourth day of incapacity. It was later established that he was unfit for work and entitled to payment of disability benefit from 19 February 1985 and the arrears payable were issued to him on 18 April 1985. All benefit payable in respect of his claim has been issued to 15 April 1985, the date of the latest medical certificate received.
539.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork did not get a cheque for two weeks at Easter time; and the reason his wife was given misleading information from his Department when she phoned at personal cost from Cork as she was informed that the cheque had issued and must have been mislaid although the cheque, when it arrived, was dated after the date of the phone call.
Payment of disability benefit is normally issued to the person concerned on receipt of medical evidence of his incapacity for work. However there was a backlog of post after the Easter holiday period which appears to have caused the delay in issuing payment in this and some other similar cases. There is no record in the Department of the phone call referred to by the Deputy but any inconvenience caused to the person concerned is regretted.
540.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an oral hearing will be heard to adjudicate on the appeal made by a person (details supplied) in County Cork whose disability benefit was discontinued on 13 September 1984, and who alleges that he was the same medical referee that disqualified him when his case came up for appeal.
Payment of disability benefit to the person concerned was disallowed from 18 September 1984, following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He appealed against the disallowance and he was examined on 23 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 proposes to hold an oral hearing of the claim as soon as possible. The claimant will be notified of the time and place of the hearing as soon as the arrangements have been made. The person concerned was in receipt of disablement benefit which had been provisionally assessed at 20 per cent from 19 August 1983 to 6 December 1984. Following an examination by a medical referee (who also examined the claimant on 18 September 1984) on 14 November 1984 the extent of his disablement was provisionally assessed at 10 per cent from 7 December 1984 to 6 December 1985.
541.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit was reduced from £68.78 to £61.40 in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 16 March 1984 and all benefit payable in respect of his claim has been issued to date. He is paid disability benefit at the weekly rate of £61.40 and pay-related benefit at the weekly rate of £7.38 and at no time were these rates reduced. However, he was transferred recently to the payments system where payment is issued weekly on receipt of monthly medical evidence of his incapacity for work and during the changeover disability benefit and pay-related benefit were issued separately to him.
542.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare how a person (details supplied) in County Donegal could be declared fit for work by a medical referee at a time when he was attending hospital with a heart condition; the reason medical evidence supported by the claimant's own doctor was ignored; and if he will now authorise restoration of all disability benefit forthwith.
Payment of disability benefit to the person concerned has been disallowed from 28 November 1984 following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He appealed against the disallowance and he was examined on 27 February 1985 by a different medical referee who also considered him to be capable of work. A conflicting medical report was received from the claimant and this report was referred to the medical adviser. The medical adviser has recommended that a specialist report should be furnished to the Department. When this report is received the claim will be reviewed.
543.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow on whose behalf Deputy Paudge Brennan forwarded representations on 22 January 1985.
An applicant for unemployment benefit is required to be available for work and to fulfil this condition the applicant must be capable of, available for, and genuinely seeking work. The unemployment benefit claim of the person concerned was disallowed from 10 May 1984 on the grounds that she did not satisfy the condition of being available for work. She appealed against the disallowance and attended an oral hearing of her case on 21 July 1984 after which an appeals officer decided that she was not available for work and disallowed her claim. She was informed of the outcome and she ceased to sign as unemployed after 15 August 1984.
The decision of the appeals officer is final and can only be altered in the light of new evidence or facts which were not available when the appeals officer's decision was made. However, following the receipt of representations made on her behalf the person concerned was written to and advised that it was open to her to reapply for unemployment benefit if she considered that she fulfilled the condition of being available for work after the period of disallowance of her claim by the appeals officer. She has not reapplied for unemployment benefit to date and accordingly it is not possible to proceed with the reinvestigation of her case as requested by the Deputy, until she does so.
544.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a non-contributory old age pension of only £17.30 per week is being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; when this will be rectified; the amount which will be paid; and when this will be paid.
The person concerned is in receipt of a pension of £7.30 a week. This is the rate appropriate to the latest assessment of her means, consisting of half the weekly value of a holding. Her means were reinvestigated in May 1984 in response to an application for an increase in pension but it was decided that she is not entitled to an increase. If she feels that her circumstances have since deteriorated, it is open to her to notify the Department to that effect and her case will be reinvestigated.
545.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will confirm the amount payable to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 who is the mother of two young children and who has been advised that there are amounts outstanding to her since May of last year.
There are no arrears of social assistance due to the person concerned at present. She was deemed to have been disqualified for receipt of the allowance from 17 November 1983 to 8 August 1984 because she did not satisfy the conditions for its receipt. An overpayment of £1,829.35 was assessed in respect of this period.
Arrears amounting to £197.20 accrued in respect of the period from 9 August 1984 to 5 December 1984 during which she received the rate for a person with one child but was subsequently awarded an increase for an additional child. These arrears were offset against the earlier overpayment, leaving a net balance for recovery from her of £1,632.15. Recovery of this amount is being done by weekly deductions of £6 from the allowance currently in payment to her, leaving her with a net weekly payment of £56.65.
She appealed against the decision disqualifying her for receipt of the allowance and assessing the overpayment, but failed to attend an oral hearing of her appeal arranged for 22 April 1985. The appeals officer is holding the appeal open and if she still wishes to pursue her case she should notify the Department immediately and a new date for the hearing will be arranged. She is also being notified of this by letter.
546.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a prescribed relative's allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
It has been decided that the pensioner concerned is entitled to a prescribed relative allowance from 18 January 1985 in respect of the care and attention being provided for her by her son. The appropriate pension book payable from 5 April 1985 issued on 10 April 1985 and a payable order covering arrears due for the period 18 January 1985 to 4 April 1985 issued separately.
547.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a prescribed relative's allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The application for prescribed relative allowance in respect of the care and attention being provided by the person concerned for his father, is still under investigation by the social welfare officer. It is expected that his inquiries will be completed shortly and the claim will be decided on. The pensioner will then be notified of the outcome without delay.
548.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned was recently assessed with means of £7.70 weekly derived from the letting value of land and from the value of capital. He is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at £64.55 weekly, the appropriate rate £72.25 less means £7.70. All arrears due to him were paid on 18 April 1985 and weekly payments of £64.55 will continue to be made as they become due.
549.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a social assistance allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cavan.
The claim of the person concerned which was received in the Department of 7 March 1985 has been under investigation by a local officer of the Department. His inquiries are now completed and on receipt of his report, which is expected within a few days, a decision will be given on the claim without delay.
550.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a non-contributory widow's pension was withdrawn from a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan; and when it will be restored.
The widow's non-contributory pension which had been in payment to the person concerned has been restored to her with effect from 1 March 1985, the date from which it was terminated. Pension books with orders payable from that date have been sent to the designated post office for collection by her and she has been notified accordingly.
The claimant transferred a farm holding to her sons some years ago but failed to inform the local social welfare officer to this effect when her claim was reinvestigated in October last. Accordingly the profit from the farm was assessed against her and served to disqualify her for pension. The position has now been fully rectified.
551.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will expedite payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 25 March 1985 and all benefit payable in respect of his claim has been issued to 12 April 1985, the date of the latest medical certificate received. His claim was received in the Department on 12 April 1985 and payment was issued without delay.