asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit was disallowed to a person (details supplied) in County Clare.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
304.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a person must have at least 26 contributions paid or credited in the governing contribution year.
According to the Department's records the person concerned did not satisfy the contribution condition during the contribution period 6 April 1983 to 5 April 1984 which governed entitlement to unemployment benefit on her claim of 22 January 1985. Her claim was accordingly disallowed. She has been informed of this decision and is continuing to sign the unemployment register for credited contributions.
305.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will grant a free travel pass to a person (details supplied) in County Cork who is 65 years of age is living alone and makes continuous use of public transport.
The person concerned is not yet 66 years of age and is not in receipt of an allowance or pension which would entitle her to free travel. A free travel pass cannot, therefore, be issued to her at present.
306.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be transferred from disability benefit to an invalidity pension.
The person concerned has been awarded an invalidity pension from 4 April 1985. A pension book payable from 25 July 1985 will shortly be issued to the designated post office. Arrears in respect of the period from 4 April 1985 to 24 July 1985, less the amount of disability benefit paid during that period, will be paid by payable order.
307.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason an old age pension has been reduced in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary and why it was stated by his Department that his means had increased although his means are exactly as they were when he was originally investigated; and when full payment will be restored.
Following a review of the old age pension entitlement of the person. concerned it was discovered that his means had increased since the date of his last assessment. Accordingly, it has been decided that he is entitled to an old age pension at the weekly rate of £33.30 from 14 June 1985. This is the rate to which he is entitled having regard to the assessment of his means at £13.42 per week, consisting of half the weekly value of capital and a holding. His means were previously assessed in 1979 at £7.29 per week.
308.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the reduction in the payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Following reinvestigation of his unemployment assistance claim the means of the person concerned were assessed at £39.80 weekly derived from profit from his holding. He is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £15 the appropriate rate £54.80 less means £39.80. If he is dissatisfied with the amount of means assessed against him it is open to him to appeal and have his case determined by an appeals officer. A form for this purpose may be obtained at his local office.
309.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the immediate payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned cannot be determined until the social welfare officer investigating his means completes his inquiries. These inquiries are proving very extensive and it has been necessary to interview the applicant on a number of occassions. It is expected that the inquiries will be completed this week and his case will then be referred to a deciding officer for assessment of means. His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined in the light of the amount of means assessed against him.
310.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the immediate payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned has been in continuous receipt of unemployment assistance since 1977. His present rate of payment is £78.90 weekly the appropriate rate £79.50 less means £0.60 derived from self-employment. His case has recently been referred to a social welfare officer for reinvestigation of his means. When these inquiries are completed his means will be reassessed and his rate of unemployment assistance will be reviewed accordingly.
311.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Laois is in receipt of the correct rate of unemployment assistance.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of unemployment assistance at £10.30 weekly the appropriate rate £31.75 less means £21.45 derived from board and lodgings on his parents' holding and from capital. If the circumstances on which his means were assessed have changed it is open to him to apply for a reinvestigation of his case. An application form for this purpose may be obtained at his local office.
312.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a deserted wife's allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
The claim to a deserted wife's payment of the person concerned is at present under investigation. She has been visited by a local officer of the Department but it will also be necessary to have her husband interviewed and it is hoped to do so during the coming week. When inquiries are completed and the officer's reports are received a decision will be given and the claimant will be notified.
In the meantime she is in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance from the Midland Health Board.
313.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a prisoner's wife's allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
The claim of the person concerned to a prisoner's wife's allowance has been investigated. However, she has not as yet supplied the necessary copies of her own and her children's birth certificates and her marriage certificate. When these are received a decision will be given on her claim without delay.
314.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit payments will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
314.
The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment benefit could not be determined until inquiries had been made to establish that she fulfilled the conditions of being available for work.
These inquiries were recently completed and her claim was allowed at the maximum flat rate for a single person, £37.25. All arrears covering the period from 3 May 1985 to 19 June 1985 were paid to her on 21 June 1985 and further weekly payments will continue as they become due.
315.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Offaly will be paid the correct rate of unemployment benefit.
The person concerned reapplied for unemployment assistance on 19 April 1985. His claim was put into payment on the basis of a qualification certificate issued to him in connection with a previous claim which recorded him with weekly means of £20.85. In the meantime his case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of his means.
The investigation was recently completed and he was assessed with nil means with effect from the date of his claim. His claim was put into payment last week at the appropriate rate of £68.15 weekly.
316.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if deserted wife's allowance payments will be reconsidered for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford in view of the fact that her husband left of his own accord.
One of the conditions for the receipt of a deserted wife's payment is that a husband must have left his wife of his own voliation.
The deciding officer held that this condition was not satisfied in the case of the person concerned and disallowed her claim. She was notified to this effect and of her right to appeal if she was dissatisfied with the decision.
The Deputy's question is being taken as indicating that she wishes to appeal and a form has been sent to her on which to state the facts and contentions she relies on in support of her appeal. When the completed form is returned the case will be referred to an appeals officer for determination.
In arriving at a decision in this case the deciding officer took July 1978 as the date of separation. The claimant obtained a divorce from her husband in January 1980 in England, where they were both residing at the time, and could not be regarded thereafter as his wife.
317.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if an increase in a non-contributory widow's pension will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of a widow's non-contributory pension at the weekly rate of £34.50. This is the rate appropriate to a widow under 66 years of age with no qualified children and whose weekly means exceed £10 but do not exceed £12. Her means, derived from a farm holding and some capital, were assessed last March at £10.33 per week.
In view of the Deputy's question the local social welfare officer has been asked to call on the widow and furnish an up-to-date report on her circumstances. When this report is received the case will be reviewed and she will be notified of the outcome.
318.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will take steps to ensure that a person (details supplied) in Dublin 8 receives a deserted wife's allowance as her husband has left the country and she has no way of tracing him.
One of the conditions for the receipt of deserted wife's allowance/ benefit is that a claimant must make and continue to make reasonable efforts within the means available to her to trace her husband's whereabouts and prevail on him to contribute to her support and that of her children. In addition, to qualify for a benefit payment there must be at least 156 Irish paid insurance contributions (either on her own or her husband's insurance record) between the date of entry into insurance and the date of desertion. The deciding officer held that in this case the person concerned who was claiming deserted wife's benefit did not satisfy these conditions.
She appealed against the decision and the deciding officer subsequently accepted that the first condition was satisfied but the insurance contributions disqualification still stood. She was notified to this effect on 3 December 1984 and informed of the number of insurance contributions paid by her and her husband up to the date of his leaving. She was also requested to inform the Department if, in the circumstances, She wished to pursue her appeal. There is no trace of the receipt of a reply from her. As far as the Department is aware, the claimant is working and her income from the employment would render her ineligible for receipt of deserted wife's allowance, which is a means tested payment. If her circumstances have changed, however, or if they change in the future she could claim the allowance.
319.
Mr. Coughlan
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason payment of unemployment assistance has not been made to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a claimant must be available for and genuinely seeking work.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit but her entitlement to benefit cannot be determined until extensive inquiries, being made at present, to establish that she fulfills the condition of being available for work, are completed.
These inquiries are expected to be completed shortly and her entitlement to unemployment benefit will be determined in the light of the outcome.
320.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will expedite unemployment benefit for a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a person must have at least 26 contributions paid or credited in the governing contribution year.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 9 April 1985. Inquiries are being made at present to determine his entitlement to credited contributions during the contribution period 6 April 1983 to 5 April 1984 which governs his claim to unemployment benefit from 9 April 1985. His entitlement to unemployment benefit will be determined in the light of the outcome of these inquiries.
Pending the outcome of these inquiries a claim for unemployment assistance has been allowed at the weekly rate of £48.95 being the appropriate rate applicable to a married man with two qualified children with means of £19.20 assessed against him. All arrears of unemployment assistance due were issued to him last week less the amount of supplementary welfare allowance which was paid to him pending a decision on his claim.
321.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance up to 12 March 1985 when she commenced work with a community workshop. The community workshop made an application on her behalf to continue to receive unemployment assistance on the grounds that she was engaged in voluntary work. Following inquiries, however, a deciding officer decided that the person concerned was no longer entitled to unemployment assistance.
Arising from the Deputy's representations further inquiries are now being made into the circumstances of the employment and the Deputy will be notified of the outcome. If, following this, the person concerned is dissatisfied with the decision it will of course be open to her to appeal and have her case determined by an appeals officer.
322.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reasons the appeals officer found against a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will outline the means being assessed against him.
The person concerned, an applicant for unemployment assistance, was assessed with means of £8.40 weekly derived from the value of capital. He appealed against the amount of means assessed against him but an appeals officer also assessed him with means of £8.40. The appeals officer determined the case on the basis of the facts and evidence available to him. He is accordingly in receipt of unemployment assistance of £78.35 weekly the appropriate rate £86.75 less means £8.40.
323.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will make a statement with regard to the application for unemployment assistance made by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and when a decision will be made on this appeal.
In the light of contentions made by the person concerned in support of his appeal against the disallowance of his unemployment assistance claim his case was returned to the social welfare officer for further inquiries. These inquiries were recently completed and arrangements are being made to refer the case to an appeals officer for determination. His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
He is at present in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance.
324.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a claimant must be available for and genuinely seeking work.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 2 May 1985 but her claim was disallowed on the grounds that by reason of not genuinely seeking work she was not available for employment.
She appealed against the disallowance and arrangements are being made to have her case determined by an appeals officer at the earliest opportunity. Her entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
325.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a single parent's allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
The person concerned has been awarded an unmarried mother's allowance at the maximum rate with effect from 18 April 1985, the Thursday following the birth of her child. An allowance book with orders payable from 20 June 1985 was issued to the designated post office on 20 June for collection by her and she was notified accordingly.
Arrears for the period from 18 April 1985 to 19 June 1985, less an amount in respect of supplementary welfare allowance paid to her during the same period, will be sent to her direct by payable order shortly.
326.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason payment of unemployment benefit was discontinued to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a claimant must be available for and genuinely seeking work. The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 10 April 1985, but her claim was disallowed on the grounds that she was not available for employment. She appealed against the disallowance but following an oral hearing of her case on 7 June 1985, an appeals officer also decided that she was not available for employment. She was notified of this decision on 20 June 1985.
327.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Offaly will be paid an increase in her old age pension as she is now 80 years of age.
The appropriate pension book in respect of the "over 80" allowance has been issued to the person concerned and a payable order covering the arrears due will be issued shortly.
328.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Offaly is in receipt of the correct rate of unemployment assistance.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of unemployment assistance at £12.65 weekly the appropriate rate £29.95 less means £17.30. Her means are derived from the value of board and lodgings in her parents home.
329.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason payment of unemployment assistance was discontinued to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance from 29 May 1985 at £2.20 weekly. However a deciding officer recently revised, with effect from 29 May 1985, a previous decision and assessed his means at £25.05 weekly. His means are derived from benefit from his wife's earnings and from self-employment. His is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £47.20 being the appropriate rate £72.25 less means £25.05. Arrangements have been made with his local office to pay all arrears due this week.
330.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason the payment of an unmarried mother's allowance has been discontinued to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
A stop-payment was placed on the unmarried mother's allowance book of the person concerned on the basis that she does not satisfy the conditions for receipt of the allowance. Further inquiries are however being made in the case and when they are completed a decision will be given on the claimant's entitlement.
331.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in Dublin 6 will be awarded an invalidity pension.
The person concerned has been awarded an invalidity pension from 25 April 1985.
332.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be reconsidered for a non-contributory old age pension further to her appeal.
The old age pension entitlements of the person concerned are partially investigated. The social welfare officer is awaiting details regarding the claimant's bank account. When these are received the case will be decided on. The person concerned will be notified of the outcome.