asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will clarify the position in relation to contributory old age pension payments for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if he will ensure that payments will issue without any delay.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
57.
The person concerned has been awarded a contributory old age pension at the maximum rate of £79.05 per week with effect from 24 May 1985, i.e. the Friday following his 66th birthday. He also claimed a non-contributory old age pension to which he would otherwise have been entitled at a lower rate. The award of this latter pension has been cancelled.
A contributory old age pension book containing orders payable from 28 June 1985 has been issued to the designated post office for collection by him and he has been notified accordingly. The arrears of the contributory old age pension from 24 May 1985 to 27 June 1985 less the amount of unemployment assistance paid in respect of that period, will be issued to him by payable order.
58.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an invalidity pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
Invalidity pension is payable in place of disability benefit to insured persons who satisfy the contribution conditions and who are permanently incapable of work. The RSI number quoted in the details supplied with the question does not refer to the person mentioned and it has not been possible from the information supplied to trace a disability benefit or invalidity pension claim. If the correct RSI number of the claimant can be quoted this will enable the claim to be identified and the information sought by the Deputy to be supplied.
59.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an invalidity pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned has been awarded an invalidity pension from 16 May 1985. A pension book payable from 1 August 1985 will shortly be issued to the designated post office. Arrears in respect of the period from 16 May 1985 to 31 July 1985, less the amount of disability benefit paid during that period, will be paid by payable order.
60.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a dental account for a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary has not been paid; when this will be paid; and the amount which will be paid as this person seems to have satisfied the requirements for elligibility for this claim.
One of the qualifying conditions for the receipt of dental benefit requires persons over 23 years of age to have had not less than 156 weeks of insurable employment for which the appropriate contributions were paid before the date of commencement of the treatment. The person concerned claimed dental benefit on 14 March 1985. According to the records of the Department he had a total of 79 weeks of insurable employment up to 5 April 1984. Even if he had further contributions continuously from that date to 14 March 1985 he could not have reached a total of 156 contributions by the latter date. His claim could not, therefore, be approved. Both the claimant and his dentist were notified of the position on 17 April 1985.
61.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath was refused unemployment benefit or assistance as she had submitted all relevant evidence needed and required by the appeals officer.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a claimant is available for employment and to fulfil this condition a claimant must be capable of, available for and genuinely seeking employment.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 11 March 1985 but her claim was disallowed on the grounds that by reason of not genuinely seeking employment she was not available for employment. She appealed against the disallowance and attended an oral hearing of her case on 31 May 1985. The appeals officer also decided that she was not available for employment and she was notified of his decision on 6 June 1985. Her entitlement to unemployment benefit from 1 June 1985 is at present under review. She will be informed of the outcome of this review when it is completed.
62.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reasons unemployment assistance has been terminated in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; if he is now prepared to reconsider this situation and direct his Department to restore the assistance to this person who is under severe financial pressure; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that his means derived from profit from his holding exceeded the statutory limit. He appealed against the disallowance but an appeals officer also assessed him with means in excess of the statutory limit. He was notified of the decision of the appeals officer and ceased to sign as unemployed from 2 April 1985. If the circumstances on which his means were assessed have changed it is open to him to apply for a reinvestigation of his case. A form for this purpose can be obtained at his local office.
63.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit has not been paid retrospectively to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare.
The person concerned attended her local office on 30 April 1985 and applied to sign as unemployed for unemployment benefit purposes from 24 October 1981 to 29 April 1985.
Following an examination of her case her application was rejected on the grounds that she was in receipt of disability benefit from 24 October 1981 to 20 May 1982 and maternity allowance from 7 March 1983 to 28 May 1983 and that during the remaining periods she did not show good cause for her failure as a postal applicant to furnish evidence of unemployment by signing as unemployed and furnishing certificates of unemployment. She does not satisfy the contribution conditions for entitlement to unemployment benefit from 30 April 1985.
64.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will be paid his full old age pension.
It has been decided that the person concerned is entitled to old age pension at the weekly rate of £22.80 which includes £4.75 adult dependant allowance and £8.75 dependant child allowance from 1 February 1985. This is the rate to which he is entitled having regard to the assessment of his means consisting of half the weekly value of a holding. In the light of the information furnished by the Deputy further inquiries are now being made in this case and on their completion the pensioner's entitlement will be reviewed and he will be notified of the outcome.
65.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance has been reduced in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; if he will direct his Department to restore the amount of payment to its former figure; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Following reinvestigation of his unemployment assistance claim the means of the person concerned were assessed at £38.45 weekly derived from benefit from a holding. He is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at £33.80 weekly the appropriate rate £72.25 less means £38.45. He has not appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and it is open to him to do so. A form for this purpose can be obtained at his local employment office.
66.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of an invalidity pension to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The person concerned has been awarded an invalidity pension from 4 July 1985. Arrangements are being made to have a pension book issued to the designated post office of payment. Arrears in respect of the period from 4 July 1985 less the amount of disability benefit paid since then will be paid by payable order. A claimant must have been incapable of work for a continuous period of not less than one year before he can be transferred to invalidity pension. The person concerned became incapable of work on 2 July 1984. The earliest date from which he could be awarded invalidity pension therefore is 4 July 1985, that is, the Thursay following the completion of one year's incapacity for work.
67.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare was refused unemployment benefit on the grounds that she was not available for employment when in fact positive evidence to the contrary was provided.
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 14 November 1984, but her claim was disallowed by a deciding officer 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 March 1985, an appeals officer also decided that she was not available for employment. Both the deciding officer and the appeals officer took account of evidence provided by the person concerned. In the absence of fresh evidence or new facts the decision of an appeals officer is final.
68.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that boys and girls in residential care, even those who go home every Friday and return every Sunday, have no bus or train pass; and the action, if any, he intends taking to ensure that a pass is given to these individuals in care.
The free travel scheme administered by the Department applies to all persons aged 66 years or over, regisstered blind persons aged 18 years and over and to other persons under age 66 years who are in receipt of a qualifying payment in respect of permanent incapacity.
Persons in residential care would not normally be in receipt of a qualifying payment and would not qualify for free travel. Extension of the scheme to cover children in residential accommodation to enable them to travel free at weekends would have significant implications for the scheme and would give rise to considerable increased costs. There are no proposals for such an extension in present circumstances.