asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware of the difficulties being experienced by small farmers in rural areas as a result of crop failure this year; and if he proposes to have their means for social welfare purposes reduced immediately.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
21.
Under the different schemes administered by my Department which are the subject of a means test income from farming is assessed as the yearly value of the advantage accruing from the farm. Where the normal pattern of farming has been distorted by unusual factors for example crop failure, account would be taken of this as the aim of the means assessment is to calculate the net income generated by the farm.
Under the regulations an applicant who wishes to have his assessment revised must apply for a reinvestigation of his means. It is open to any applicant who feels that his means have changed to apply for a review and where it is considered that the normal pattern of farming no longer applies in his case the revised means assessment would reflect this. When a degree of normality was restored to the farm operation the case would generally be reviewed again so that the means assessment would reflect the normal situation.
24.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider amending the regulations to allow people who are single and holders of a free travel pass as a result of a disabled persons maintenance allowance to be accompanied by another member of the family.
There is no provision in the existing scheme of free travel administered by my Department whereby a person other than a spouse may travel free when accompanying the pass holder. It would in my opinion be invidious to extend the free travel facility to the spouses of one type of welfare beneficiary while ignoring the position of other beneficiaries in a similar situation. Extension of the scheme to provide free travel for persons who are not spouses of pass holders would have considerable administrative and financial implications which require detailed examination. This is being done at present but it is not yet possible to say what the outcome will be.
25.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason no increases of social welfare benefit have been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and the reason delays in regular payment are occurring.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 17 June 1983 and all benefit payable has been issued to 23 November 1985 in accordance with medical certificates received. Payments are issued weekly at £38.05, the rate of benefit appropriate to a single woman who has 47 credited contributions in the 1983-84 year which governs her claim. An application for an increase of benefit in respect of dependents has not been made by the claimant. She has indicated that she was employed in the 1983-84 year and since there are no paid contributions recorded on her behalf for that year, the matter has been referred to an inspector of my Department for investigation. The rate of payment of disability benefit from 7 January 1985 will be reviewed on receipt of the inspector's report. Delays in payment of benefit occurred in June 1985 because of an administrative error. The matter has since been rectified and payment of disability benefit is issuing at regular weekly intervals.
26.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will again review the application for an old age pension of persons (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if having regard to their meagre resources, he will make a special effort to have pension awarded in this case.
It was decided by an appeals officer that the persons concerned are not entitled to old age pension on the grounds that they do not fulfil the statutory conditions as to means. Their means, each comprising half the weekly value of a holding, exceed the statutory limit for entitlement to pension. If the circumstances of the persons concerned have changed since their means were investigated in February 1985 they should notify this Department to that effect and their claims will be re-investigated.