asked the Minister for Social Welfare if invalidity pension payments will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
52.
The person concerned has been in receipt of disability benefit since 17 December 1984. Invalidity pension is payable to insured persons who satisfy the contribution conditions and who are permanently incapable of work. Arrangements are being made to have him examined by a medical referee on 19 December 1985. His entitlement to invalidity pension will be reviewed in the light of the report of that examination.
53.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will pay unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a claimant must be available for and genuinely seeking fulltime employment. The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 23 September 1985 but her claim was disallowed on the grounds that she was not available for employment. She has not, to date, appealed against the disallowance although she was advised of her right to do so.
54.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will pay unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a person must be available for and genuinely seeking full time employment. The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 3 June 1985 and her claim was disallowed on the grounds that she was not available for employment. She appealed against the disallowance on 28 November, 1985 and an appeals officer has decided to grant an oral hearing of her appeal on 18 December 1985. Her entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
55.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will pay unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of unemployment assistance at £12.80 weekly, being the appropriate rate in his case of £33.80, less means of £21. If the person concerned considers that his means 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.
56.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will pay unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of unemployment assistance at £41.90 weekly, being the appropriate rate in his case of £67.05, less means of £25.15, derived from self-employment as a mechanic. He has appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and, arising out of contentions made by him in support of his appeal, his case has been referred to a social welfare officer for further inquiries. When these inquiries are completed his rate of unemployment assistance will be reviewed.
Question No. 57 postponed.
58.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment assistance could not be determined until all aspects of his means were investigated. The inquiries, which were protracted, were recently completed and his means have been assessed at £17.30 weekly, derived from the value of board and lodgings in his parent's home. He is, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance at £14.45 weekly, being the appropriate rate in his case of £31.75 less means of £17.30. Arrangements have been made, with his local office, for payment of all arrears due next week and weekly payments will then continue to be made as they become due. The delay in this case is regretted.
59.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason the maximum rate of unemployment assistance is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned was assessed with means of £10.60 weekly, derived from the benefit of board and lodging in his father's home. He is, accordingly, in receipt of unemployment assistance at £23.20 weekly, being the appropriate rate in his case of £33.80, less means of £10.60. Weekly payments will continue to be made as they become due.
60.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
Following a review, the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed from 3 July 1985, on the grounds that by failing to furnish details of his means, he failed to show that his means did not exceed the statutory limit.
He recently appealed against the disallowance and the papers have been referred to a social welfare officer, to afford him another opportunity to co-operate in the disclosure of his means. When the inquiries are completed the case will be referred to an appeals officer for determination and the entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
61.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason the maximum rate of unemployment assistance is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
Following investigation of his unemployment assistance claim, the means of the person concerned were assessed at £26.85 weekly, derived from a pension. He is, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance at £4.90 weekly, being the appropriate rate in his case of £31.75, less means of £26.85.
He was advised of his right to appeal against the means assessment, but did not return the appeal from issued to him for that purpose. Weekly payments will continue to be made as they become due.
62.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason the maximum rate of unemployment assistance is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned was assessed with means of £35.90 weekly, derived from the benefit of his wife's earnings. He is, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance at £31.15 weekly, being the appropriate rate in his case of £67.05, less means of £35.90. All arrears due to him will be paid next week and weekly payments of £31.15 will continue to be made as they become due.
He recently appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and arrangements are being made to submit his case to an appeals officer for determination. His rate of unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
63.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a free bottled gas allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
To qualify for a free bottled gas refills allowance a person's residence must not be connected to the electricity supply. The residence of the person concerned is connected to her son's electricity supply and accordingly she cannot qualify for this allowance. She could however qualify for a free electricity allowance if she arranges to have an ESB meter installed in her own residence and she is being informed accordingly.
64.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason the maximum rate of a non-contributory widow's pension is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if he will have her appeal heard as soon as possible.
The appeal of the person concerned is at present with an appeals officer for determination. The case is listed for oral hearing on Friday, 13 December. When a decision is available, she will be notified without delay.
65.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Galway is not being paid his unemployment assistance.
The person concerned reapplied for unemployment assistance on 21 October 1985. Due to the lapse of time since his means were last investigated, it was necessary to refer the case to the social welfare officer for investigation. Pending the completion of the inquiries, arrangements have now been made to put the unemployment assistance claim into payment, on the basis of an existing qualification certificate, showing means of £13.45 weekly. The person concerned is, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance at £66.05 weekly, being the appropriate rate in his case of £79.50, less means of £13.45. Arrangements have been made for payment this week of all arrears due and weekly payments will continue to be made as they become due.
66.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan who has applied for a single woman's allowance.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of a single woman's allowance at the weekly rate of £25.65, which is the rate payable to a person with weekly means greater than £11 but less than £13. She has been assessed with weekly means of £11.53, derived from land. Her claim has been forwarded to the social welfare officer for reinvestigation of her means. The rate of single women's allowance payable to the person concerned will be reviewed in the light of the social welfare officer's report.
67.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13 who is in receipt of unemployment assistance on a casual basis is entitled to fuel vouchers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The entitlement of the person concerned to a fuel allowance under the urban fuel scheme is at present under examination and it is expected that a decision will be made shortly. The person concerned will be notified of the outcome in due course.
68.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when free electricity will be approved for a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
An application for a free electricity allowance from the person concerned was approved on 8 October 1985. The ESB have confirmed that the allowance is applying to her account from the October-November 1985 billing period onwards.
69.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when payment of unemployment assistance will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of unemployment assistance at £57.75 weekly, being the appropriate rate in his case of £76.95, less means of £19.20. His means are derived from self-employment. He appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and an appeals officer, following an oral hearing, also assessed his means at £19.20 weekly. Weekly payments of £57.75 will continue to be made as they become due.
70.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the current position regarding the payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
Following an oral hearing of his appeal the person concerned was assessed, with effect from 22 May 1985 with nil means by an appeals officer. He is, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance at the maximum weekly rate of £94.15. All arrears due will be paid this week and weekly payments of £94.15 will continue to be made as they become due.
71.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to pay arrears of a children's allowance for the period from January 1985 to June 1985 to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
Payment for the period January 1985 to April 1985 amounting to £48.20, is in the course of issue to the person concerned. A payable order for £24.10 in respect of May 1985 and June 1985 was issued to her on 14 November 1985.
72.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider the application of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath who wishes to be transferred from disability payments to an invalidity pension.
Invalidity pension is payable to insured persons who satisfy the contribution conditions and who are permanently incapable of work. To determine his entitlement to invalidity pension the person concerned was examined on 19 November 1985 by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was not permanently incapable of work and requested that he be referred for a further examination in May 1986. He is not therefore qualified for the receipt of invalidity pension.