asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made on an appeal for unemployment assistance payments made by a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
163.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed from 20 February 1985 on the grounds that his means, derived from the profit from his holding and from the value of capital, exceeded the statutory limit in his case.
He appealed against the means assessed against him but an appeals officer on 24 January 1986 also assessed his means at £67.10, which exceed the statutory limit. Notification of the appeals officer's decision has issued to the person concerned.
164.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has considered any proposals to extend free telephone rental to persons living on off-shore islands; and if he will comment on the matter.
The free telephone rental allowance scheme applies to people residing on off-shore islands on the same basis as it applies to mainland residents. There are no proposals to extend the scheme to additional categories of persons residing on off-shore islands.
165.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason application for telephone rental has been refused to a person (details supplied) in County Galway who is an old age pensioner and whose wife has reached old age pension age since 6 January; and if he will have this decision reconsidered.
To qualify for a free telephone rental allowance, a person in receipt of a qualifying payment must be living alone or only with children under 15 years of age or other persons who are so permanently incapacitated as to be unable to summon aid in an emergency.
The application from the person concerned was rejected as his wife, with whom he resides, is not from the information furnished, permanently incapacitated as required by the scheme.
His wife is now in receipt of a qualifying payment. In order that the case be reviewed he has been asked to supply comprehensive medical evidence in respect of either himself or his wife. On receipt of the required medical evidence in the Department an early decision will be given in the case and he will be notified of the outcome.
166.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he accepts that it is now taking approximately four months for a claim for unemployment assistance to be considered in County Galway; and if he will make immediate provision for the employment of extra social welfare officers in the county to improve on the length of time required for a claim for unemployment assistant to be considered.
While most new unemployment assistance claims in County Galway are normally dealt with in two to three months, it is accepted that in some cases delays of four months or more can occur.
These delays stem largely from the continuing rise in numbers claiming unemployment assistance combined with the need for individual investigation of cases by a social welfare officer. In addition many of the unemployment assistance applications made in the county are from smallholders and these cases are generally more difficult to investigate and take more time to process than the general run of unemployment assistance applications because of the necessity to obtain detailed information on the income and expenditure of holdings. The social welfare officer staffing position in County Galway is at present under review with the objective of reducing delays in the investigation of claims.
167.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give details of income assessed against two brothers (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make immediate arrangements for the full payment of unemployment assistance to these brothers as their father is a small farmer on 60 acres of land, 35 acres of which is incapable of agricultural production and is unable to provide for two teenage sons who are unable to find employment.
Following investigation of the unemployment assistance claims of the persons concerned they were both assessed with means of £29.10 weekly derived from the value of board and lodging on their father's holding. They appealed against this decision and an appeals officer on 23 January 1986 also assessed their means at £29.10 weekly. They are accordingly in receipt of unemployment assistance of £2.65 weekly being the appropriate maximum weekly rate payable of £31.75, less means of £29.10.
168.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give details of arrears paid in unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo.
The person concerned reapplied for unemployment assistance on 19 July 1985. Following investigation of his case by a social welfare officer his means were assessed at £55 weekly, derived from profit from his holding and from the value of capital. He is, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance at £12.05 less means of £55. All arrears due covering the period concerned and amounting to £330.39 were paid on 21 January 1986 and weekly payments will continue to be made as they become due.
169.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when all outstanding payment due to a person (details supplied) in County Louth in respect of disability benefit will be paid.
Payment of disability benefit to the person concerned was disallowed from 3 January 1985. He appealed against this decision and the appeals officer decided that he was capable of work during the period from 3 January to 24 September 1985 and was not entitled to disability benefit in respect of that period. The appeals officer's decision is final and may only be altered in the light of new facts of fresh evidence. He has continued to submit medical evidence of incapacity and arrangements are being made to have him examined by a medical referee at an early date. His further entitlement to disability benefit will be reviewed in the light of the medical referee's report. The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 10 December 1985.
170.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the inordinate delay in providing payment of unemployment assistance in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary who transferred his interest in his business to this son, as evidenced by letter to his Department from his solicitors; if he will have the case re-investigated as one of the immediate urgency having regard to the fact that the applicant has an excellent history of insurable employment, which should qualify him for unemployment benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned exhausted his entitlement to 390 days unemployment benefit on 18 January 1985. A person who has exhausted entitlement to unemployment benefit cannot requalify for benefit until he has a further 13 weeks of employment which is insurable at a contribution class which provides cover against unemployment.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that his means exceeded the statutory limit in his case. He appealed against the decision but an appeals officer also decided that his means exceeded the statutory limit.
He then reapplied for unemployment assistance and his claim was disallowed on the grounds that by failing to furnish particulars of his means, he failed to show that his means did not exceed the statutory limit in his case. He appealed against the disallowance and arising from contentions made by him in support of his appeal, the case was returned to the social welfare officer for further inquiries. The inquiries, which were extensive, have recently been completed and his case has been submitted to an appeals officer for determination at the earliest available opportunity. The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
171.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in approving free electricity for a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
An application for a free electricity allowance from the person concerned was rejected in April 1985 as his nephew with whom he resides did not at that time come within the excepted categories for satisfying the living alone condition of the scheme. A second application, indicating that the circumstances had changed, was received in October 1985. Further inquiries were necessary before a decision could be given on this application. These have now been completed and the ESB have been instructed to apply the allowance to his electricity account from the November-December 1985 billing period onwards.