asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange for the payment of a high rate of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Galway from August 1985.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
46.
Following reinvestigation of his unemployment assistance claim in September 1984 the means of the person concerned were assessed at £13.75 weekly, derived from fishing. He is, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance at £63.20 weekly being the appropriate maximum rate payable in his case of £76.95 less means of £13.75.
The person concerned has been in continuous receipt of unemployment assistance since 1984 and has not to date requested a review of his means. If he considers that his means have changed since the last investigation, it is open to him to apply to have them reviewed. A form for this purpose may be obtained at his local employment office. Further weekly payments of £63.20 will continue to be made as they became due.
47.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of unemployment assistance to persons in the Loughconeera, Kilkerrin, Carna areas of County Galway in recent weeks; and if she will make arrangements to ensure that the payments are made regularly each Friday in future.
Applicants for unemployment assistance in the areas mentioned by the Deputy have their employment forms certified by the Garda on Tuesday of each week. The forms are sent to Galway employment exchange where payments are computed and payment dockets are issued to the applicants to reach them by Friday to enable payments to be made to them at the local post office. Inquiries so far have failed to reveal any complaints having been received recently by this Department from unemployment assistance recipients in the areas mentioned concerning delayed weekly payments. However if the Deputy supplies the names and addresss of claimants who are encountering delays, their complaints will be investigated.
48.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange for the immediate payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Entitlement to unemployment assistance is dependent on an applicant being the holder of a qualification certificate and to obtain a qualification certificate an applicant must satisfy certain conditions, including an assessment of means.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment benefit until 28 January 1986. Due to the volume of persons applying for various means tested social welfare services, there is an inevitable lengthening of the time taken by social welfare officers investigating cases. To avoid the possibility of delay in this case, the person concerned was issued with the appropriate form, to enable him to apply for a qualification certificate, on 10 October 1985 but he did not return it until 27 November 1985, when reminded to do so.
The case was then referred to the social welfare officer for investigation. It is anticipated that the inquiries will be completed shortly and arrangements will then be made to refer the case to a deciding officer for assessment of means. The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment assistance will be determined in the light of the means assessed against him.
49.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange for an oral hearing of the unemployment assistance claim lodged by a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Following investigation of his unemployment assistance claim in June 1984 the means of the person concerned were assessed at £48.05 weekly, derived from profit from his holding. He is, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance at £19 weekly being the appropriate maximum rate payable in his case of £67.05 less means of £48.05.
According to the Department's records the person concerned did not appeal against the means assessment or request a review of his means. If he wishes to have his means determined by an appeals officer it will first, in view of the lapse of time since the last assessment, be necessary for him to apply for a review of his means and a form for this purpose may be obtained at his local employment office. His means would then be reassessed and the rate of unemployment assistance payment reviewed accordingly.
It would then be open to him to appeal, if dissatisfied, against the revised means assessment, and he would be given an oral appeal hearing. Further weekly payments of £19 will continue to be made as they become due.
50.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she accepts that it is impossible for a 20 year old son of a farmer (details supplied) in County Galway who is living on the family farm to receive an income from that farm in view of the fact that it is not capable of providing an adequate income for his mother and father; if she will specify the means assessed against his father; and if she will indicate how she expects him to be able to provide an income for his son from those means.
In accordance with the provisions of the legislation governing the unemployment assistance scheme the value of any benefit or privilege derived by an applicant from any source must be taken into account in the assessment of means. It is, accordingly, necessary to establish the benefit to an applicant of any board and lodging which he enjoys.
Following investigation of the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned he was assessed with means of £26.90 weekly, derived from the benefit of board and lodging on his parents holding.
The net yearly value of his parents holding was calculated at £7,000 and, on a weighted basis, the person concerned was deemed to enjoy board and lodging calculated at £1,400 yearly or £26.90 weekly.
He appealed against the means assessment and an appeals officer also assessed him with means of £26.90 weekly. Accordingly, he was in receipt of unemployment assistance of £3.05 weekly, being the then appropriate maximum weekly rate of £29.95 less means of £26.90. The person concerned ceased signing at his local employment office on 28 May 1985.
51.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the outcome of an appeal against the decision to cancel his unemployment assistance made by a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Following a review, the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed 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 appealed against the disallowance and the papers were returned to the social welfare officer, to afford him a further opportunity to co-operate in the disclosure of his means.
These inquiries have recently been completed and the case has been submitted to the appeals officer for determination, at the earliest available opportunity. The applicant's entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
52.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange to pay unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
A person who has exhausted her entitlement to unemployment benefit cannot requalify for benefit until she has a further 13 weeks of employment which is insurable at a contribution class which provides cover against unemployment. Any weeks of appropriate insurable employment after 156 days of benefit have been drawn are counted for this purpose.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment benefit up to 16 October 1985 when she had exhausted her entitlement to 312 days benefit. According to the Department's records she has had no insurable employment after the 156th day of her unemployment benefit claim.
53.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a decision has been reached on the appeal of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly who is only in receipt of £20.40 per week unemployment assistance and lodged the appeal in December 1985.
Following investigation of his unemployment assistance claim, the means of the person concerned were assessed at £13.40 weekly, derived from the value of board and lodgings enjoyed by him. He is, accordingly, in receipt of unemployment assistance at £20.40 weekly, being the maximum rate payable in his case of £33.80 less means of £13.40.
He applied for a review of his means and the case was returned to the social welfare officer for reinvestigation. When the inquiries, which will be completed as soon as possible, are completed, his means will be reassessed and the rate of unemployment assistance payable will be reviewed accordingly. Further weekly payments of £20.40 will continue to be made as they become due.