(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an invalidity pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
131.
Invalidity pension has been awarded from 27 February 1986. A pension book payable from 1 May 1986 will be issued to the designated post office of payment. Arrears in respect of the period from 27 February 1986 to 30 April 1986, less the amount of disability benefit paid during that period, will be paid by payable order.
132.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason payment of unemployment assistance is not being made to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and when payment will be restored.
Following reinvestigation, the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that his means exceeded the statutory limit. He appealed against the disallowance and an oral hearing of his case was arranged for last week. The person concerned will be informed of the outcome of the appeal and of the decision on his entitlement to unemployment assistance as quickly as possible.
133.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made with regard to an application for a contributory old age pension from a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
There is no record of receipt of a claim for contributory old age pension from the person concerned. A pension claim form has been sent to him and his entitlement will be determined when the completed form is returned to the Department.
134.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made in respect of an appeal from a person (details supplied) in County Limerick where payment of disability benefit was discontinued.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit to 15 March 1986, after which date payment was disallowed following an examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He appealed against the disallowance and arrangements have been made to have him examined by a different medical referee on 29 April 1986. His entitlement to benefit will then be reviewed in the light of the medical referee's report.
135.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 26 February 1986. He was not entitled to benefit at the commencement of his claim as according to the available records he had less than the minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited in 1984-85, the contribution year governing his claim.
Following inquiries, it was established that he had sufficient contributions paid and credited in that year to qualify for benefit at the maximum rate appropriate to a single man. All benefit payable to 8 April 1986, the date of the latest medical certificate received has been issued to him, less £180 which was refunded to the Mid-Western Health Board in respect of supplementary welfare allowance advanced.
136.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made in respect of the payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
Following a review, an earlier unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned 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. He appealed against the disallowance but an appeals officer also decided that he had failed to furnish particulars of his means.
The person concerned again claimed unemployment assistance in October 1985 and his papers were referred to a social welfare officer for reinvestigation of his means. The inquiries, which were necessarily protracted, were completed recently and arrangements are being made to submit the papers to a deciding officer for assessment of means. The person concerned will be informed of the means assessment and of his entitlement to unemployment assistance as quickly as possible. The delay in this case is regretted.
137.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance has not been granted to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly who has no income, is single and is 23 years of age.
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 his case has been submitted to an appeals officer for determination at the earliest available opportunity. The person concerned will be informed of the appeals officers decision as quickly as possible.
138.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she is aware that benefit has been withdrawn from a person (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will have the matter investigated as a matter of urgency in view of the circumstances.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance until 26 November 1985 when a doubt arose as to whether he continued to satisfy the condition of being unemployed. He was interviewed by a social welfare officer who requested him to produce a form P45 or a statement confirming the exact period of employment with a certain employer and whether this employment had ceased. To date he has failed to produce either of these documents. When he produces this information his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed.
139.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance has been reduced on two occasions in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow; how the applicant's means were assessed; and if she will arrange to have his case further investigated as soon as possible with a view to having the full rate of unemployment assistance paid to him as he has no means whatsoever.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment benefit until 28 December 1985, when he had drawn the maximum entitlement of 390 days benefit. He then claimed unemployment assistance and, pending a fresh investigation of his means, his claim was put into payment immediately as he held a qualification certificate, with recorded means of £15.35 weekly, issued to him in connection with a previous claim. He was, accordingly, in receipt of unemployment assistance of £18.45 weekly, being the appropriate maximum rate payable in his case of £33.80, less means of £15.35.
On completion of the investigation by the social welfare officer, the means of the person concerned were assessed at £28 weekly, derived from the value of board and lodging on his brother's holding. The method of calculation of the value of board and lodging, where the household income is derived from farming, is to estimate the yearly profit from the farm and to divide that amount between the members of the household, including the applicant, on a weighted basis. The profit from the farm in this case was estimated at £5,100 per annum and the person concerned was deemed to enjoy two-sevenths of that income, that is £1,457 per annum, or £28 weekly. He is, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance at £5.80 weekly, being the appropriate maximum rate payable in his case of £33.80, less means of £28. The person concerned appealed against the means assessment on 9 April 1986 and arrangements are being made to refer his papers to an appeals officer for determination, at the earliest available opportunity.
140.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if her inquiries have yet been completed in connection with the appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny against her decision to refuse to grant unemployment assistance.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that his means, derived from the profit from his holding, exceeded the statutory limit. He appealed against the disallowance and arising from contentions made in support of his appeal the papers were returned to the social welfare officer for further inquiries.
These inquiries were completed recently and his case has been submitted to an appeals officer for determination at the earliest available opportunity. The person concerned will be informed of the outcome of his appeal as quickly as possible.
141.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if any decision has yet been made on the appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny against her decision to refuse unemployment benefit.
An oral hearing of the unemployment benefit appeal of the person concerned has been arranged for 23 April 1986. He will be informed of the outcome of the appeal and of the decision on his entitlement to unemployment benefit as quickly as possible after that date.
142.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the long delay in processing the application by a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny for unemployment assistance.
Entitlement to unemployment assistance is dependent on a claimant being the holder of a qualification certificate and to obtain a qualification certificate a claimant must satisfy certain conditions including an assessment of means. The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance on 4 February 1986 and his papers were referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of means. These inquiries which are protracted, will be completed as soon as possible, and the papers will then be submitted to a deciding officer for assessment of means. The person concerned will be informed of the decision on his entitlement to unemployment assistance as quickly as possible.
143.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange a transfer from disability benefit to an invalidity pension for a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.
A form on which to claim invalidity pension has been forwarded to the person concerned and on its return, duly completed, the claim will be dealt with without delay.
144.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny has been refused dental benefit when he had 31 contributions for the financial year 1984-85.
A claim to dental benefit was received from the person concerned on 8 January 1986. One of the statutory contribution conditions for receipt of dental benefit requires the claimant to have had not less than 26 reckonable contributions paid or credited in the governing contribution year. The governing contribution year for claims made in 1986 is the 1984-85 year from 6 April 1984 to 5 April 1985.
According to the available records no employment contributions had been received and only 19 contributions had been credited in respect of that period. On 21 January 1986 he was informed of the position and asked to submit details of any employment in the relevant period.
On 17 February 1986 he informed the Department that he had been insurably employed for 31 weeks during the relevant period and had asked his employers to forward the necessary details. This information has not been received to date and the matter is being investigated. His correct insurance record has now been established however following examination of an income tax form P45 held in the local employment office in connection with his claim to unemployment benefit. His claim to dental benefit has now been approved and both he and his dentist notified accordingly.
145.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if persons in contribution class D can arrange for voluntary cover for unemployment benefit.
The pay-related social insurance class D rate of contribution provides cover for widow's and orphan's (contributory) pension, deserted wife's benefit and occupational injuries benefit only. A person whose last insurable employment was at the class D rate of contribution and who satisfies the conditions for becoming a voluntary contributor is covered by voluntary contributions for widow's and orphan's (contributory) pension and deserted wife's benefit only.
There is no provision under existing legislation whereby voluntary contributors can provide themselves with cover for unemployment benefit.
146.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the refusal of a contributory old age pension to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick in view of his entitlement in respect of employment contributions in Ireland and Britain; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned submitted a claim for contributory old age pension on 4 June 1984. He reached old age pension age of 66 years on 9 May 1974.
One of the qualifying conditions for receipt of this pension requires a person to have a yearly average of at least 20 reckonable contributions over the period from the beginning of the 1953 contribution year or from his year of entry into insurance, whichever is the later, to the end of the last complete contribution year before reaching pension age. The Department's records showed that the person concerned has no record of insurance in the relevant period which, in his case, is from 5 January 1953 to 31 December 1973. Neither does he have an entitlement to a pro-rata pension under EC regulations as this could only be based on the number of Irish contributions in proportion to the combined British and Irish total, subject to his having a combined yearly average of at least 20 in the relevant period.
He is in receipt of a non-contributory old age pension at the rate of £15.10 per week, and is also in receipt of a British retirement pension.