asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be paid arrears of unemployment benefit in view of the fact that she acted upon prior advice of the employment exchange for a particular week's signing.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
142.
The person concerned has been claiming unemployment benefit since 4 June 1985 and she is required to attend at her local employment office on Friday on each week to sign the unemployed register as evidence of being unemployed.
When she attended the local office on 18 April 1986, she indicated that she would be unable to sign the register on the following Friday, 25 April 1986, because she would be attending a wedding on that day. She was given a form to complete to enable her to nominate a person of her choice to collect unemployment benefit in respect of the period 17 April 1986 to 23 April 1986, which would normally be paid to her on 25 April 1986. The person nominated duly collected the payment due on 25 April 1986.
The person concerned next attended personally at her local office on 2 May 1986, but as she did not prove unemployment, by signing the unemployed register, for Friday, 25 April 1986, her unemployment benefit entitlement for the period 24 April 1986 to 30 April 1986 was reduced by one day for that week.
In view of the circumstances, her case has since been reviewed and payment in respect of 25 April 1986 will be made to her this week.
143.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in payment of unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Galway who has been signing on for benefit since 1 November 1985.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a claimant must have at least 26 contributions paid or credited in the contribution year governing the claim.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 26 November 1985. Inquiries had to be made to establish if her employment during the contribution period 6 April 1983 to 5 April 1984, which governed her claim, was appropriate to a contribution class which provides cover against unemployment.
The inquiries have now been completed and her claim has been allowed at £33.65 weekly, which is the appropriate rate applicable in her case. The weekly rate was increased to £38.05 from 15 May 1986 in line with the increase in rates payable to married women under the equal treatment provisions made operative by the Social Welfare Act, 1986. Arrears of benefit due will be paid to her this week and further weekly payments will be made as they become due. Her entitlement to pay-related benefit is being examined at present.
144.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance payable to a person (details supplied) in County Meath who is signing at Maynooth employment exchange, has been reduced from £67.35 to £60 per week, from 5 March 1985; and when a reassessment will be carried out.
Following investigation of his unemployment assistance claim, the means of the person concerned were assessed at £6.70 weekly with effect from 25 March 1985. His means are derived from self-employment. He was, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £56.25 on his claim from 25 March 1985 to 29 June 1985. This was the appropriate maximum rate payable in his case of £62.95, less means of £6.70. Following a general increase in the rates of unemployment assistance in July 1985, the person concerned was paid at the weekly rate of £60.35 in respect of claims from 23 August 1985 to 2 December 1985 and from 13 January 1986 to 3 April 1986. This was the appropriate maximum rate payable in his case of £67.05, less means of £6.70.
He appealed against the means assessment and an appeals officer also assessed his means at £6.70 weekly. Notification of the appeals officer's decision was sent to the local office for issue to the person concerned but it was mislaid in the post. However, he has now been notified of the decision.
He ceased to sign the unemployed register at his local office on 3 April 1986.
145.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the entitlements of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5 who, as an employee from 1943 to 1974 made full contributions to the then national insurance scheme and who ceased in 1974 on becoming self-employed, when that person reaches retirement age and beyond.
One of the qualifying conditions for receipt of a retirement pension under the Social Welfare Acts at age 65 requires a person to have a yearly average of at least 24 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. A yearly average of at least 20 reckonable contribution is required to qualify for an old age contributory pension at age 66.
The Department's records show the person concerned has a total of 1,072 reckonable contributions from 5 January 1953 to 31 December 1973. This is sufficient to qualify him for either pension at the current rate of £48.25 per week. An increase of £32.80 is payable in respect of an adult dependant under age 66, increasing to £38.35 when the dependant reaches age 66.
146.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she has determined the source of means at the rate of £10 attributed to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13 whose rate of unemployment assistance has been reduced accordingly; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Following reinvestigation of the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned in April 1985 he was assessed with means of £56.30 derived from self-employment.
He appealed against this decision and following an oral hearing of his appeal on 21 October, 1985 an appeals officer assessed him with means of £10 derived from self-employment as a karate instructor.
His case was again reviewed in March 1986 and a deciding officer again assessed him with means of £10 derived from self-employment. He appealed against this decision and on 21 April 1986 an appeals officer also assessed him with means of £10 weekly. He is, accordingly in receipt of unemployment assistance of £84.15 weekly, being the appropriate maximum rate payable in his case of £94.15, less means of £10.
147.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance from 12 February 1986 and his case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of his means.
Certain inquiries were necessary regarding details of his mother's holding before the case could be finalised. The social welfare officer is expected to complete his inquiries this week and his case will then be referred to a deciding officer for determination of means. The person concerned will then be informed of his unemployment assistance entitlement.
148.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the dates on which communications have been received by her Department on behalf of a person (details supplied) in County Galway who has not received her new old age pension book that was due on 1 April last, and if she will arrange to have the book issued immediately.
The late husband of the person concerned was in receipt of an old age contributory pension up to his death on 20 August 1983. The increase in his pension payable in respect of an adult dependant was paid separately to her.
When the husband's death was notified to the Department in 1983 she was asked to return the book issued in her name to enable a widow's contributory pension to be put into payment for her. As she did not return the book a widow's pension could not be awarded. However, the increase in respect of her as an adult dependant continued in payment to her up to the end of March 1986.
The matter has now been regularised. A letter was received from the local post office on 1 May 1986 saying that the person's pension book for April had not been received. A widow's contributory pension book containing orders payable from 16 May 1986 has since been issued to her and the full amount of arrears due will be issued to her as soon as possible.
149.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the inordinate delay in providing payment of unemployment benefit or assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary who has been signing on as unemployed for some 16 weeks without payment or explanation of any kind; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a person must have at least 26 contributions, paid or credited, in the contribution year governing the claim.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 24 February 1986. According to the Department's records, he had only a total of 25 contributions paid and credited during the contribution period 6 April 1984 to 5 April 1985, which governed his claim and, accordingly, his claim for unemployment benefit was disallowed.
He then applied for unemployment assistance and entitlement to unemployment assistance is dependent on an applicant being the holder of a qualification certificate and in order to obtain a qualification certificate a person must satisfy certain conditions including an assessment of means.
Although the social welfare officer called to the person concerned three times, he was not available for interview regarding his means. He was then advised to make himself available for interview and the inquiries were subsequently completed on 13 May 1986.
His means have been assessed at nil with effect from 24 February 1986. He is, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance at the appropriate maximum weekly rate payable in his case of £31.75. Weekly payments will commence this week.
He was in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance pending the outcome of his claim and when the amount advanced by the health board is confirmed this will be deducted from arrears of unemployment assistance due and any balance will be paid to the person concerned. Further payments of unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £31.75 will continue to be made as they become due.