asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance payments will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and the rate.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
78.
Following investigation of the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned he was assessed with nil means with effect from 3 January 1986. He is, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance at the maximum rate of £31.75 weekly for the period of his claim from 3 January 1986 to 20 March 1986. He ceased to sign the unemployed register after 20 March 1986. The local office has notified the person concerned to make arrangements with him to collect the arrears of unemployment assistance due.
79.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive her unemployment benefit.
A claimant who has drawn the maximum entitlement of 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. Weeks of insurable employment after 156 days of benefit have been drawn are counted for this purpose. The person concerned, who is a married woman, had drawn her maximum entitlement of 312 days benefit on 5 March 1986. According to the Department's records, she had no insurable employment since drawing 156 days of benefit and, therefore, she did not requalify for payment of benefit from 6 March 1986.
However, she does qualify for payment of benefit on her claim of 23 May 1986 in accordance with transitional arrangements made in conjunction with the implementation of the equality provisions from 15 May 1986 under the Social Welfare Act, 1986, which increased the maximum duration of unemployment benefit payable to married women from 312 to 390 days. Under the transitional arrangements, a claimant who had drawn 312 days benefit in the three month period from 14 February 1986 to 14 May 1986 is entitled to payment of benefit from 15 May 1986 to the date on which she would normally have completed 390 days on her claim, provided she continued to prove unemployment. The person concerned ceased to sign the unemployed register on 11 March 1986 but made a further claim from 23 May 1986. Under the transitional arrangements, she qualifies for payment of unemployment benefit from 23 May 1986 to 15 August 1986, provided she continues to prove unemployment, when she will have completed 390 days on her claim. Also in accordance with the equality provisions her weekly flat rate benefit entitlement has been increased to £39.50. All arrears due from 23 May 1986 will be paid to her this week.
Further combined weekly payments of flat rate unemployment benefit and pay-related benefit of £39.50 and £18.64 respectively will continue to be made to her as they become due.
80.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 has had her social welfare discontinued.
Entitlement to unemployment assistance is dependent on a claimant being the holder of a qualification certificate and to obtain a qualification certificate a person must satisfy certain conditions including an assessment of means. As the means of a claimant can change, the assessment of means is subject to periodic review.
The person concerned has been in receipt of unemployment assistance since 1983 and is being paid on the basis of a qualification certificate showing nil means. Her current weekly rate of unemployment assistance is £34.95, that is the appropriate maximum long duration rate payable to a single claimant in an urban area. Her case was referred to a social welfare officer recently in order to review her means. When the social welfare officer called on her to investigate the case on 9 June 1986 she failed to furnish particulars of her means. Normally in such circumstances a claimant would be disallowed on the grounds that the claimant, by failing to furnish particulars of means, failed to show that the means did not exceed the relevant statutory limit. However, as the claimant in this case was still grieved following a recent bereavement in the family the officer informed her that he would call back at a later date to investigate the means.
When the person concerned called to the local office on 11 June 1986 to sign the unemployed register she refused to accept her weekly payment of £34.95. However, when she returned on 18 June 1986 she did collect her current weekly payment together with the payment normally payable on 11 June 1986.
When the social welfare officer completes his report following his next visit to the claimant the case will be submitted to a deciding officer for assessment means. Her entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of that assessment. In the meantime, weekly payments of £34.95 will continue to be made as they become due.