asked the Minister for Social Welfare the total amount of supplementary welfare allowance paid out to persons awaiting benefit or assistance from her Department and other State agencies; the percentage this amount represented of the total supplementary welfare allowance paid out in each health board area.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
319.
Precise statistics are not maintained of amounts of supplementary welfare allowance paid to persons awaiting payment of benefit or assistance from my Department or other State agencies but estimates of amounts paid to persons awaiting social welfare payments are made from sample returns received from the health boards. There is no information as to the sums (if any) paid to persons awaiting payments from other State agencies.
On this basis the information requested, in relation to the year 1985, is as follows:
|
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
|
Health Board |
Estimated amount of supplementary welfare allowance paid in 1985 to persons awaiting social welfare payments. |
Col (2) as a percentage of total expenditure on supplementary welfare allowance (excluding fuel scheme) |
|
£ |
||
|
Eastern |
6,658,000 |
42% |
|
Midland |
602,000 |
53% |
|
Mid-Western |
1,099,000 |
61% |
|
North-Eastern |
1,242,000 |
57% |
|
North-Western |
1,086,000 |
54% |
|
South-Eastern |
1,575,000 |
46% |
|
Southern |
2,021,000 |
50% |
|
Western |
1,040,000 |
40% |
|
Total |
15,323,000 |
40% |
There are arrangements whereby amounts paid by health boards in the circumstances mentioned are reimbursed on request out of the social welfare payments when the latter payments become due to the persons concerned.
320.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if the retirement pension EC section of her Department at D'Olier House, Dublin, has received from the overseas branch of the Department of Health and Social Security, England details of contributions of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick who has been refused a contributory old age pension by her Department; and if in the light of this knowledge he will now be paid an Irish old age pension based on his contributions in Ireland from 1930 to 1953 and his UK social welfare contributions thereafter as provided for under EC legislation together with appropriate retrospective adjustment.
The person concerned submitted a claim for contributory old age pension on 4 June 1984. A second claim for the pension was received from him on 10 April 1986.
One of the qualifying conditions for receipt of a contributory old age pension under the Social Welfare Acts 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 show that the person concerned does not satisfy this condition as he has no record of Irish insurance in the relevant period which, in his case, is from 5 January 1953 to 31 December 1973.
Under EC Regulations on Social Security a person who has also been employed in another member state may have his insurance record in that member state combined with his Irish record during the relevant period if this would enable him to satisfy the foregoing condition. In such circumstances he would qualify for a pro rata pension based on the number of his Irish contributions in proportion to the combined total. However, in order to qualify for a pro rata pension from the Department a person must have some record of Irish contributions from 1953. The Department has the British record of the person concerned but since he has no Irish contributions recorded in respect of him since 1953 he does not qualify for a pro rata pension.
He is in receipt of a non-contributory old age pension at the rate of £11.75 per week from the Department and is also in receipt of a British retirement pension.
321.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry is awaiting one year's arrears of his pension.
It was decided by a deciding officer on 15 August 1984 that the person concerned is entitled to an old age pension at the weekly rate of £24.50 which includes a living alone allowance of £3.20, from 10 August 1984 (the date of his 66th birthday). This is the rate to which he is entitled having regard to the assessment of his means consisting of the weekly value of a holding and capital.
The appropriate pension books payable from 10 August 1984 were issued to Ventry Post Office on 16 July 1984 and payment of all pension due since then has been by means of pension books issued to that office. The current rate of pension payable is £29.30. There is no record of any arrears of pension being due in this case.
322.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will have disability payments reinstated in view of the fact he is still incapable of work; and when another medical examination will be arranged in this regard.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit to 5 September 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 has appealed against the disallawance and arrangements have been made to have him examined by a different medical referee on 7 November 1986. His entitlement to benefit will then be reviewed in the light of the medical referee's report.
323.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be awarded unemployment assistance payments in view of his very low subsistence income.
Following investigation of his unemployment assistance claim the means of the person concerned were assessed at £50.50 weekly, derived from the profit from his holding and from the value of capital. His means, accordingly, exceeded the maximum rate of unemployment assistance payable in his case and his claim was disallowed. He appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and an appeals officer on 14 October 1986 reduced his assessment to £29.55 weekly.
He is, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance of £3.45 weekly being the appropriate maximum rate payable in his case of £33 less means of £29.55. All arrears due to the person concerned are being paid this week, and weekly payments of £3.45 will continue to be made as they become due.
324.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Meath who has been signing since May 1986.
When the person concerned had drawn his maximum entitlement to unemployment benefit he claimed unemployment assistance from 28 May 1986. Following investigation of his claim he was assessed with means of £12.95 weekly derived from the value of board and lodging on his parents' holding.
He is, accordingly, in receipt of unemployment assistance of £22.55 weekly, being the appropriate maximum rate payable in his case of £33.50 less means of £12.95. All arrears due to the person concerned were paid last week and weekly payments of £22.55 will continue to be made as they become due.
325.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will expedite an early and favourable decision on the unemployment assistance appeal of a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
Following investigation of the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned, he was recently assessed with means of £46.15 weekly from 10 August 1986, derived from profit from his holding. This assessment entitles him to unemployment assistance at £40.60 weekly from 10 April 1986, being the appropriate maximum weekly rate payable in his case of £86.75 less means of £46.15. Arrangements are being made to have payment made in the coming week.