asked the Minister for Social Welfare (a) the reason special pension arrangements do not apply to widowers; and (b) the special arrangement which is made for unemployed widowers who are unable to seek paid employment due to family commitments.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
46.
Survivors' pensions are payable to widowers under the social insurance system in limited circumstances, where a woman in receipt of a contributory old age or retirement pension, which included an increase for her husband, dies. In that situation the widower is entitled to survivor's benefit at the same rate as the contributory widow's pension, provided he is incapable of self-support by reason of infirmity.
A widower's pension is also payable under the occupational injuries benefit scheme where an insured woman dies as a result of an occupational accident or disease leaving a dependent widower who is incapable of self-support by reason of infirmity.
Widowers who are unemployed may qualify for unemployment benefit or assistance under the usual conditions. Widowers with dependent children who are in receipt of unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance can receive a "housekeeper" allowance in the form of an increase in payment in respect of a person who has care of the children.
The provision of pensions to widowers generally on the same lines as the existing schemes for widows would have very significant financial and other implications. This matter will be reviewed however in the context of the examination of the whole area of financial support for single parent families generally in the light of the recommendations made by the Commission on Social Welfare.
47.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange an immediate review of the case of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath who has been refused benefits on the basis that she was not available for work and yet has proof that she was fully available at that time.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a claimant must be available for and genuinely seeking work.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 22 August 1986 and her claim was allowed at the appropriate rate. She received weekly payments of unemployment benefit until 17 September 1986 when her claim was reviewed to establish whether she continued to satisfy the condition of genuinely seeking work.
Following the review, her claim was disallowed from 18 September 1986 on the grounds that she was not genuinely seeking work. There was no evidence to show that she was making any attempt to find a job.
She appealed against the disallowance and at an oral hearing on 10 November 1986 she was given the opportunity to present her case. The appeals officer also disallowed her claim. She last signed the unemployed register on 13 November 1986.
48.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the recent non-payment of one week's benefit and arrears to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 13 September 1985 and is currently being paid at the weekly personal rate of £41.10 plus an increase of £4.70 per week in respect of one child dependant.
The records of the Department show that payment appears to have been issued at regular weekly intervals on receipt of medical evidence and all benefit payable has been issued to 21 November 1986, the date of the latest medical certificate received.
A list of the last six cheques issued has been forwarded to the person so that she may indicate which cheque, if any, she has not received.
49.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for non-receipt of disability payments for the past two weeks for a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 11 August 1986. She is currently being paid at the weekly personal rate of £41.10. The records of the Department show that payment appears to have been issued at regular weekly intervals on receipt of medical evidence and all benefit payable has been issued to 17 November 1986 the date of the latest medical certificate received.
Details of the cheques issued in respect of November have been forwarded to the person concerned so that she may indicate which cheques, if any, she has not received.
50.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the assistance which can be given to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1 whose income has been reduced by £26.55 per week as a result of the new EC directive.
Resulting from the implementation of the second phase of the EC directive on equal treatment for men and women in social welfare matters, the person concerned is in receipt of unemployment assistance of £36.60 weekly. This rate includes the special transitional payment of £10 which was awarded to alleviate the loss of an increase in respect of his wife who is receiving disability benefit in her own right at the weekly rate of £41.10. This rate was increased almost £5 a week under phase one of equal treatment.
In accordance with the recent Government decision to provide additional relief in cases such as this, the person concerned will now qualify for a further transitional payment of £10 with effect from 19 November 1986, thus increasing his weekly rate to £46.60. Arrangements have been made to have all arrears due paid to him within the next week.