asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an invalidity pension will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who submitted his application prior to Christmas.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
68.
The person concerned has been awarded invalidity pension from the 17 December 1987. A pension order book payable from 18 February 1988 was issued to the designated post office of payment on the 28 January 1988. Arrears in respect of the period from the 17 December 1987 to the 17 February 1988, less the amount of disability benefit paid during that period, will be paid by payable order.
69.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit, on appeal, was disallowed to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny in respect of the period 31 July 1987 to 30 November 1987; and if he will arrange to have his claim re-examined further with a view to having disability benefit paid to this person for the above period.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 23 October 1984 and payment was issued to 30 July 1987.
Payment was disallowed from 31 July 1987, following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work.
He appealed against the disallowance and was examined by a different medical referee who also expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. His case was then referred to an appeals officer who upheld the decision to disallow payment of disability benefit from 31 July 1987 to 30 November 1987, the date of the latest medical certificate before him. The decision of the appeals officer is final and can only be altered in the light of new facts or fresh evidence.
70.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in Walkinstown, Dublin 12 in the Dublin Corporation local authority area, is classified as rural and is therefore paid a lower rate of unemployment assistance as he has no other income and lives alone.
The rate of unemployment assistance payable to claimants residing in urban areas is higher than that which is payable to those residing in other areas.
Urban areas for unemployment assistance purposes are defined as every county borough, the borough of Dun Laoghaire and every urban district the population of which exceeds 7,000. The urban rate is also payable to a claimant who resides outside an urban area in a house owned by the corporation or council of an urban area.
The person concerned resides in Walkinstown within the Dublin County Council area and in accordance with the legislative provisions this area is regarded as non-urban for unemployment assistance purposes. Under the Local Government (Reorganisation) Act, 1985, parts of Walkinstown were incorporated into the County Borough of Dublin but the particular district in which the person concerned resides remained within the county council area. Therefore, he is entitled to the lower rate of payment. The rate payable in his case is £35.50 weekly, being the maximum long term non-urban rate of £36.60 appropriate to a single person less means of £1.10 derived from capital. He is also in receipt of a fuel allowance of £5 weekly under the national fuel scheme.
71.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will have the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 who has had eight operations at different stages and who is again unwell, re-examined and disability benefit restored to her, and given the circumstances in this case, the reason her disability benefit was discontinued from June, 1987 to date as she has been very ill during that time.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 31 January 1987 and payment was issued to 24 June 1987.
Payment was discontinued from 25 June 1987 following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work.
She appealed against the disallowance and was examined by a different medical referee who also expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. Her case was then referred to an appeals officer who upheld the decision to disallow payment of benefit.
The decision of the appeals officer is final and can only be altered in the light of new facts or fresh evidence.