asked the Minister for Social Welfare if disability benefit payments will be reinstated for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and when an appeal hearing will be arranged in this regard.
Written Answers - Social Welfare Benefits.
116.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit to 3 October 1987 after which date payment was disallowed following an examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work.
She appealed against the disallowance on 8 January 1988 and arrangements have been made to have her examined by a different medical referee as soon as possible. Her entitlement to benefit will then be reviewed in the light of the medical referee's report.
117.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be considered for an invalidity pension; and if so, when.
Invalidity pension is payable to insured persons who satisfy the contribution conditions and who are permanently incapable of work.
Arrangements are being made to have the person concerned examined by a medical referee. His entitlement to invalidity pension will be reviewed in the light of the report of this examination.
118.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state when arrears of invalidity pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Louth.
The person concerned has been in receipt of invalidity pension since 22 October 1981.
Arrears of pension due to the person concerned in respect of his wife as adult dependant and full child dependant allowances in respect of his four qualified children for the period from 10 December 1987 to 13 January 1988 were issued on 8 February 1988.
119.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will outline in detail the position of widows in respect of social welfare eligibility and of other Government services which depend on social welfare eligibility; if it is his intention that employers will continue to pay full contributions for widows; if so, if he will consider reinstating the half-rate disability benefit for widows; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The main social welfare payments for widows are: (i) widow's contributory pension, entitlement to which is subject to certain contribution conditions, which may be satisfied on the deceased husband's or on the widow's own insurance, and (ii) widow's non-contributory pension, entitlement to which is subject to a means test.
A widow pensioner may also be entitled to an allowance under the free fuel scheme or, if over 66 years of age, to free electricity allowance, free television licence, free telephone rental and free travel, subject to the conditions for entitlement under these schemes.
Where the deceased husband was, immediately before his death, in receipt of a social welfare payment which included an increase in respect of his wife, the payment continues to be made to the widow for up to six weeks after his death. Any widow's pension, when it comes into payment, is offset against this.
Where the widow would, at the date of her husband's death, have been entitled to treatment benefits under the social insurance system as his dependant, she retains that entitlement for as long as he would have remained qualified.
Entitlement to widow's contributory pension under the social insurance system is not affected by any other income or earnings which the widow may have. Where the widow is herself working and insured under the system she is not required to pay the employee's share of the PRSI contribution but she can establish an entitlement to benefits and pensions under the system. However, as a general rule she would not qualify for social insurance weekly payments for as long as she is in receipt of widow's pension. The exception to this is that where she becomes unemployed she can qualify for half-rate unemployment benefit in addition to her pension. From 1 January 1988 new widow pensioners are no longer entitled to half rate disability benefit in addition to their pension.
Eligibility for a social welfare widows pension does not confer automatic entitlement to services operated by other Government Departments, which are subject to separate rules and conditions of eligibility.
There are no proposals to alter the rate of contribution payable by an employer in respect of a widow employee or to restore entitlement to half rate disability benefit in the case of widow pension recipients who commenced claiming disability benefit on or after 1 January 1988.