asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a disability benefit payment has been terminated in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
50.
The person concerned was in receipt of disability benefit from 20 June 1988 and payment was issued to 10 November 1988. Payment was disallowed from 11 November 1988 following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work.
To date the person concerned has not appealed against the decision to disallow payment on her claim. If she wishes to appeal she should notify the Department in writing immediately and arrangements will be made for a further examination, following which her claim will be reviewed in the light of the medical referee's report.
51.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the method by which his Department are administering the national fuel scheme, that is, by issuing recipients with books of payable orders to the value of five each, which can only be cashed at the rate of one per week, is causing hardship to those concerned in that they have to wait until they have sufficient orders cashed in order to purchase their fuel; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The standardisation of the fuel schemes involved the setting up of a single national scheme with uniform criteria in place of the separate national and urban schemes which previously existed and the extension of fuel allowances for the first time in 1987 to 30,000 recipients of long-term unemployment assistance.
Payments to the 68,000 beneficiaries under the urban schemes were invariably made on a weekly basis along with their basic social welfare payment. Payments to the long-term unemployed in the 1987-88 heating season were also made weekly. Payments from the health boards under the previous national scheme were, for administrative reasons, generally made by cheque in two instalments over the course of the heating season.
There were no complaints about the payment of fuel allowances on a weekly basis where this applied under the previous arrangements. It is not acepted that the change to weekly payment for those persons who transfer from the previous national scheme represents any disadvantage. On the contrary, the new system ensures that qualified persons will in future receive their fuel allowance promptly at the start of the heating season and regularly each week during the season along with their basic payment, thus enabling them to gear their expenditure to this pattern of payments.
52.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who is permanently incapacitated 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.
53.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability/sick benefit has been terminated in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who has not yet been cleared fit for work by a specialist; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit to 3 October 1988 after which date payment was disallowed following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He appealed against the disallowance of benefit and was examined by a different medical referee on 20 October 1988 who also expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He has now returned the formal notice of appeal and arrangements are being made to have his case submitted to an appeals officer for determination.