asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason an appeal against the decision to discontinue disability benefit in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cork has not yet been arranged, even though the person appealed the decision and submitted medical evidence in July 1988.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
111.
Payment of benefit to the person concerned was disallowed following examination by a medical referee of the Department. He appealed against this decision and arrangements have been made to have him examined by a different medical referee, on 19 December 1988. His entitlement will then be reviewed in the light of the referee's report.
112.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the present position regarding the invalidity pension application of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford; and if the application will be approved.
The person concerned would appear to satisfy the medical and contribution conditions for invalidity pension. A claim form has issued to the applicant. On return of the completed form a decision will be made on entitlement.
113.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in Waterford who is in receipt of unemployment assistance had same reduced; and if the full amount will be restored.
The rate of unemployment benefit payable to a claimant is reduced after 156 days of the claim where he does not satisfy the contribution condition of having 280 paid contributions in the previous seven year period. The reduced rate of benefit is equivalent to the standard short-term urban rate of unemployment assistance.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 28 January 1988. He received flat-rate unemployment benefit at the maximum rate appropriate in his case until 6 August 1988, when he had drawn 156 days of benefit. He does not satisfy the contribution conditions for further payment at the maximum rate and, accordingly, his weekly rate of unemployment benefit was reduced from £43.60 to £39.00 from 8 August 1988 and he is at present in receipt of payment at this rate.
114.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cost to the Exchequer for a full year if the allowance for children in full time education over the age of 18 were restored.
129.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated cost of providing child dependant allowance under the social welfare code to children who are 18 years or over and are (a) still in full-time second level education and (b) still in full-time education at any level.
142.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated cost in (a) 1989 and (b) annually of continuing (1) child dependant allowances and (2) child benefit up to the age of 21 for children in full-time education of parents in receipt of social welfare allowances benefit.
It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 114, 129 and 142 together.
At present child dependant allowances continue to be paid in respect of children up to age 21, who are in full-time education, for certain categories of social welfare recipients namely widows, deserted wives, unmarried mothers and prisoners wives. For all other recipients an age limit of 18 years applies. The estimated cost of extending this arrangement in the case of the children of all social welfare recipients would be £8 million in a full year. If the extension were confined to students in second-level education the estimated cost would be £3.7 million in a full year.
Child benefit is payable in respect of children up to age 16. Where the child continues in full-time education this limit is extended to age 18 years and applies to all recipients of child benefit. To extend the upper age limit from 18 to 21 years of age for parents who are on social welfare payments would cost an estimated £10 million in a full year and pro rata in 1989 depending on the date from which the change was introduced.
115.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will introduce legislation to allow a free electricity allowance and free telephone rental allowance to people who reside in this country and whose sole income is from the Department of Health and Social Security in the United Kingdom.
Persons aged 66 years or over in receipt of retirement pension from the United Kingdom Department of Health and Social Security can qualify for free electricity allowance and free telephone rental provided they fulfil the living alone and other conditions for entitlement under those schemes. The question of extending entitlement to persons in receipt of other UK social security payments or of changing the other conditions for entitlement under these schemes would have considerable financial implications for the schemes and any such extensions would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
116.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Limerick is not entitled to claim disability benefit for 1989, in view of his contribution record to date.
The person concerned was paying PRSI at the full rate class of A1 until 1 February 1987, after which date, he was established in his employment. He then paid PRSI at the modified class D1. Class D1 contributions are not reckonable for disability benefit.
Title to benefit from 2 January 1989 is based on the contribution record in the 1987-88 tax year. In this year, the person concerned has a combination of class D1 contributions up to 30 October 1987, and 28 reckonable credited contributions. To qualify for payment of benefit, a minimum of 39 reckonable contributions have to be recorded in the governing tax year.
The person concerned should continue to furnish medical evidence at regular intervals to the Department, in order to preserve the continuity of the insurance record by the award of credited contributions. If his illness should continue, he will requalify for benefit from 1 January 1990.
117.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Limerick is not entitled to disability benefit for 1989, in view of his contribution record to date.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 20 August 1987. Payment was authorised from 24 August 1987, fourth day of incapacity, and is currently issuing at the weekly rate of £71.80, the maximum rate payable to a married man.
In order to qualify for payment a claimant must have a minimum of 39 contributions either paid or credited in the contribution year which governs his claim.
From 2 January 1989 his entitlement to benefit will be based on his contribution record for the 1987-88 year. According to the current records of the Department, the person concerned will not be entitled to disability benefit from 2 January 1989 as he has only 32 credited contributions recorded for the 1987-88 year. However, his employers have been requested to forward details of his insurance record for 1987-88 and on receipt of this his claim will be reviewed.
118.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when payment of disability benefit will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 4 November 1988.
Payment of benefit was delayed pending receipt of details of supplementary welfare allowance advanced by the South-Eastern Health Board.
On receipt of these details, all arrears held were issued to the person concerned, less that amount which was paid by way of supplementary welfare allowance.
119.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be considered for invalidity pension.
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 determined in the light of the report of this examination.
120.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be considered for invalidity pension; and, if so, when.
The person concerned would appear to satisfy the medical and contribution conditions for invalidity pension. A claim form has issued to him and on its return, a formal decision will be made on entitlement to pension.
121.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who is in receipt of disability benefit will be considered for an invalidity pension.
The person concerned would appear to satisfy the medical and contribution conditions for invalidity pension. A claim form has issued to him and on its return, a formal decision will be made on entitlement to the pension.
122.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether, in the light of the decision of the Irish Dental Association to withdraw from the social welfare dental scheme, he will take immediate steps to open negotiations with the Irish Dental Association on the basis of the report of the Joint Working Committee.
The extension of the social insurance treatment benefits scheme to the dependent spouses of insured persons was introduced in October 1987. The extension enabled dependent spouses, mainly wives working in the home, to obtain dental, optical and aural benefits on the basis of their spouse's PRSI contributions.
There was considerable demand for this extension and an analysis of dental claims from dependent spouses in the meantime shows that their initial treatment needs are significantly greater than those who had already been covered by the scheme. It is clear that many spouses had neglected their dental health previously because they could not afford the private fees.
The Irish Dental Association opposed the extension and as a result many dentists were dissuaded from signing the new agreement covering the extended scheme. Notwithstanding the embargo, however, 179 dentists signed the new agreement and some 95 per cent of these are actively treating dependent spouses. A total of 31,500 dental claims in respect of dependent spouses have been received up to 12 December 1988.
The most significant proposal in the Report of the Joint Irish Dental Association-Department of Social Welfare Working Group, was the proposal of the Irish Dental Association concerning the introduction into the scheme, of a form of means testing on the basis of the Health Acts criteria. This is not appropriate in the context of a contributory insurance based scheme. The report also shows that over 62 per cent of those covered under my Department's scheme have incomes which come within the guidelines laid down for qualification for a medical card.
Unfortunately, the central barriers against reaching agreement between the Department and the Irish Dental Association have turned out to be the level of fees paid to the dentists under the whole scheme and the apparent opposition on the part of the Irish Dental Association to the existence at all of such a broadly based scheme for workers and their dependent spouses under the PRSI system.
However, independently of the proposals made in the report the Irish Dental Association have recently submitted a claim for a fee increase under the existing scheme to cover inflation since 1987. This claim is at present being examined in the Department.
No communication has been received in the Department yet regarding the proposed withdrawal or partial withdrawal by dentists from the scheme. It is hoped, however, that agreement on the overall issue may emerge in the context of discussions regarding the fee increase now applied for and this is being pursued. I expect to meet with representatives of the Irish Dental Association shortly.
It is realised that the continuing embargo by the IDA is causing inconvenience to some dependent spouses who are living a distance from participating dentists. In order to minimise this inconvenience, the Minister arranged from the outset for the Department to supply the names of their nearest participating dentists to dependent spouses who wish to claim dental benefit. Dependent spouses can obtain these names by contacting their local Social Welfare office or by telephoning the Department. These arrangements have been in effect from the start and are operating well.
123.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Louth.
The person concerned was considered to be capable of work following medical referee examinations on 12 October 1988 and 9 December 1988. Payment of disability benefit was disallowed from 24 October 1988 by a deciding officer.
She is being supplied with a form to complete if she wishes her case to be sent to an appeals officer.
124.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of recipients of unmarried mothers allowance for the year 1987-88 (a) nationally and (b) for County Kerry.
A total of 14,871 persons are in receipt of unmarried mothers' allowance (as at November 1988) of which 278 are estimated to be in County Kerry.
125.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a Christmas bonus at the unemployment assistance rate will be paid to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22 who was admitted to hospital some weeks ago and consequently was transferred to disability benefit and who as a result is threatened with a loss of EC meat and fuel vouchers and his Christmas bonus; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Claimants to certain pensions and allowances such as long-term unemployment assistance, qualify for a Christmas bonus, EC beef distributed by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and free fuel allowance under the national fuel scheme.
The person concerned was a long-term recipient of unemployment assistance and would have qualified for a Christmas bonus, free fuel and free beef if he had continued in receipt of this payment. However, as he is now in receipt of disability benefit, which is not a qualifying payment, he is no longer entitled to these bonuses.