asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Louth.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
58.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit from 13 October 1987, to 13 October 1988.
From 14 October 1988 the contribution year governing her claim changed to 1986-87. According to departmental records the person concerned has a total of only 30 reckonable contributions in this year — 30 at class A1 and 22 at class J1, which are not reckonable for disability benefit purposes — and so does not qualify for payment from this date.
She has recently submitted a certificate of pay and tax deducted by way of a form P60 in respect of her employment during 1986-87. As the information on this form P60 differs from information already on record in the Department her insurance record is now being investigated. Her entitlement to benefit will be reviewed in the light of the result of these investigations.
59.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in dealing with the appeal for disability benefit of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit to 20 September 1987. Payment was disallowed from 21 September 1987 following an examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work.
He appealed the decision and was examined by a different medical referee on 24 February 1988 who also expressed the opinion that he was capable of work.
His case was then referred to an appeals officer who decided that the person concerned was not incapable of work within the meaning of the Social Welfare Acts from 21 September 1987 to 20 July 1988 and was not entitled to payment of disability benefit for that period.
The person concerned continued to submit medical evidence and was examined by a medical referee on 14 February 1989 who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He has been informed of this decision and of his right of appeal within 21 days.
60.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of people who have had invalidity pension benefit discontinued to them during 1988.
At 31 December 1988 there were 29,242 persons in receipt of invalidity pension.
The majority of situations where invalidity pension is discontinued arise from the claimants' death or voluntarily ceasing to claim for one reason or another but generally the reason is to transfer to another social welfare payment.
There were about 4,200 invalidity pensions discontinued in this way in 1988. A small number are disallowed due to the person being found capable of work by a medical referee of the Department or being found to be working. The total number of such disallowances in 1988 was 133.