asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
70.
Payment of disability benefit to the person concerned was disallowed from 20 June 1988 following an examination by a medical referee to the Department who considered him to be capable of work. He did not appeal this decision and claimed unemployment benefit from 20 June 1988.
He has submitted a further claim to disability benefit but as there appears to have been no change in his incapacity, entitlement to that benefit cannot be decided until he has been re-examined by a medical referee. Arrangements are being made to have him examined on 2 May 1989. His entitlement to benefit will be reviewed in the light of this examination.
71.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare, in relation to all persons on social assistance schemes, if he will specify the number of (a) adult recipients (b) adult dependants and (c) child dependants in each category.
73.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare, in relation to each recipient of social insurance schemes, the number of (a) adults in each scheme (b) adult dependants in each category and (c) child dependants in each category.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 73 together.
The information requested by the Deputy is given in the table which is being circulated in the Official Report.
Table Recipients of Main Social Insurance and Assistance Payments at December 1988
|
Type of Payment |
Recipients |
Adult Dependants |
Child Dependants |
Total |
|
|
Full Rate |
Half Rate(¹) |
||||
|
Assistance |
|||||
|
Old Age Pension |
122,681 |
9,525 |
2,351 |
167 |
134,724 |
|
Deserted Wife's Allowance |
5,125 |
— |
8,600 |
— |
13,725 |
|
Orphan's Allowance |
149 |
— |
— |
— |
149 |
|
Prisoner's Wife's Allowance |
218 |
— |
653 |
— |
871 |
|
Single Woman's Allowance |
2,490 |
— |
— |
— |
2,490 |
|
Unmarried Mother's Allowance |
15,062 |
— |
19,302 |
— |
34,364 |
|
Widows Pension |
18,548 |
— |
3,661 |
— |
22,209 |
|
Unemployment Assistance |
148,884 |
52,036 |
141,444 |
24,583 |
366,947 |
|
Smallholders |
15,007 |
9,068 |
23,869 |
1,834 |
49,778 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance(²) |
11,353 |
3,605 |
13,736 |
— |
28,694 |
|
Family Income Supplement |
5,159 |
— |
18,993 |
— |
24,152 |
|
Insurance |
|||||
|
Old Age Pension |
74,990 |
19,772 |
1,702 |
162 |
96,626 |
|
Retirement Pension |
42,779 |
15,231 |
1,600 |
137 |
59,747 |
|
Disability Benefit |
59,450 |
15,954 |
27,851 |
35,012 |
138,267 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
29,242 |
10,080 |
11,026 |
4,791 |
55,139 |
|
Deserted Wife's Benefit |
8,492 |
— |
16,139 |
— |
24,631 |
|
Maternity Benefit |
3,705 |
— |
— |
— |
3,705 |
|
Orphan's Allowance |
714 |
— |
— |
— |
714 |
|
Widows Pension |
82,167 |
— |
15,213 |
— |
97,380 |
|
Unemployment Benefit |
77,786 |
20,979 |
45,996 |
32,886 |
177,647 |
¹ Child dependant allowance is payable at half rate where a spouse living with the recipient is not an adult dependant.
² Includes persons on basic weekly payments only. Some 10,225 persons were in receipt of other Supplementary Welfare Allowance payments.
72.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the likely cost in 1989 of paying all adult and all adult dependants £45 per week each and paying £10 per week each in respect of each child dependant.
The cost in 1989, from end July, of paying all recipients and adult dependants a minimum of £45 per week is estimated at £55 million. This is the cost over and above the increase in social welfare payments which will be introduced next July. These increases will cost £57.5 million in 1989 and for the first time include a minimum child dependant rate of £10 per week.
74.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) in County Wexford received a letter from his Department on 28 February 1989 notifying him that his disability benefit appeal was being submitted to an appeals officer; that this person's file has not yet been forwarded to an appeals officer and the Department are unable to indicate when it will be forwarded; when this appeal will be dealt with; if he will make a statement outlining the number of appeals awaiting hearing; and the reason for the backlog.
The person concerned appealed the disallowance of disability benefit following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. His case has now been referred to an appeals officer for determination.The appeals officer will indicate shortly if he proposes to hold an oral hearing of the appeal. If he does the person concerned will be notified of the arrangements as soon as possible.
In the case of disability benefit appeals where the claimant had been found to be capable of work by a medical referee of the Department it is the practice to arrange for a second examination by a different medical referee before the case is submitted to the appeals officer. Where a claimant is found to be incapable of work following the second examination benefit is immediately restored. However, if the opinion of the second medical referee agrees with the first then the claimant is afforded an opportunity to state the grounds on which he or she wishes to base the appeal.
This foregoing process takes some time to complete. Notwithstanding constraint on resources every effort is made to ensure that appeals are dealt with as expeditiously as possible.
Decisions on appeals are statutorily the function of appeals officers who have the discretion to either decide a case summarily or hold an oral hearing. The Minister has no function in this. The appeals officers have 151 disability benefit cases on hands which are awaiting oral hearings.
75.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if the appeals officer has issued a decision on the appeal of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary against the decision to disallow payment of disability benefit to him.
The appeal in the case of the person concerned has been referred to an appeals officer for determination. A hearing of the appeal has been arranged for Monday next in Nenagh.
76.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the present position regarding the appeal of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary against the decision to disallow payment of disability benefit to him.
Disability benefit was disallowed to the person concerned following examination by a medical referee who considered him capable of work. He was examined by a different medical referee who also considered him capable of work. He has completed the appropriate forms for an appeal against the disallowance and his case has been referred to an appeals officer. The case will be dealt with as quickly as possible.