Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 27 Feb 1990

Vol. 396 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Gerry O'Sullivan

Question:

148 Mr. G. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Welfare when the full rate of unemployment assistance will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in Cork.

Following investigation, a deciding officer assessed the means of the person concerned at £34.05 per week from 20 September 1989, derived from the benefit of the earnings of the person with whom he was cohabiting. This assessment entitled him to payment at the rate of £12.90 per week.

He applied for a review of his means in January 1990 on the basis that he was now living alone. His case was referred to the social welfare officer for further inquiries in connection with his changed circumstances. Following the completion of these inquiries his case was referred to a deciding officer who has assessed him with nil means from 2 January 1990. The full rate is payable from that date.

Jim Higgins

Question:

149 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in dealing with the prescribed relatives allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo.

In order to qualify for a prescribed relative allowance the pensioner must be living alone except for the prescribed relative. The prescribed relative must also be providing full-time care and attention to the pensioner.

In October 1989 the application of the person concerned for prescribed relative allowance was refused on the grounds that a person other than the pensioner and the prescribed relative was living in the household.
In November 1989, further information was submitted in support of the application and the case was forwarded to the social welfare officer for reinvestigation. The social welfare officer reported that the prescribed relative did not reside with or provide full-time care and attention to the pensioner. In these circumstances the person concerned failed to satisfy the qualifying conditions for prescribed relative allowance. It is open to the person concerned to appeal against the decision to disallow the application.
It is considered that there was no undue delay in processing the application for prescribed relative allowance in this case.

Tony Gregory

Question:

150 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of persons in receipt of rent allowance in each health board area; and the average payment in each area.

The number of persons in each health board area who were paid rent supplements in the last week of March 1989, the latest date for which figures are available, is shown in the following table:

Health Board

Recipients

Average payment

£

Eastern

3,606

25.92

Midland

179

13.02

Mid-Western

279

10.58

North-Eastern

165

14.07

North-Western

258

11.18

South-Eastern

326

17.19

Southern

750

15.54

Western

426

13.47

Gerry O'Sullivan

Question:

151 Mr. G. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Welfare when he will award unemployment assistance awarded to a person (details supplied) in Cork who has been without payment since Christmas.

A claimant for unemployment assistance must satisfy a means test which would entitle him or her to hold a qualification certificate. In addition she/he must satisfy the other statutory conditions of being capable of, available for and genuinely seeking work before payment can be made.

The person concerned, who has been employed as a taxi driver for a number of years, claimed unemployment assistance on 5 January 1990. His case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of his means and inquiries are being made to establish whether he satisfies the statutory conditions.

The social welfare officer has had difficulty in contacting him. However, when these inquiries have been completed, his case will be referred to a deciding officer for decision and he will be informed of the outcome without delay.

Top
Share