Liam Hyland
Question:180 Mr. Hyland asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will take steps to ensure early reassessment of means for old age pension purposes of a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
The person concerned is in receipt of a reduced rate old age non-contributory pension of £6.10 per week from 9 March 1990. This is the rate of pension appropriate to a married person with weekly means of £50.05. Previously he had been assessed with weekly means of £46.21 and had a corresponding higher rate of pension.
Following representations from the Deputy, appeal forms were issued to the pensioner on 10 April 1990. To date, these forms have not been returned. When the grounds of appeal are supplied to my Department the case will be referred to an appeals officer for decision. At that stage the case will be fully reviewed.
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:181 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare has been refused unemployment assistance by letter from Mullingar employment exchange, dated 30 March 1990, having regard to the fact that he was made redundant on 4 July 1986; when he received redundancy and has received no unemployment benefit since November 1988 and keeping in mind he resides with his brother who owns 25 acres of bogland; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance in August 1988 after having exhausted his entitlement to unemployment benefit. His claim was disallowed by a deciding officer on the grounds that he had failed to disclose full details of his means, especially in relation to redundancy payments which he received and in relation to the farm on which he resides with his brother. He appealed against the disallowance and the appeals officer upheld the deciding officer's decision.
He claimed unemployment assistance again in February 1990 and this claim was also disallowed on the same grounds.
He has appealed the decision and the social welfare officer has been asked to visit him again so that he will have a further opportunity to fully disclose his means before his appeal is decided.
Richard Bruton
Question:182 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare the value of payments made under the supplementary welfare system in each of the past three years which were interim payments pending the determination of a claim by his Department for a normal social welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
A person awaiting determination of a claim to a social welfare payment may, where he is in need, apply for and be paid supplementary welfare allowance on an interim basis. When the other payment is awarded any interim supplementary welfare allowance paid is recoupable from any arrears to which he would otherwise be entitled.
The amounts of supplementary welfare allowance recouped in this way for the last three years are as follows:
|
Year |
Amount of “interim” Social Welfare Allowance recouped |
|
1987 |
£12,301,000 |
|
1988 |
£10,484,000 (provisional) |
|
1989 |
£10,468,000 (provisional) |
A number of measures have been taken to shorten the time required to process claims for social welfare payment. These improvements are reflected in the provisional figures for 1988 and 1989. Efforts will continue to be made to reduce still further the need for applicants to claim supplementary welfare allowance on an interim basis.
Charles Flanagan
Question:183 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made on the old age pension appeal of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary.
The person concerned applied for old age non-contributory pension in October 1989. His application was rejected as his means, derived mainly from capital and income from his holding, exceeded the statutory limit.
Following representations from the Deputy, appeal forms were issued on 20 March 1990 to the person concerned for completion. To date, these forms have not been returned.
When the grounds of appeal are put to my Department the case of the person concerned will be referred to an appeals officer for determination.
Charles Flanagan
Question:184 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made on the unemployment assistance of a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
Following reinvestigation of the circumstances of the person concerned, a deciding officer assessed his means at £61.44 per week from 21 February 1990. His means are derived from self-employment. He is married with five dependent children. Accordingly, the means assessment leaves him entitled to payment at the weekly rate of £65.50.
He appealed against this decision and a social welfare officer has been asked to make further inquries in connection with his appeal. When these inquiries have been completed, his case will be referred to an appeals officer for determination and he will be informed of the outcome without delay.
He did not notify his local office of the birth of his fifth child in November 1988 and as a conseqence did not receive any child dependant allowance in respect of this child. His claim has now been rerated to take account of the child and all arrears of child dependant allowance due from November 1988 will be paid as soon as possible.
Ivan Yates
Question:185 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be approved for an old age non-contributory pension in view of the fact that she has no means of her own.
The person concerned made an application for old age non-contributory pension in November 1989. This application could not be admitted as she did not then satisfy the means conditions. She applied again for this pension in March 1990.
Following investigation, it was decided on 19 April 1990 that she was entitled to the maximum rate old age non-contributory pension of £50 plus living alone allowance of £3.90 and free fuel allowance of £5 per week with effect from 16 March 1990.
A pension book payable from 16 March 1990 will issue to her local post office for collection within seven days.
Richard Bruton
Question:186 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason under current regulations a married woman who takes up work in the current financial year cannot qualify for treatment benefit either on her own insurance record or on that of her spouse, because she does not meet the condition for previous year contributions on her own record and because she cannot be regarded as a dependent spouse of her husband; and if he will make a statement on the apparent anomaly in such cases.
The treatment benefits schemes were extended in October 1987 to include dependent spouses of qualified insured persons. For the purposes of these and other benefits, a dependent spouse is defined as a person who is not in receipt of any social welfare health board payment in his or her own right and whose income from any other source is not in excess of £50 (gross) per week.
By definition, a person who takes up employment, which yields an income of £50 or more per week, can no longer be regarded as a dependent spouse and, therefore, cannot avail of treatment benefits unless the normal statutory contribution conditions are satisfied on the basis of his or her own PRSI record.
The insurability of part-time workers is at present under review.