John Ellis
Question:227 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his Department will now sanction a free telephone rental allowance for a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefit.
The person concerned applied for free telephone rental allowance on 5 February 1991.
The case is at present being investigated. When investigations are finalised a decision will be made and the person concerned notified.
In order to qualify for a free telephone rental allowance an applicant must be in receipt of a qualifying payment. He must also be residing entirely alone, or only with children under fifteen years of age, or with other persons who are so permanently incapacitated that they could not get help in the event of an emergency.
John Ellis
Question:228 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will now grant an old age pension to a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim who has no means.
The person concerned applied for old age non-contributory pension on 31 July, 1990. Following investigation the application was rejected by a deciding officer in November 1990 as weekly means of £78.79 — derived from holding and capital — exceeded the statutory limit of £56 per week.
On 31 January 1991 the applicant appealed against the decision to refuse pension. The case has been forwarded to an appeals officer for determination. The person concerned will be notified of the outcome of the appeal as soon as possible.
John Ellis
Question:229 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will now pay arrears of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim.
The person concerned has been in receipt of disability benefit from 30 November 1990 to date. He had previously been in receipt of invalidity pension from 18 July 1985 to 24 January 1990. On 28 May 1990 an appeals officer decided that, because the person concerned had been working and not observing the conditions for receipt of invalidity pension, he was not entitled to payment for the period 9 July 1988 to 24 January 1990, as a result he was overpaid £4,347. He was informed of that decision at the time.
He claimed disability benefit again in November 1990. His claim was incorrectly awarded as he has only a total of 14 credited contributions in respect of the 1988-89 contribution year which governs his claim. At least 39 contributions, paid or credited, in that year are required to qualify. Consequently, he does not qualify for payment of disability benefit from November 1990. A letter will be sent to him shortly explaining the position. In the circumstances the Department are not seeking recovery of the money paid to him since 30 November 1990.