Vol. 405 No. 6
118 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12, who is in receipt of disability benefit for the past 12 months, to be transferred to an invalidity pension, given her medical condition.
Invalidity pension is payable to people who satisfy the contribution conditions and who are permanentely incapable of work.
119 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Welfare if unemployment benefit at the full rate will be paid to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12; and if deductions under the equality provisions will now cease.
The person concerned made a claim for unemployment benefit on 13 December, 1990. His claim was authorised for payment from that date at the weekly rate of £59.40 which is the maximum rate payable to a person whose spouse is not dependent on him and who has two qualified child dependants.
His wife is employed as a traffic warden with Dublin Corporation for approximately 40 weeks in the year and receives an average weekly wage of £61.05. In accordance with regulations made under the equal treatment provisions, a spouse whose average gross weekly earnings exceed £55 is not regarded as the adult dependent for social welfare purposes. It has been decided the person concerned is not entitled to an increase in respect of his wife in any week in which she is employed. He may, however, claim an increase for her during school vacations when she is not working in which event the increases for his child dependants would be paid at the full rate.
Alternatively she may be eligible in her own right for unemployment payments during vacation period, if she fulfils the other conditions.
