Vol. 411 No. 1
346 Mr. G. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Welfare when payment of occupational injury benefit will be made to a person (details supplied) in Cork who applied for this benefit seven months ago and has not received payment to date.
363 Mr. G. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Welfare when payment of an occupational injury benefit claim will be made to a person (details supplied) in Cork who applied for payment six months ago.
Each of the two questions refers to the same claim and it is proposed to take them together.
347 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made on the widow's pension claim of a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
Last June, the person concerned applied for a widow's contributory pension based on her late husband's social insurance.
According to the Department's records there is an insufficient number of contributions on her late husband's insurance record to enable her to qualify for a pension. However, information has been received concerning additional employment by her husband during the contribution year 1989-90 and the matter has been referred to the social welfare officer for investigation.
Inquiries are expected to be completed shortly at which stage her case will be referred for decision. She will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible.
348 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Limerick was refused a disability allowance as she is receiving ongoing medication for epilepsy and is unavailable for work and if he will consider another review of this case.
There is no trace of a claim to disability benefit from the person concerned.
The records of the Department show that she has only 19 Class A1 contributions paid since she commenced insurable employment on 15 June 1989. To qualify for disability benefit she would require to have a total of 39 contributions paid in an appropriate class and 39 contributions paid or credited in the governing contribution year which in this case is the 1989-90 year.
353 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the fact that recipients of social welfare payments who were awarded a 4 per cent increase in the last budget were of the opinion that their adult dependants were also entitled to the same percentage increase; and if he will make a statement as to the reason the information regarding this particular incrase was so misleading as in most cases the increase to adult dependants was only 30p per week.
The emphasis in recent budgets has been on the improvement of the position of low income families dependent on social welfare payments. This year's budget was no exception.
The largest increases in both personal rates of payment and adult dependant allowances were given to those on the lowest payments. Adult dependant allowances were increased as follows:
|
Old rate |
New rate |
Increase |
|
|
£ |
£ |
||
|
Old Age Contributory Pension and Retirement Pension |
|||
|
(Dependent under 66 |
39.20 |
40.80 |
4.3% |
|
(Dependant over 66) |
45.70 |
46.00 |
0.7% |
|
Invalidity Pension |
35.80 |
37.20 |
3.9% |
|
Disability Benefit |
31.00 |
33.00 |
6.5% |
|
Unemployment Benefit |
31.00 |
33.00 |
6.5% |
|
Unemployment Assistance |
31.00 |
33.00 |
6.5% |
