Vol. 447 No. 3
1 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22 has been awarded unemployment assistance rather than unemployment benefit in view of the fact that he has 39 weeks paid contributions. [3653/94]
The person concerned made a claim for unemployment benefit on 3 October 1994. To qualify for payment of unemployment benefit a person must have at least 39 contributions either paid or credited in the relevant governing contribution year. On examination of the claim it was found that the person concerned did not satisfy the condition of having 39 contributions paid in the relevant governing contribution year, which in this case is the year from 6 April 1992 to 5 April 1993.
According to my Department's records, the claimant has 32 paid contributions and a further six credited contributions in the relevant year. Since the total of those contributions, including credits, is less than the minimum amount required, he did not qualify for payment at this time.
The claimant's entitlement to unemployment assistance was subsequently examined and a deciding officer disallowed his claim from 3 October 1994 on the grounds that he failed to fully disclose means as required by the Social Welfare Acts. Accordingly, he is not entitled to payment of unemployment assistance from that date.
In particular, he failed to provide the social welfare inspector with details of earnings from his casual employment of one to two days per week. The decision which was conveyed to the claimant on 21 October 1994 has not been appealed.
