Vol. 458 No. 6
73 Mr. Gallagher (Laoighis-Offaly) asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will ensure that his Department expedites the deserted wife's benefit claim of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly in view of the urgent financial needs in the case. [17458/95]
The person concerned applied for deserted wife's benefit on 6 November 1995. In order to determine her entitlement to this benefit, inquiries into the circumstances surrounding her separation are essential. She has been interviewed by an officer of the Department and arrangements are being made to interview her husband. These inquiries will be completed as soon as possible and her entitlement to deserted wife's benefit will then be decided without delay.
In the meantime, she is in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance from her local health board.
74 Mr. L. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will invoke section 209 of the Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993, to make regulations to provide for payment of 99 per cent of the weekly standard rate of carer's allowance in relation to the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cork whose only income is £52.50 weekly non-contributory widow's pension and who has been refused a carer's allowance. [17490/95]
The carer's allowance is payable to people providing elderly and incapacitated pensioners with full-time care and attention and whose incomes fall below certain limits.
75 Mr. H. Byrne asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) in County Wexford is receiving a British pension at the rate of £48 sterling; if he will consider paying her an additional pension to raise her income to the amount being received by Irish old age pensioners; and if he will make a statement on the losses incurred by British pensioners living in Ireland due to the currency fluctuations. [17492/95]
The person concerned applied for old age (non-contributory) pension in May 1991. As this is a means tested assistance payment, all income, including capital and income from foreign pensions, is assessable as means. The British pension which counts as means for this purpose is converted to Irish pounds by reference to an average EU exchange rate used by my Department.
Following investigations in 1991, it was decided that the person concerned was not entitled to receive a pension as her weekly means of £73.47 exceed the statutory limit for entitlement — then set at £56.00 per week. Her means were derived from her British Retirement Pension, a British Superannuation Pension and some capital held on deposit.
76 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare the back payments, if any, for carer's allowance which will be considered for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1, who was granted the allowance on 9 November 1995, and who has being caring for her husband since he first received invalidity pension on 30 March 1989. [17528/95]
An application for carer's allowance in respect of the person concerned was received by my Department on 6 November 1995. Her husband has been in receipt of invalidity pension including an increase in respect of her as an adult dependent. Carer's allowance has been awarded from 9 November 1995, the earliest appropriate date and arrangements are being made for the issue of a payment book and for necessary adjustment to her husband's rate of invalidity pension.
Under the regulations, payments cannot normally be awarded prior to the date of claim. However there is provision for the payment of up to six months' arrears where good cause for delay in making the claim is established. The Department is contacting the person concerned to establish the circumstances in this case and when her response is to hand the question of retrospective payment will be further considered.
