Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 February 2005
228 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason the Health Service Executive, southern region, is refusing to pay supplementary welfare to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; if their appeal against the decision not to allow them unemployment assistance has been heard. [5716/05]
View answerPayment of unemployment assistance to the person concerned was terminated by my Department in November 2004 on the grounds that he was not genuinely seeking work. He appealed this decision to the social welfare appeals office, and an appeals officer will review his case as soon as possible.
The person concerned subsequently applied for assistance under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on behalf of my Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The southern region of the Health Service Executive has advised that, having assessed his circumstances, the person concerned was awarded basic supplementary welfare allowance in December 2004 on the condition that it would be for a limited period to allow him a further opportunity to make reasonable efforts to secure employment.
He failed to make reasonable efforts subsequently to seek employment and payment of his supplementary welfare allowance was terminated as a result at the end of January 2005. He was unsuccessful in appealing against this decision to the executive's area appeals officer and at his request his case has been referred to the social welfare appeals office for review.
The executive has further advised that the wife of the person concerned is in part-time employment. She was absent from work through illness recently and received a reduced rate of disability benefit from my Department. In addition to this benefit she received assistance under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme to ensure that the overall household income was maintained at the supplementary welfare allowance level appropriate to the family circumstances.
