Written Answers Nos. 82-91
82. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if and when a final decision will be made in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 whose appeal was recently allowed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28060/15]
View answerThe person in question has been awarded a disability allowance payment with effect from 3 September 2014. First payment will be on 22 July 2015 and any arrears due will follow shortly thereafter.
83. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding a social protection payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28087/15]
View answerThe person in question qualified for payment of illness benefit (IB) from 16 May 13 and her rate of payment depended on her average weekly earnings in the 2011 governing contribution year.
The person in question had average weekly earnings in the 2011 governing contribution year of €108.52 per week. The corresponding rate of IB payable to her was €84.50 per week. This person’s benefit ceased from 15 May 2015 as IB is a short-term payment for people who are incapable of work due to illness or injury. It is limited to a maximum of 104 weeks (624 days) in most cases.
She applied for disability allowance (DA) on 13 April 2015. Based upon the evidence submitted, it was refused on medical and means grounds. The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 15 June 2015.
In our letter mentioned above to the person in question, she was given the option of seeking a review or appealing our decision directly to the Social Welfare Appeals Office, within 21 days.
84. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 200 of 9 June 2015, if employment undertaken in Sligo town, secretarial work for two years and further employment in Teeling Street in Sligo for one year between 1974 and 1976, have been taken into consideration when calculating a widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s pension in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28088/15]
View answerEntitlement to widow(er)s or surviving civil partner’s pension is based on either the social insurance record of the applicant or that of their deceased spouse or civil partner, but not both.
The social insurance record of the person concerned consists of 129 paid and credited social insurance contributions in respect of the period between 1974 and 1976. This record is not sufficient to qualify the person for pension in their own right. The person concerned was awarded a widow(er) or surviving civil partner’s contributory pro-rata EU pension with effect from the 3rd April 2015, based on the combined Irish and United Kingdom social insurance contributions, paid and credited, of the person’s late spouse.
Payment of the pension awarded will commence as soon as the Department is notified, in writing, of the persons preferred method of payment.
85. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9, in receipt of the back to work enterprise allowance and who is starting a design business, was denied the enterprise grant to cover the cost of an industry standard printer under the job-specific tools and equipment category; if this decision will be reviewed, given the importance of a commercial production unit to the manufacturing of the final product of such a business; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28090/15]
View answerThe person concerned recently applied to receive payments of back to work enterprise allowance from this Department and this application was approved. In addition he applied for an enterprise support grant for business equipment, and a grant amounting to the maximum amount provided for under the scheme guidelines has been approved for him. Further support for areas such as tools and equipment, advertising and accountancy costs, can be considered as he establishes his business over the two year programme duration.
88. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) might expect to receive a reply to an application for an exceptional needs payment to fund new clothes. [28105/15]
View answerA decision has been made on the exceptional needs payment application and has been forwarded to the person concerned.
89. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if and when a relevant social welfare payment will be restored in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow, all of whose payments have ceased except child benefit, given that the person has received no other payment for the past three months and is now about to be evicted by the person's landlord due to rent arrears; if the matter will be urgently reviewed to alleviate hardship; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28109/15]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the one parent family payment and the supplementary welfare allowance appeals from the person concerned were referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to convene an oral hearing in this case.
Every effort will be made to determine the appeals as quickly as possible and I understand that the person concerned will be notified shortly of the arrangements for the oral hearing which is likely to take place within the next two weeks.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
90. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if and when the relevant payment in lieu of the one-parent family payment will be made in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who has insufficient working hours to qualify for family income supplement; if an exceptional needs payment will be made in the interim, given that the person has two dependants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28110/15]
View answerThe person concerned made her jobseeker’s allowance transition (JST) application effective from 02/07/2015 and the application has been awarded. The person concerned is due a payment on 09/07/2015 with all arrears to be included. It is open to the person concerned to contact her local Community Welfare Service if an exceptional need has arisen.
91. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection If an increase in rent support is payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28113/15]
View answerAs outlined in previous PQ’s NO 33724-14 and 46654-14, the client is in receipt of their full entitlement to Rent Supplement based on their family composition, family income and location. The Department has not been informed of any change in circumstance for this client. They should advise the Department of any changes in their circumstances so that their entitlement can be re-assessed.
