asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is prepared to take into account the numerous complaints made against the manner of assessing the means of applicants under the Unemployment Assistance Acts, 1933 to 1935, and take such steps as may be necessary to secure that the assessment will not be made in such a way as to preclude the possibility of really poor people getting benefit.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Means Assessment under Unemployment Assistance Acts.
When it was decided to make provision in the Unemployment Assistance Act for taking into account the means of applicants for qualification certificates, it was foreseen that there would be complaints by those applicants who were assessed to means, and provision was accordingly made which enables any person dissatisfied with the assessment to appeal to an appellate tribunal. Any person who is dissatisfied with the assessment of his means has, therefore, a right of appeal to an appeals officer and, with his permission, to the Unemployment Appeals Committee. Poor persons who have no means are, of course, not affected by the existing means test, or by the prescribed method of calculating means.