asked the Minister for Social Welfare why it has taken so long to come to a decision on the payment of unemployment assistance to a person (name supplied) in whose case unemployment assistance ceased seven weeks ago.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Assistance.
40.
Payment of unemployment assistance in this case was suspended when a question arose as to the applicant's title. Investigation of the matter is not yet completed. However, in view of the length of time the inquiries are taking and the circumstances of the applicant, it has been decided to restore payment this week as from the date of suspension. When the inquiries are completed, the applicant's position will be reviewed.
41.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that, although a person (name supplied) has been destitute since October, 1970, and he and his sick wife and child have been living on charity since then, he has been refused a greater amount of unemployment assistance than 5s per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Having regard to the form of the Deputy's question, I must point out that no person need be destitute and living on charity since the scheme of Home Assistance is available to persons who are unable to support themselves and their families from their own resources.
As I informed the Deputy in replies on 16th December, 1970, to his previous question about this case, the means of the person concerned were assessed at 115s a week on the basis of the person's own estimate of his income from self-employment as a painter. This left him entitled to 5s. a week unemployment assistance, increased to £1 a week by the birth of a child shortly before Christmas.
In view of the terms of the Deputy's present question, an urgent reinvestigation was made on receipt of notice of the question. The information so obtained indicates that the applicant had no work from August last until about three weeks ago, when he got a spell of wage-earning employment which is expected to end in mid-February, and that there is little prospect of any further work by way of self-employment or otherwise until about the end of March. Having reviewed the matter in this light, an appeals officer who confirmed the original means assessment has revised that assessment to ‘nil' with effect from 17th November last, the date of the application for a qualification certificate. The person's unemployment assistance entitlement thus becomes £6 15s per week from that date and the arrears due accordingly up to the date he entered employment are in course of payment.
I should add that the means position will again be reviewed in April next in the light of any opportunities for self-employment then available.
I am grateful to the Minister for having the matter reinvestigated. Will he not agree that this is one of the most scandalous things that occurred in this country for a long time? This unfortunate person was destitute because if he drew home assistance from the local authority he would have to repay it and his application was being considered. Not alone was he refused when he applied first but, despite the fact that I gave the Minister the information that he had no employment for many months before he made the application, an appeals officer decided that he was not entitled to more than 5s per week to keep himself and his wife and subsequently a child, living with aged parents on home assistance. The Minister should see that the knuckles of that appeals officer are well and truly rapped. It is like the case we raised earlier of the married woman who applies after the birth of a child. It is a stupid thing and if these people had to live on it they would not do things like that. It is scandalous.