asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that a person (name supplied) has been left two weeks without payment because his new old age pension book has been lost in the post, that the post office at which he normally collects his payment admit the book was never received by them and that his Department has informed him that no allowance can be paid until the book is traced; and if he will state if this is in accordance with the normal practice in his Department.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Old Age Pension Book.
71.
A new book of pension orders addressed by the Department to the post office normally used by the pensioner named failed to arrive at that post office before the due date of the first pension order therein, 6th July, 1973. This fact was notified to the Department, the post office confirming on Monday, 9th July, 1973, that the book had still not arrived. The usual action appropriate to a case of a missing book was then put in train, involving the issue of a duplicate book and of instructions to the post office to stop payment on the missing book. The duplicate book was issued on Thursday, 12th July, in time for encashment on Friday, 13th July. This represents the normal practice in my Department and in no case is a pensioner told that no allowance can be paid until a missing book is traced.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that an old age pensioner living alone was left two weeks without any means whatever and that when he went down to the Department of Social Welfare he was told that nothing could be done for him, that he would have to wait until the book was traced? I do not care whether it is the policy of the Department or somebody in the Department giving wrong information. This is what this man was told. He got nothing for two weeks.
My information is that the original pension book did go astray and that a duplicate book was forwarded which arrived on 12th July for payment on 13th. I also understand that there was some hardship involved for the person concerned. It is very much regretted but I think in the circumstances it was unavoidable.
Is there any way in which we could make life a little better for those people? Where post office facilities are not good enough could something not be done——
That would be a separate question.
——for those people while awaiting a duplicate book?
Every effort is made to see that the minimum amount of hardship is caused by this normal sort of mishap.
There will be many such cases arising in the future. I am asking the Parliamentary Secretary——
I do not necessarily agree that there will be many cases arising in the future.
The way the post office services are going I think there will. Would a certificate signed by the post office at which the man normally obtains his pension not suffice to have payment made by the Department of Social Welfare?
That is a question I would have to look into.