asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Meath has received all his disability and pay-related benefit or if there is six weeks' benefit still remaining.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
41.
The person referred to by the Deputy claimed disability benefit and submitted medical evidence of incapacity for two periods, from 18th July, 1975 to 18th September, 1975 and from 20th October, 1975 to 16th December, 1975. All disability and pay-related benefit due in respect of those periods was paid to him. He again claimed disability benefit from 26th March, 1977 and is being paid flat rate disability benefit. He is not entitled to pay-related benefit on this claim as, according to the information supplied to my Department by the Revenue Commissioners, his reckonable earnings in the relevant income tax year, 1975-76, were less than the required minimum of £700.
42.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will have payment of unemployment assistance at the proper rate expedited in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cork, who has received no other income since last October and who is a widower with a young family.
Following an appeal by the person concerned against the assessment of means in his case, further inquiries were made into his circumstances and an appeals officer reduced the assessment of his means to £1.70 a week from 1st January, 1977.
Arrangements have been made to have all arrears of unemployment assistance due since 1st January, 1977, paid to the person concerned during the current week. Further payments will continue as they fall due at the weekly rate of £19.35, being the maximum weekly rate of assistance payable to a person resident in a rural area who has four child dependants and whose weekly rate of means is £1.70.
43.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will indicate the inquiries, as stated in the reply to Question No. 58 of 11th May, 1977, which still remain uncompleted; and if he will state the decision in the matter.
The inquiries referred to in my previous reply were in the main directed towards establishing whether the person concerned was available for and genuinely seeking work, which are statutory conditions for the receipt of unemployment benefit, and also to establishing the rate of benefit which would be appropriate in her case were she to qualify for benefit. These inquiries have now been completed and a deciding officer has disallowed her claim for unemployment benefit on the ground that she did not satisfy the statutory condition which requires a claimant to be available for employment. She has been notified of this decision and of her right to appeal against it if she is dissatisfied.