asked the Minister for Social Welfare why a person (details supplied) in County Kerry is still awaiting a decision on a free electricity allowance six months after application.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
440.
An application for a free electricity allowance from the person concerned has been approved with effect from the December-January 1978 billing period and the person concerned has been notified accordingly. The application was received in November 1977 and the December-January 1978 billing period is the earliest billing period from which the application could have effect. I regret that owing to a delay in getting necessary information from the health board from which the person concerned has been receiving a disabled person's maintenance allowance there was delay in deciding the application.
441.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if any sums have been paid under his Department's free telephone allowance scheme to pensioners who did not have a telephone on the date the scheme was announced, but who have since had one installed; the number, if any, of pensioners involved; and the total sum involved.
No payments have been made under the free telephone rental allowance scheme to pensioners who have had a telephone installed since the scheme was announced in September 1977.
442.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in granting a non-contributory old age pension to an applicant (details supplied) in County Kerry.
Non-contributory old age pensions at the maximum rate, with effect from 15 October 1977, have been awarded by the decision of an appeals officer to the persons concerned. The pensions order books and arrears of pensions were issued on 14 April 1978. The reason for the delay was that the appeals officer dealing with the appeal in the cases had to await the stamping of a deed of transfer before giving his decision.
443.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in granting a free electricity allowance to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
An application for a free electricity allowance was received from the person concerned on 30 March 1978 and has been approved. The ESB have been instructed to apply the allowance to her electricity account with effect from the February-March 1978 billing period. She has said that she applied for the allowance at an earlier date but that application does not seem to have been received in the Department.
444.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why a person (details supplied) in County Offaly, who has been signing at Tullamore employment exchange since 6 January 1978 and whose claim has not been dealt with to date, is not receiving unemployment benefit.
The claim for unemployment benefit made by the person concerned on 4 January 1978 was disallowed as less than 26 contributions were paid or credited in respect of her in the relevant contribution year governing her claim.
Her application for a qualification certificate to enable her to apply for unemployment assistance was refused by a deciding officer because she did not satisfy the condition applicable to single women applicants that they must either have a dependant or have 26 employment contributions paid in respect of them in the previous four years. Consequently she is not entitled to unemployment assistance. She has been notified of these decisions and of her right of appeal against them if she is dissatisfied.
445.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why a person (details supplied) in County Offaly, who has been in receipt of disability benefit since 5 December 1978, has not received the full benefit since she has been insured for a number of years.
The person referred to by the Deputy has been in receipt of disability benefit since 10 August 1977. From 5 December 1977, when a new benefit year for women commenced, she was paid a reduced rate of benefit as there was no record of her having paid contributions in the contribution year 1976-77 which governed her entitlement to benefit from that date. When her insurance card for 1976-77 was received, it was established that she had sufficient contributions to entitle her to maximum rate of benefit. This rate has been awarded on the claim and an adjusting payment was sent to her on 14 April 1978.