asked the Minister for Social Welfare why pay-related benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly who applied at Portarlington labour exchange 12 weeks ago.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
157.
Arrangements have been made for the payment of all pay-related benefit due to the person concerned. Payment to him was held up because he had not sent in a form P.45 giving information about his previous earnings. The necessary information was, however, recently obtained.
158.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why disability benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
The person referred to by the Deputy claimed disability benefit from 9 October 1978 to 4 November 1978. Examination of the claim indicated that the incapacity was due to an occupational accident. Confirmation by the employer of the details of the accident was recently received in my Department and payment of the full amount of injury benefit due has now been made.
Interim payment of disability benefit should ordinarily have been made in this case pending completion of the inquiries regarding the occupational injury. However, due to confusion of identity with another person, who was stated to have received supplementary welfare allowance, payment was withheld until details of the amount of allowance paid had been received from the local health board.
159.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why the arrears of unmarried mothers allowance have not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
On 10 January 1979, the person concerned reported the loss of her social assistance allowance book which, she stated, had occurred about three months previously. Within the following week a replacement book with orders valid from 18 January 1979 was issued to her pending the necessary inquiries regarding the lost book. On completion of these inquiries arrangements will be made for payment of any arrears due without delay.
160.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why a non-contributory old age pension has not been granted to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly, who applied four months ago.
A non-contributory old age pension at the full rate, including an allowance for his wife, has been provisionally granted to the person concerned pending receipt of the decision of the local pension committee. A pension order book and arrears of pension have now been issued.
161.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why occupational injury benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Laois, who applied in November 1978.
The person concerned originally claimed disability benefit on 12 March 1977 in respect of back injury and has been paid benefit continuously up to the present. In the application form completed at that time he stated that his incapacity was not due to injury or accident at work.
A claim for occupational injuries disablement benefit was received from him on 6 November 1978 in respect of an accident which was stated to have occurred in the course of his employment on 8 March 1977.
Following confirmation of the accident from his employers it has been accepted that the claimant's incapacity is due to an occupational accident. A medical examination has been arranged in order to assess the degree of disablement resulting from the accident. The appropriate rate of disablement will then be determined and payment of any disablement benefit to which he may be entitled will be made as soon as possible afterwards.
The amount of any disablement benefit payable would be additional to the disability benefit to which the claimant is at present entitled.
162.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why unemployment benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly who applied at Edenderry exchange in November 1978.
Arrangements have been made for the payment of the unemployment benefit in this case. The delay was due to the fact that certain inquiries, which were somewhat protracted, had to be made to establish whether the person concerned was genuinely available for and seeking employment.