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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 5 May 1981

Vol. 328 No. 9

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

359.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made on an application by a person (details supplied) in County Dublin to be transferred from disability to invalidity pension; and if he will expedite the matter.

The person concerned has been awarded an invalidity pension from 5 February 1981. Pension books payable from 30 April 1981 have been issued to the post office of payment designated by the pensioner. The arrears of pension in respect of the period from 5 February 1981 to 29 April 1981, less the amount of disability benefit paid in that period, have also been issued.

360.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of persons in receipt of (a) unemployment benefit and (b) unemployment assistance in the Balbriggan exchange area of County Dublin in the last week of February 1980.

The number of persons in receipt of unemployment benefit and assistance in the Balbriggan Employment Office area at the week ended 29 February 1980 was as follows: Unemployment Benefit, 197; Unemployment Assistance, 62.

361.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in granting a non-contributory old age pension to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.

It was not possible to conclude this case until satisfactory evidence of a transfer of a holding was produced by the claimant. A certified copy of the deed of transfer was furnished by her to the social welfare officer on 2 April 1981. The deed was duly inspected by the social welfare supervisor, and was accepted by him for pension purposes. A pension book at the maximum rate issued on 16 April 1981. Arrears due have also been issued.

362.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the controls, if any, that exist in regard to Northern Ireland residents who work on construction contracts in the South while claiming benefits in the North, thereby depriving southern residents of employment.

Provision exists within the framework of the EEC regulations governing social security schemes for co-operation between member states in the implementation of social security legislation in the individual States.

In this context there is full co-operation between the relevant Administrations, North and South. I am not aware of any instances of the kind referred to in the question. However, if the Deputy will furnish me with the necessary details I will have the matter examined.

363.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason no long-term disability cheques have been posted for the past two weeks to a person (details supplied) in County Dublin.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 15 March 1980 and has been paid from that date at the maximum appropriate rate. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit due to 9 May has issued.

When he had completed the period of 52 weeks in receipt of benefit in mid-March 1981 there was delay in payment while inquiries were being made to establish whether he was entitled to further payment. On completion of these inquiries payment for the period up to 25 April 1981 issued to him on 14 April 1981.

364.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will reconsider the application of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin for dental/optical benefit under the Social Welfare Acts, in view of the fact that her husband has been fully insured under the social insurance schemes.

Treatment benefits, which include dental and optical benefits, are available only to qualified persons insured under the Social Welfare Acts. They are not at present available to the wives and child dependants of insured persons. As the person concerned does not appear to be an insured person she is not entitled to these benefits.

365.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Meath.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 30 March 1981 and has been paid from 2 April 1981, fourth day of incapacity, to 2 May 1981 at the maximum appropriate rate. His entitlement to pay-related benefit is being investigated and payment due will issue when the inquiries are completed.

366.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Meath.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 22 January 1981 and has been paid from 26 January 1981 at the maximum appropriate rate. Payment of all disability benefit due has been made to 30 April 1981. He is not entitled to pay-related benefit as his reckonable weekly earnings in 1978-79, the relevant tax year, were less than the weekly rate of disability benefit payable.

367.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when he will arrange to pay arrears of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Meath.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 18 March 1981 and has been paid all benefit due from 21 March 1981, fourth day of incapacity, to 7 May 1981. His entitlement to pay-related benefit is being investigated and payment due, if any, will issue on completion of inquiries.

368.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the long delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 10 May 1980 and was paid from 14 May 1980, fourth day of incapacity, at the maximum appropriate rate. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit due has been issued to him.

He is paid on the automatic payment system whereby payment issues on the same day each week but medical evidence is required at monthly intervals only. There has been no delay in the issue of payment.

It is possible that he may not have received some of the cheques which issued to him recently. Details of payment made in March and April 1981 have been sent to him to enable him to indicate which cheques, if any, have not been received by him. On receipt of his reply any further action necessary will be taken.

369.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when payment of disability benefit will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 12 January and has been paid from 12 January, first day of claim, to 29 January, at the maximum appropriate rate, when he was certified fit to resume work.

He again claimed disability benefit from 25 March 1981 and was paid from 28 March 1981, fourth day of incapacity, at the maximum appropriate rate, to 4 April, after which date he was certified fit to resume work.

Payment of all disability benefit due in respect of both claims has been made. When details regarding his earnings in the relevant tax year are available pay-related benefit, if due, will issue.

370.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the long delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 4 March 1981 and has been paid from 7 March 1981, fourth day of incapacity. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit due to 8 May 1981 has been issued. The delay in payment was due to an administrative error.

371.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 11 November 1977 to 19 August 1978, after which date he was certified fit to resume work. He was paid from 15 November, fourth day of incapacity, to 3 June 1978, at the maximum appropriate rate.

From 5 June 1978 his entitlement to payment was based on his insurance record in 1977, the contribution year governing his claim from that date. As he did not have the required minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited in that year he was not entitled to benefit from 5 June 1978.

A list of the cheques which issued to him during the period November 1977 to June 1978 is being issued to him with a request to indicate which cheques, if any, were not received by him. On receipt of his reply any further action required will be taken.

372.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 1 April 1981 and all disability benefit and pay-related benefit due to 1 May 1981 has been issued. Further payments will issue as they fall due.

The delay in payment was due to the fact that she has been quoting the incorrect RSI number on some of the medical certificates submitted in connection with her claim. In fact the Deputy also quoted an incorrect number, namely 2508560V instead of 3508560V.

373.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 7 February 1980 and has been paid from 11 February, fourth day of incapacity, at the maximum appropriate rate. All disability benefit due to 17 March 1980, after which date he was certified fit to resume work, has issued.

When details regarding his earnings in the relevant tax year are available pay-related benefit, if due, will issue.

The delay in payment was due to the fact that he had no contributions to his credit in 1978 the contribution year on which his title to payment was based. Following investigation by my Department the arrears of contributions were collected from the employer thus enabling payment of disability benefit to be made.

374.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 16 March 1981 and has been paid from 19 March, fourth day of incapacity, at the maximum appropriate rate. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit due to 2 May 1981 has issued.

The delay in payment was due mainly to the fact that he is quoting his insurance number instead of his RSI number on his medical certificates submitted in connection with his claim.

375.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of social welfare benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Meath.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 4 December 1980 to 16 December 1980 and from 29 December 1980 to 12 January 1981 and has been paid all benefit due in respect of both claims. The rate of benefit paid was the maximum rate appropriate to a married man with four qualified children.

The full amount of disability benefit due on the second claim was paid at the time of claiming but as a completed claim form giving particulars of dependants was not received from him, only the single rate of benefit was paid initially on the second claim. An adjusting payment in respect of his wife and children was made recently. He was not entitled to pay-related benefit on either of the claims.

376.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 30 December 1980 and has been paid from 2 January 1981, fourth day of incapacity, at the maximum appropriate rate. Payment of all disability benefit and pay-related benefit due has been paid to 9 March 1981, after which date he was certified fit to resume work.

Payment was made initially on the medical evidence received from 15 January to 9 March 1981, but when his employers were contacted it was ascertained that he had been absent from work owing to illness from 30 December 1980. A further payment then issued to him in respect of the period 2 January to 14 January 1981.

377.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.

Before the entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment benefit can be decided certain inquiries have to be made to establish whether he satisfies the statutory contribution conditions on the basis of his recent part-time employment.

These investigations are presently in train and every effort is being made to finalise the matter as early as possible.

The person concerned is being paid unemployment assistance pending a decision of his unemployment benefit case.

378.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the long delay in paying disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 7 March 1981 and has been paid from 11 March, fourth day of incapacity. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit due to 9 May 1981 issued on 1 May 1981. The delay in payment was due to an administrative error.

379.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay of 21 weeks in paying occupational injuries benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

The person concerned claimed occupational injury benefit in respect of an an accident at work on 5 December 1980.

Pending investigation of his claim, his entitlement to disability benefit as an interim measure was examined. He did not however satisfy the qualifying contribution condition for disability benefit which requires the claimant to have at least 26 weeks insurable employment in the governing contribution year.

Following inquiries his claim to injury benefit has been allowed from 5 December 1980 and payments have been made in respect of the period up to 1 May 1981. The delay in payment was due to the fact that the inquiries were only completed recently with the receipt from his employer of confirmation of the occupational accident.

The question of his entitlement to pay-related benefit is being investigated and payment, if any, due will be made on completion of inquiries.

380.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 16 February 1981, and has been paid from 19 February, fourth day of incapacity, at the appropriate rate. Payment of all disability benefit due to 4 May 1981 has been made.

He is not entitled to pay-related benefit. The delay in payment is due to the fact that he is quoting his insurance number, instead of his RSI number, on medical certificates submitted in connection with his claim.

381.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when payment of benefit will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Dublin.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 23 March 1981 and was paid from 26 March, fourth day of incapacity, at the maximum appropriate rate, to 20 April 1981, after which date he resumed work. Payment of all disability benefit due has been made. He was not entitled to pay-related benefit.

382.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.

The person concerned claimed occupational injury benefit from 15 August 1980 in respect of an accident at work on that date and was paid for the full statutory period of 26 weeks to 12 February 1981. As he continued to be incapable of work the claim was then treated as one for disability benefit and all payment due has been made to 1 May 1981. The delay in payment was due mainly to the fact that he has been quoting his insurance number instead of his RSI number on some of the medical certificates submitted in connection with his claim.

383.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will have a retirement pension made available to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.

The person concerned, who attained age 65 years on 25 October 1980, claimed retirement pension on 17 February 1981. He is not entitled to the pension as his average of contributions paid and credited from January 1953 to 5 April 1980 is 19 contributions. He would require an average of 24 contributions over that period to qualify for the minimum rate of retirement pension.

384.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if arrears of disability and pay-related benefits which are due to a person (details supplied) in County Cork will now be paid.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 27 November 1978 and was paid from 30 November 1978, fourth day of incapacity, at the maximum appropriate rate. Following examination by a medical referee, who considered him capable of work, payment was refused from 9 February 1980.

In June 1980 it was intimated to my Department that he had not received the benefit payments which issued to him during the period from November 1979 to February 1980. Details of dates of issue of the cheques, the amounts thereof and the period covered by each cheque were supplied on 3 July 1980 with a request that if he had not received any of the cheques in question the matter would be investigated on receipt of notification from him. As no reply was received to this communication no further action was considered necessary.

All the cheques issued in the period in question have been cashed and returned by the banks. I have however made arrangements for an inspector of my Department to call on him to enable him to inspect the signatures on the cheques. On receipt of the inspector's report any further action necessary will be taken.

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