asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
626.
The person concerned was in receipt of disability benefit from February 1981 to 30 June 1981. Payment was disallowed after that date following examination by a medical referee who considered him capable of work. He appealed against the disallowance of benefit and he was again examined by a different medical referee on 13 October 1981 who considered him to be incapable of work.
Payment of benefit has, therefore, been restored and all arrears of disability benefit and pay-related benefit due from 1 July 1981 to 14 November 1981 has been issued, less refund to the health board of supplementary welfare allowance advanced.
627.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a children's allowance book for two children (details supplied) in County Offaly has not been issued although it was applied for 14 months ago.
The person in question was awarded a children's allowance from March 1981 following a claim which was received in the Department on 4 February 1981 in respect of her two qualified children.
I regret that due to a clerical oversight the award was not made until 11 November 1981 when a children's allowance book at the rate of £15 per month was issued to the person concerned in respect of the period October 1981 to June 1982. A payable order for £91 arrears due from March, 1981 was issued on 23 November 1981.
Following investigations regarding an alleged previous claim, it has been arranged to award payment from November 1980 and a further payable order for £46 will issue without delay.
628.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly who applied eight weeks ago.
The person concerned had been in receipt of disability benefit and pay-related benefit from 17 October 1980 to 13 October 1981. At that stage, as he had been in receipt of benefit for 52 weeks, his claim was reviewed to establish whether he was qualified for further payment. On completion of this review payment was restored and all benefit due to 17 November 1981 has issued.
629.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment and pay-related benefits have not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare.
The entitlement of the person concerned to pay-related benefit could not be determined at the date of his claim to unemployment benefit as the Department had no record of his reckonable earnings during the relevant income tax year April 1979 to April 1980.
The person concerned was asked to provide details of his earnings during the period in question. This information was only recently provided and it was established and that he was entitled to pay-related benefit at the weekly rate of £7.58. All arrears of pay-related benefit due to him were paid last week.
630.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 16 June 1981 to 3 November 1981, the date of the latest medical evidence received. As according to the records of my Department, she has not the required minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited in the 1979-80 contribution year which governs her claim she is not entitled to payment of benefit. In fact she has no contributions to her credit since 1968.
631.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment benefit could not be decided until inquiries to establish his contribution record during the relevant contribution period April 1979 to April 1980 were completed. These inquiries were recently finalised and payment of unemployment benefit at the weekly rate of £47.50 was allowed. All arrears of unemployment benefit due were paid last week.
632.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether a free electricity allowance will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and, if so, when.
A free electricity allowance has been applied to the electricity account of the person concerned since 1977.
633.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether a free telephone allowance will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The person concerned does not satisfy the conditions of the scheme. The conditions are, however, satisfied by the applicant's wife and the allowance has been approved in her name. She was notified of the approval on 4 August 1981. The Department of Posts and Telegraphs were advised accordingly and the question of installation of a telephone is a matter for that Department.
634.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position in relation to an old age retirement pension for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The person concerned attained age 65 years on 11 October 1981 and claimed retirement pension from my Department. He has been awarded a pension at the maximum personal rate of £32.00 from Thursday, 15 October 1981 and a pension book containing orders for payment from 12 November has been issued to the designated post office for collection by him. He is not entitled to an increase in respect of his wife as she is in receipt of a non-contributory old age pension at a rate which is higher than the increase of pension which would ordinarily be payable in respect of her. The arrears due for the period from 15 October 1981 have been issued direct to him by means of a payable order.
635.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
A claim for old age (contributory) pension, dated 13 July 1981, in respect of the person concerned was received by my Department on 2 October 1981. He has been awarded a pension at the appropriate weekly rate from 17 April 1981. A pension order book with orders for payment from 2 October 1981 issued to the designated post office on 20 November 1981 and he has been notified accordingly. A payable order in respect of arrears of pension for the period from 17 April to 1 October 1981 has been sent direct to him. As he was also employed in Great Britain he may also have an entitlement to a British pension, under EEC regulations. The relevant details have been sent to the British authorities for their consideration.
636.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment and pay-related benefits have not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
The entitlement of the person concerned to pay-related benefit could not be determined until inquiries to establish her reckonable earnings during the income tax year April 1979 to April 1980 were completed as the Department had no record of earnings during the period in question. These inquiries have now been finalised and pay-related benefit at the weekly rate of £6.44 has been allowed. The person concerned is a postal recipient and arrangements have been made to issue to her and order for encashment at her local post office paying all arrears of pay-related benefit, this week.
637.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
Details of the contribution record of the person concerned during the relevant contribution period April 1979 to April 1980 were not available at the Department's records at the date of his claim and he was asked to furnish evidence of employment during the period in question. He recently provided the necessary particulars and as he satisfied the statutory contribution conditions his claim to unemployment benefit at the maximum weekly rate of £53.45 increased to £55.10 from 5 October 1981 was allowed.
All unemployment benefit due to him was paid on 20 November 1981.
638.
(Wexford) asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether a widow's pension will continue to be paid to a widow (details supplied) in County Wexford; and, if so, when.
The person concerned was in receipt of a non-contributory widow's pension since 4 June 1966 from my Department. Following a re-investigation of the case in September 1981 her means, as assessed on the yearly value of a farm, exceeded the statutory limit for receipt of pension by a widow with one qualified child and payment was terminated with effect from 2 October 1981.
The widow appealed against the decision and her case has been referred to an appeals officer whose decision will be conveyed to her as soon as possible.
639.
(Wexford) asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will ensure that a person (details supplied) in County Wexford receives his unemployment assistance on Fridays as is the norm.
I would like to assure the Deputy that every effort is made to issue paying orders to postal recipients of unemployment assistance in time for encashment at their local post offices before the weekend. I have arranged for a special examination to be carried out in the branch employment office area in which the person concerned resides with a view to ensuring delivery of pay vouchers in time for encashment before the weekend.
640.
(Wexford) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when social welfare benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford whose doctor and specialist insist that he is unfit for work.
Further to my reply of 3 November 1981 to a question by the Deputy regarding the person concerned, the position is that arrangements have been made to have him examined by a medical referee of my Department on 8 December 1981. On receipt of the result of this examination the claim will be reviewed and a decision will be given on the question of his entitlement to further payment of disability benefit.
641.
(Wexford) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when social welfare payments will recommence to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who has received no payment for the last fortnight.
The person concerned has been in receipt of disability benefit from 15 October 1980. Payment is made promptly on receipt of medical evidence. It appears however that a medical certificate due on 6 November was not received and this resulted in the interruption of payment at that stage. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit due has now been paid up to 28 November 1981.
642.
(Wexford) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford in respect of the period 9 September to 10 November 1980, for which medical certificates were forwarded to her Department.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 29 September 1980 to 29 November 1980, after which date he was certified fit to resume work. He was not entitled to payment as he had not the necessary minimum 26 contributions paid or credited in the governing contribution period January 1978 to April 1979. I am arranging to have an inspector of my Department call on him at an early date to ascertain details of his employment history. On receipt of the result of the inquiries the position will be reviewed.
643.
(Wexford) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who applied in January 1981.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit and submitted a first medical certificate of incapacity for work from 26 January 1981. As no further medical evidence of incapacity has been received from him, my Department are not aware of the duration of his incapacity. He was notified of the position and advised to submit continuing medical evidence but so far he has not done so. If he will now submit the required medical evidence his claim for payment will be considered.
644.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork is not receiving the benefit due to him on a regular basis.
The person concerned made three claims to disability as follows:—
(1) In February 1981 he submitted one certificate, a final, certifying him fit to resume work on 5 March 1981. On this certificate he quoted an old insurance number only. On confirmation with his employer of the period of absence from work because of illness all disability benefit due from 26 February to 4 March was issued. He was not entitled to pay-related benefit as the duration of the claim was less than 12 days.
(2) A further claim was made in respect of the period from 28 May to 13 June 1981 but due to an administrative error payment was not issued until 19 November 1981.
(3) He again claimed disability benefit from 19 October 1981 and has been paid all disability benefit and pay-related benefit due from 22 October, fourth day of incapacity, to 21 November 1981.
645.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork is not receiving benefit.
The person concerned claimed injury benefit in respect of an accident from 10 September 1981. As the incapacity did not arise out of and in the course of his employment he is not entitled to injury benefit. His entitlement to disability benefit was then examined, but as he had not the required minimum of 26 paid contributions to his credit since his entry into insurance he was not entitled to payment. Following inquiries, however, it has been established that he had in fact sufficient weeks of insurable employment to qualify for payment of benefit. All benefit due to 19 November 1981, the date of the latest certificate received, has now been issued.
646.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a widow's contributory pension will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The person concerned whose husband died on 8 September 1981 has been awarded a contributory widow's pension at the maximum rate appropriate to a widow with four qualified children with effect from 23 October 1981. A pension book containing orders from that date was issued on 19 November 1981 to the designated post office for collection by her and she has been notified accordingly. As her husband had been in receipt of disability benefit, payment of this benefit continued to be made to her for six weeks after his death, that is up to 22 October. She was not entitled to widow's pension until after the expiration of that period.
647.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if disability benefit will be paid to an applicant (details supplied) in County Mayo.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 13 March 1980 and was paid for 52 weeks from 17 March 1980, fourth day of incapacity, to 14 March 1981. Payment ceased after that date as he had not the necessary 156 paid contributions to entitle him to payment for more than 52 weeks. As he was employed in Great Britain the British Department of Health and Social Security were asked to furnish details of his contribution record. However, as the claimant appears to have furnished an incorrect insurance number, the British authorities are having difficulty in tracing his insurance record. They have intimated that they are dealing with this claim as a matter of urgency and will notify my Department as soon as they establish his record. On receipt of this information any further benefit due will issue. He was certified fit to resume work on 7 July 1981.
648.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an increase in rural unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned appealed against the decision of the deciding officer assessing him with means on the national value of beneficial occupation of his mother's holding which entitled him to unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £21.60. The case was referred to an appeals officer who revised the decision of the deciding officer and assessed the person concerned with means of £13.00 derived from the value of board and lodging on his mother's holding with effect from 21 October 1981. The person concerned is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £34.05, being the maximum rate of £47.05 less means of £13.00. Arrangements have been made to pay all arrears of unemployment assistance due to him this week.
649.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an increase in rural unemployment assistance will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
An appeals officer has recently reduced the means assessment of the person concerned and accordingly he is entitled to unemployment assistance from 7 October 1981 at the increased weekly rate of £22.50, being the maximum rate of £61.00 less means of £38.50. The applicant is a postal claimant and arrangements have been made to issue him with an order for encashment paying all arrears of unemployment assistance at his local post office this week.
650.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why her Department has not paid unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath.
The person concerned ceased to be entitled to unemployment benefit on 20 May 1981 when he exhausted his title on the completion of 390 days of benefit. He claimed unemployment assistance following the termination of his unemployment benefit claim but the means assessed against him, £26.44, exceeded the maximum rate of unemployment assistance payable in his case. He expressed dissatisfaction with the assessment of means and is claim was reinvestigated following which a deciding officer reduced assessment to £23.45. However, this amount also exceeded the maximum rate of unemployment assistance payable to him, namely £20.35, and him claim for unemployment assistance could not be allowed. If the person concerned is dissatisfied with the latest assessment of means it is open to him to appeal and to have his case referred to an appeals officer for determination. A form for this purpose is obtainable at his local office.
651.
(Wexford) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a pension at the full rate will be restored to a person (details suplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned is in receipt of a non-contributory old age pension at the reduced rate of £23.95 a week. His means, consisting of half the weekly value of a pension from the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, only entitle him to pension at this rate.
652.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if her Department will sanction free electricity for a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim.
An application for a free electricity allowance from the person concerned was received in my Department on 10 November 1981. The allowance has been approved and will be applied to his electricity account from the December 1981/January 1982 billing period.
653.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why pay-related benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who has been out of work due to illness since 18 May 1981.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 19 May 1981 and has been paid from 22 May 1981, fourth day of incapacity. All disability benefit due to 16 November, date of latest medical certificate received, has issued. He is not entitled to pay-related benefit as the weekly rate of disability benefit payable to him exceeds the amount of his reckonable weekly earnings in 1979-80, the relevant tax year on which his entitlement to pay-related benefit is based.
654.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 24 October 1981 and payment has issued to him in respect of the period from 7 November 1981 to 21 November 1981. The benefit due for the period from 28 October 1981, fourth day of incapacity, to 6 November 1981 has been withheld pending notification from the South Eastern Health Board of the amount of supplementary welfare allowance paid to him during that period.
655.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange to have a dependent relatives allowance paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork who is a non-contributory old age pensioner.
In order to qualify for an adult dependant allowance in respect of her incapacitated husband the pensioner would be required to be wholly or mainly maintaining him. The husband is, however, legally entitled to be maintained by his son under the terms of the deed by which he transferred his holding and the conditions for receipt of the adult dependant allowance are not therefore fulfilled. An appeals officer to whom the case was referred has decided that the pensioner is not entitled to the allowance.
656.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Following the completion of inquiries a deciding officer has assessed the person concerned with means of £22.65 derived from the notional value of his holding and from capital. The person concerned is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £1.35, being the maximum rate payable in his case £24.00 less means £22.65, increased to £2.05 from 30 September 1980. Arrangements have been made to pay all unemployment assistance due this week.
657.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cause of the long delay in paying unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
The person concerned has been in receipt of unemployment assistance continuously since 26 November 1980 and he was paid at the rate appropriate to a married man with one qualified child less £18.65 means derived from the value of board and lodging and capital. The current rate payable to him is £22.45 being £41.10 less means £18.65. He appealed against the assessment of means and protracted inquiries had to be made before his case was determined by an appeals officer. The appeals officer recently upheld the assessment of means at £18.65 from 26 November 1980 but assessed him with nil means from 11 December 1980. The person concerned is accordingly entitled to the maximum rate applicable to him from 11 December 1980 and arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due this week. The current rate payable to him is £41.10 weekly.
658.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 28 September 1981 and has been paid at the maximum appropriate rate, from 1 October 1981, fourth day of incapacity. Payment of all disability benefit due has been made to 23 November, date of latest medical certificate. He is not entitled to pay-related benefit.
659.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance at the full rate will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned is presently in receipt of unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £24.70, being the maximum rate of £51.70 less means £27.00 derived from self-employment. He has applied for a reassessment of his means and the case is presently being investigated by a social welfare officer of my Department. When these investigations are completed the assessment of his means will be re-examined by a deciding officer.
660.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a free electricity allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
An application for a free electricity allowance from the person concerned has been approved from the October/November 1981 billing period. A notice of disallowance was issued to him in the first instance because an incorrect date of birth had been quoted by him on the application form. The correct date of birth was subsequently verified and he was informed that the allowance had been approved.
661.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will issue a non-contributory old age pension to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
I assume that the Deputy is referring to a claim to old age non-contributory pension made by the husband of the person concerned. This claim was referred to the local pension committee for decision on 23 November with a recommendation that pension at the maximum rate, plus an adult dependant allowance, be awarded from 16 July 1981. A pension book is being issued on a provisional basis, pending the pension committee's decision.
662.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she is aware that her Department have not taken into account the recent drop in income in their assessment of the claim of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will now arrange that she be paid a non-contributory old age pension at the higher rate.
As the Deputy is aware, the local pension committee recently awarded old age pension at a higher rate than that recommended by the social welfare officer who investigated a claim for an increase made by the pensioner. It is my understanding that the officer's recommendation was made in accordance with the information supplied to him. The case will now be referred to an appeals officer for determination and the particulars furnished by the Deputy will be placed before him together with any additional information the pensioner may wish to give.
663.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an invalidity pension will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary who has been receiving disability benefit for six years as a result of coronary artery disease.
A form on which to claim invalidity pension has been forwarded to the person concerned. On its return, duly completed, the pension will be awarded from 10 December 1981.
664.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary who was paid from 29 June to 31 August 1981 but who has received no payment since then; and when payment will issue.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 29 June to 31 August 1981, after which date he was certified fit to resume work. As, according to the records of my Department, he had less than the minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited in the governing contribution year he was advised that he was not entitled to benefit. Following inquiries it was established that he had in fact sufficient contributions to qualify for payment. The amount of the benefit due for the full period of his incapacity was issued on 20 November 1981 after refund to the health board of the amount of supplementary welfare allowance paid to him.
665.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 9 July 1981 and payment was made from 13 July (fourth day of incapacity) to 24 October 1981, after which date she was certified fit to resume work. The delay in payment in her case was due to the fact that there was no record in my Department of the receipt of covering medical evidence of her incapacity after 14 July. Following inquiries with her employers it was established that she did not resume work until 26 October and payment was issued on the basis of this information.
666.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if her Department will pay the arrears of an EEC pension due to a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim.
The person concerned attained pension age on 3 September 1979 and was awarded an old age non-contributory pension from 7 September 1979 pending investigation of his entitlement to a contributory old age pension. He was not entitled to a contributory old age pension solely on the basis of his Irish insurance record but as he had been employed in Great Britain it was established that the aggregation of his British and Irish insurance records would qualify him for pro-rata British and Irish pension under EEC regulations. Due to industrial action by members of the staff of the British Department of Health and Social Security details of the rate of British pension payable were only recently notified to my Department. Arising out of the award of British retirement pension the old age non-contributory pension at present payable to him is due for revision and his pension book has been recalled for this purpose. On receipt of the pension book the amount due for refund to my Department out of the arrears of British pension will be calculated and the balance will be paid to him. The old age non-contributory pension will also be revised and a fresh pension book at the revised rate will be issued to him as quickly as possible.
The rate of non-contributory pension payable is higher than the rate of Irish contributory pension which would ordinarily be payable and in the circumstances he will continue to receive the non-contributory pension.
667.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange for the payment of arrears of disability and pay-related benefits to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon.
The person concerned has been paid all disability benefit and pay-related benefit due from 14 September, fourth day of incapacity, to 6 October 1981, after which date he was certified fit to resume work. The payment cheque which issued to him on 16 October 1981 represented payment for the period 18 September 1981 to 6 October 1981. A recheck of his claim, however, showed that he was underpaid one day's disability benefit and pay-related benefit and a cheque in respect of this day has now issued to him.
668.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange for the immediate payment of a widow's pension to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon.
The person concerned, whose husband died on 11 October 1976, made two applications for widow's non contributory pension in 1979 and 1980 but subsequently withdrew the claims. Representations received on her behalf in July 1981 were accepted as a renewed application for widow's pension. The local officer who investigated the claim reported that she had failed to disclose full information regarding her means. Her application for pension was accordingly refused. If at any stage she indicates that she is prepared to supply the required information her claim will be considered.
669.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will return an old age pension book to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and if she will approve the free electricity allowance and telephone concession for this person.
The person concerned has had her pension book returned following adjustment and free electricity allowance and free telephone rental allowance have both been granted to her.
670.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason maternity benefit due since 10 October 1981 has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
There is no record in my Department of the claim for maternity benefit referred to by the Deputy. A form on which to claim this benefit has been sent to the person concerned and when this is returned the claim will be considered. The claimant was paid maternity benefit in respect of a confinement on 27 November 1980. As it was necessary to make inquiries regarding her employment in the contribution year governing the claim, it was not possible to issue the payment until June 1981. The period covered by this payment was from 27 October 1980 to 17 January 1981.
671.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary who has been sick and out of work since 18 September 1981.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 21 September 1981 and has been paid at the maximum appropriate rate, from 24 September, fourth day of incapacity. Payment of all disability benefit and pay-related benefit due has been male to 21 November 1981.
672.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when pay-related benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in Littleton, Thurles, County Tipperary.
Inquiries which were necessary to establish the title of the person concerned to pay-related benefit were recently completed. He is entitled to the weekly rate of pay-related benefit at £13.43 from 12 September 1981 and £12.18 weekly from 5 October 1981. This is the rate appropriate to a recipient whose entitlement to combined unemployment benefit and pay-related benefit is limited under statutory provisions to 85 per cent of his average net weekly earnings which in the case of the person concerned amounted to £53.88. All arrears of pay-related benefit due to him were paid last week.
673.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will re-open the claim for unemployment assistance of a person (details supplied) in County Cork as he has been incorrectly assessed as having a farm.
The person concerned is presently in receipt of unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £16.80, being the rate payable to a smallholder with a valuation of less than £10.00 whose means notionally assessed amount to 15p a week. I am arranging to have his case re-examined as requested by the Deputy.
674.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a travel pass will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
As the person concerned is under 66 years of age and is not a registered blind person or in receipt of any allowance or pension which would entitle him to free travel, I regret that at the moment a free travel pass cannot be issued to him. However, as he will attain the qualifying age on 23 April 1982 a free travel pass will issue to him shortly before that date. Special application will not be necessary.
675.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the weekly pension granted to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
The person concerned whose husband died on 7 July 1982 was awarded a partial non-contributory widow's pension of £45.75 a week from 8 July 1981 on the basis of her means assessed on the value of a farm in which she has a life interest. The pension was reduced to £35.85 a week from 5 September 1981 when one of her qualified children attained 18 years and subsequently increased to £37.65 a week from 2 October 1981. A pension book containing orders from 23 October 1981 was issued on 28 October 1981 to the designated post office for collection by her and she has been notified accordingly. The arrears of pension due from 8 July 1981 to 22 October 1981 have been paid direct to the widow after adjustment for the amount of unemployment assistance which she received during the period from 8 July to 21 October 1981.