asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in Thurles, County Tipperary who has been waiting for payment for some weeks.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
876.
The person concerned has been in receipt of disability benefit from 26 January 1982 and was paid promptly on receipt of medical evidence of incapacity. As he may not have received some of the payments a list of cheques issued has been sent to him and he has been requested to indicate any he did not receive so that replacement action can be taken.
Arrangements have been made to have payment in future made weekly in advance of medical evidence which will only be required at monthly intervals.
877.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in New Ross, County Wexford.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 8 April 1982 and was paid from 12 April 1982, fourth day of incapacity. On 7 May 1982 notification was received from the South Eastern Health Board that the claimant had been paid supplementary welfare allowance from 3 May 1982. At that stage payment of disability benefit was stopped pending inquiries regarding the amount of supplementary welfare allowance advanced.
Arrears of disability benefit due from 3 May to 12 June 1982, less supplementary welfare allowance advanced, were issued on 15 June 1982.
878.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if the full rate of the widow's and orphan's pension will be issued to a person (details supplied) in Enniscorthy, County Wexford.
The person concerned is in receipt of a widow's contributory pension, including increases for three qualified children, at the rate appropriate to a woman with a yearly average of 30 insurance contributions from the date of her entry into insurance until the end of the last complete contribution year prior to the death of her husband in June 1968. To qualify for the full rate an average of 48 or more is required. The difference however between the two rates is only £1.55 per week.
Her pension will be reduced by £10.65 per week when her son attains 18 years on 30 July 1982. Payment in respect of this child will be restored if the usual school certificate which will be issued to the widow is returned, indicating that the child will be continuing to receive full-time day education beyond that date.
879.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when pay-related benefit will be issued to a person (details supplied) in Enniscorthy, County Wexford.
Due to an error the person concerned was not paid pay-related benefit from 10 May 1982. The error has now been corrected and all arrears of pay-related benefit due to the claimant will be paid this week.
Further weekly payments of £87.21 (£68.05 flat rate benefit and £19.16 pay-related benefit) will continue to be made as they fall due.
880.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be issued to a person (details supplied) in Enniscorthy, County Wexford.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 6 April 1982. He also claimed supplementary welfare allowance from the South Eastern Health Board pending payment on his disability benefit claim.
When the claim was authorised it was necessary to ascertain the amount of supplementary welfare allowance due for refund to the health board before payment of benefit could be made.
The inquiries have since been completed and all arrears of disability benefit due to 8 June have been issued to the claimant.
The claimant is not entitled to pay-related benefit.
881.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when children's allowances will be issued to a person (details supplied) in Enniscorthy, County Wexford.
An allowance book containing orders at £11.25 per month payable from July 1982 together with arrears orders at £5.25 per month for April, May and June 1982 has been issued to the person concerned.
882.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
Following a recent review of the means of the person concerned, a deciding officer decided that his means derived from his land assessed on a notional basis and from the sale of turf exceeded the statutory limit in his case namely £2,139.80 with effect from 19 May 1982. Consequently he was no longer entitled to payment of unemployment assistance from that date.
He has appealed against this decision and his case is being referred to an appeals officer for consideration. His claim will be reviewed in the light of the appeals officer's decision.
883.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the long delay in paying unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in Killarney, County Kerry.
To qualify for unemployment assistance a person is required to be the holder of a qualification certificate which is a statement of his means.
The person concerned applied for a qualification certificate on 20 January 1982 and he stated in his application form that he had made a previous application for this certificate. Inquiries were undertaken to try to trace the previous application because if a qualification certificate had previously been granted, it would have enabled payment to be made to him immediately on the basis of such certificate. However, the inquiries proved negative and in the event led to the delay in finalising his claim.
He has now been granted a qualification certificate with means of £18.45 derived from self-employment and he is entitled to unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £22.65 from 20 January 1982 increased to £32.05 from 31 March 1982.
All arrears of unemployment assistance due to the person concerned up to 1 May 1982 when he ceased to sign the unemployed register will be paid this week.
884.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 19 February 1982. Inquiries were necessary to determine his relevant contribution record. However, the claim was disallowed by a deciding officer on the grounds that the claimant did not satisfy the contribution conditions for receipt of the benefit.
To qualify for unemployment assistance a person is required to be the holder of a qualification certificate which is a statement of his means. The person concerned applied for a qualification certificate and unemployment assistance on 25 May 1982. However, the application will be regarded as having been made on the date he claimed unemployment benefit viz. 19 February 1982.
The decision on the application for the qualification certificate will be made within a few days and payment of all arrears of unemployment assistance to the person concerned will be made next week.
885.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be granted free telephone rental.
One of the conditions for the receipt of a free telephone rental allowance is that the applicant must be living alone or with one or more persons who are permanently incapacitated.
The person concerned resides with another pensioner and she has been advised of the necessity of submitting a medical certificate in respect of the other pensioner.
On receipt of the medical evidence the application for the allowance will be dealt with urgently.
886.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason an invalidity pension has not been granted to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and when the pension will be granted.
The Social Welfare (Invalidity Pension) Regulations provide that the claimant must be regarded as permanently incapable of work in order to qualify for invalidity pension.
The person concerned was examined on 7 April 1982 by a medical referee of the Department who expressed the opinion that he was not permanently incapable of work. It is proposed however to have him again examined by a medical referee in August 1982. On receipt of the report of this examination his entitlement to invalidity pension will be reviewed.
887.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary for the past three months.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 1 March 1982. He was not qualified for payment, however, as he had not the required minimum of 26 paid or credited contributions in the contribution year 1980-81 which governed his claim. He was informed accordingly on 9 March 1982.
In reply to inquiries regarding his employment record in 1980-81 the claimant stated that he was self-employed from May 1980 to February 1981.
888.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 16 February 1982 but he was not entitled to payment as he had not the required minimum of 26 paid contributions to his credit since his entry into insurance. He was notified accordingly on 9 March 1982.
889.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance which is long overdue will be paid to a person (details supplied) in Charleville, County Cork.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 18 September 1980. He qualified for benefit and continued to sign the unemployed register up to 12 January 1982.
In December 1981 a deciding officer decided that he was not entitled to benefit in respect of four specified days in October 1981 on which there was evidence that he was working.
Pending completion of inquiries the deciding officer decided that payment be withheld in respect of two days each week as there were good grounds to suggest that he was working each Friday and Saturday. Following receipt of the investigating officer's report, the deciding officer disallowed the person concerned for receipt of benefit in respect of a further 44 days during the period October 1981 to January 1982 on the grounds that he was not unemployed on those days.
The person concerned has appealed against the decision and his case is being referred to an appeals officer.
He made a repeat claim to unemployment benefit on 1 June 1982. He is qualified for benefit and payment will be made to him this week.