asked the minister for Social Welfare the present position in regard to an old age pension application from a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
517.
The person concerned is currently in receipt of a pension at the rate of £28.45. His application for an increase was disallowed by the local pension committee on 5 February 1983 as the assessment of his means, consisting of a holding, did not warrant payment of pension at a higher rate. However, the Committee awarded him a living alone allowance from 20 September 1982.
A pension book at the £2.70 rate representing the living alone allowance was issued to the pensioner on 25 February 1983 and arrears due from 20 September 1982 will issue on 1 March 1983.
518.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and when this benefit will be paid.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 30 September 1982 but failed to reply to requests to furnish relevant documents regarding his employment and his earnings and also to complete the portion of the application form required to determine whether he satisfied the conditions for receipt of unemployment benefit.
There is no record of contributions in respect of him in the records of the Department in the contribution year governing his claim, that is from 6 April 1980 to 5 April 1981, and accordingly he would qualify for unemployment benefit from 30 September 1982 to 2 January 1983. However, inquiries are being made with his employers' accountant in regard to his PRSI contributions in the contribution year 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982 which would be reckonable in respect of the new benefit year which commenced on January, 1983.
When these inquiries are completed and when the person concerned has completed the formalities for making a claim his entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed.
519.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be increased in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry as he has no other means.
Following a reinvestigation of the means of the person concerned on a factual basis, a deciding officer has assessed him with weekly means of 5p derived from a plot of land. He is accordingly entitled to an increase in the rate of unemployment assistance payable to him from his present rate of £48.15 to £57.90 a week being the appropriate maximum rate of £57.95 less means 5p. Arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due to him this week, with effect from 22 November 1982.
520.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will examine the headage scheme grants paid to small-holders when assessing their means in accordance with the provisions of the recent budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Headage scheme grants paid to farmers are taken into account in the factual assessment of means derived from farming for unemployment assistance purposes.
Following the decision of the High Court that sections of the Valuation (Ireland) Act, 1952 were unconstitutional, the system of assessment of means from farming on a notional basis by reference to poor law valuation has had to be discontinued. However, persons at present in receipt of unemployment assistance under the notional system will retain their entitlement at their existing levels of payment until such time as their means are assessed on a factual basis. The entitlements of persons assessed on a factual basis are determined by reference to the standard rates of unemployment assistance which will include the budget increases effective from 29 June next.
521.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cause of the long delay in paying deserted wife's allowance at the maximum rate to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
An application for a deserted wife's allowance benefit was received from the person concerned on 9 June 1982. Her claim was disallowed on the ground that she was not the legal wife of the man concerned. Notification of this decision was sent to her on 23 July 1982. She appealed against the decision but her appeal was turned down by the appeals officer. She was notified of his decision on 23 November, 1982. An appeals officer's decision is final and conclusive and can only be reviewed in the light of new facts or fresh evidence being made available to him.
522.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying a disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath as he has had many years of insurable employment both in England and Ireland.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 17 January 1983. He was not qualified for benefit at the commencement of his claim as he had less than the required minimum of 26 contributions paid since entry into insurable employment.
It was subsequently established that he was previously employed in Great Britain and is qualified for benefit on the basis of his British insurance record. Accordingly a cheque for the amount of benefit due from 20 January 1983, fourth day of incapacity, to 12 February 1983, after which date he resumed work, less amount of supplementary welfare allowance advanced was issued on 24 February 1983.
He is not entitled to pay-related benefit as the weekly rate of disability benefit payable to him exceeds his average reckonable weekly earnings in 1981-82, the relevant income tax year governing his entitlement to pay-related benefit.
523.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if disability benefit at the full rate has been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned has been paid disability benefit at the maximum appropriate rate of £52.15 per week from 1 November 1982 fourth day of incapacity. In addition he was paid pay-related benefit at £39.77 per week from 11 November 1982, thirteenth day of incapacity. All benefit due to 15 January 1983, after which date he was certified as fit to resume work has been issued. He informed the Department that he did not receive a cheque which was issued on 18 January 1983. A form of indemnity has been sent to the claimant and on receipt of the completed form the matter of issuing a replacement cheque will be considered.
524.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an appeal in respect of a non-contributory old age pension at the full rate will be decided by the appeals officer in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Clare as he has no means.
The claim of the person concerned was examined by an appeals officer on 15 February 1983. However, he deferred a decision on the claimant's entitlement pending a further report from the social welfare supervisor. Upon receipt of the social welfare supervisor's report the claim will again be put before the appeals officer for decision. Pension at the reduced rate of £24.45 is in payment to the person on a provisional basis.
525.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a refund of social welfare benefit will be made in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Clare.
A refund of social insurance contributions paid in error by the employer of the person concerned in respect of the contribution year 1981-82 was made on 18 February 1983 to the employer and the person concerned has been notified accordingly.
526.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason an old age pension is not being paid at the full rate to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
It was decided by an appeals officer on 17 January 1983 that the person concerned is not entitled to any pension on the ground that he does not fulfil the statutory condition as to means. The claimant's means consist of a holding, the transfer of which was not accepted for old age pension purposes.
527.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry did not qualify for unemployment assistance.
The person concerned is in receipt of unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £26.45 being the appropriate maximum rate in his case of £42 less means £15.55 derived from land, capital and self-employment as a contractor. Weekly payments continue to be made as they become payable.
528.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The person concerned was not qualified for unemployment benefit from the commencement of her claim on 31 August 1982 until 1 January 1983 as she did not satisfy the governing contribution conditions during the relevant contribution period 6 April 1980 to 5 April 1981.
A new benefit year commenced on 3 January 1983 and following a review of her case it was established that she satisfied the conditions for reduced rate unemployment benefit at £26.25 weekly on the basis of her record during the period 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982. Arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due to her this week and further weekly payments will be made as they become due.
529.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The person concerned was continuously in receipt of unemployment assistance from 1978 until 16 November 1982. Her claim was disallowed from 17 November 1982 to 28 December 1982 as she failed without good cause to attend an AnCO interview. She has not to-date appealed against the disallowance. Payment of unemployment assistance at the maximum rate payable to her £25.45 was resumed from 29 December 1982 and further weekly payments are being made as they become due.
530.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny as he applied on 9 December 1982.
The investigation of the means of the person concerned for the purpose of determining his entitlement to unemployment assistance, which he claimed on 17 December 1982, has just been completed. A decision on his case will be given without delay.
531.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Carlow who is married with two children has had his unemployment assistance reduced to £22 per week as he notified the Department that his wife had discontinued working.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment benefit until 9 February 1983 when he exhausted his title on the completion of 390 days of benefit.
He was the holder of a qualification certificate with means assessed at £30.75 derived from his wife's earnings. He was accordingly paid unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £27.20 being the maximum rate of £57.95 less means £30.75. However his case was recently reviewed and his means were reduced to nil. He is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £57.95 and arrangements have been made to pay adjusting arrears this week. Further weekly payments of unemployment assistance at £57.95 will be made as they become due.
532.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny as he applied in March 1982.
The application of the person concerned for a qualification certificate, which is a prerequisite for entitlement to unemployment assistance, was turned down by a deciding officer on the grounds that he failed to furnish information regarding his income and his means could not be determined. He appealed against this decision and following further enquiries an appeals officer allowed his appeal and assessed him with nil means. He has, therefore, entitlement to unemployment assistance at the maximum weekly rate of £25.45 applicable to a single person living in a rural area. However, he ceased to sign the live register on 3 February 1983.
There are no arrears due to him as he was in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance and the amount of arrears payable to him had to be recouped to the local health authority. The rate of supplementary welfare allowance paid is the same as the rate of unemployment assistance that would otherwise have been payable.
533.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance which was applied for some time ago will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.
The person concerned has been continuously in receipt of weekly unemployment assistance since the commencement of his claim on 6 October 1981. The present weekly rate of unemployment assistance payable to him is £8.15 being the maximum rate payable to him £25.45 less means £17.30 derived from the letting of a shop. The amount of means assessed against him was upheld by an appeals officer.
534.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a non-contributory old age pension is only being paid at the rate of £29.80 per week to a person (details supplied) in County Laois as she has no property in her name since 30 June 1982.
The person concerned is in receipt of a widow's non-contributory pension at a reduced rate, on the basis of her means assessed on the yearly value of some capital and a third intestacy interest in a holding of land. In view of the Deputy's statement that she now has no property in her name the claimant's present circumstances are being investigated and a decision will be given without delay when inquiries have been completed.