asked the Minister for Social Welfare when occupational injuries benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
627.
There is no record of a claim to occupational injuries benefit having been received from the person concerned. He did, however, claim unemployment benefit in February 1983 and his claim was authorised and paid at the reduced weekly rate of £71.65 based on 26 contributions in the contribution year 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982.
He stated that he was employed in the United Kingdom during the relevant contribution year and he was asked to supply details of his employment in that country for the purpose of ascertaining his United Kingdom insurance record to increase his entitlement. However, he has not replied to written requests for this information nor to the request for a statement of his earnings up to the date of his unemployment benefit claim which is required to determine his entitlement to pay-related benefit. When this information is received from the claimant the rate of unemployment benefit will be reviewed and his entitlement to pay-related benefit will be determined.
628.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if an increase in an old age pension will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned was awarded an old age pension of £10.45 a week in April 1982. This is the rate appropriate to the assessment of her means, consisting of half the weekly value of a holding.
If her circumstances have worsened in the meantime she should furnish details at an early date with a view to having her entitlement to an increase investigated.
629.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an increase in an old age pension will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned is currently in receipt of old age pension at the reduced rate of £16.45 per week.
Representations received from the Deputy in March were accepted as an application for an increase on the person's behalf. The claim for an increase is at present being investigated by a social welfare officer and when the inquiries have been completed the application for increase will be referred to the local pension committee for decision.
630.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an old age pension will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The old age pension claim of the person concerned has been investigated and referred to the local pension committee for decision. The Social Welfare Officer has recommended against payment of pension on the ground that the claimant's means were not fully disclosed. If the claimant is dissatisfied with the pension committee's decision he will have a right of appeal against it.
631.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an increase in the widow's pension will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned has been in receipt of a widow's contributory pension from my Department since the death of her husband in November 1981.
The current weekly rate being paid to her is £36.25. This is the maximum rate of widow's contributory pension appropriate to a person who has no qualified child and who is under 66 years.
Her rate of pension will be increased to £40.60 per week from 1 July next in accordance with budget provisions.
632.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of an old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The arrears of old age pension due to the person concerned from 1 December 1982 to 31 December 1982 have now been issued.
633.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that by failing to disclose details of his means he failed to show that his means did not exceed the statutory limit.
He appealed against the disallowance and conveyed that he was prepared to disclose all particulars about his means. His case was again investigated and following the completion of inquiries he was assessed with nil means.
His claim was allowed at the maximum rate of £57.95 weekly with effect from 19 July 1982 and he was paid the balance of arrears due, less advances of supplementary welfare allowance which had been advanced to him pending a decision on his unemployment assistance claim and had to be recouped to his health board, on 25 January 1983. Weekly payments continue to be made to him as they become due.
634.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made on a claim for an old age pension made by a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The repeat old age pension claim of the person concerned has been investigated and referred to the local pension committee for decision. Payment of a pension has not been recommended by the social welfare officer as the assessment of the claimant's means, consisting of half the weekly letting value of a holding, exceeds the statutory limit.
635.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
It has been decided by the local pension committee that the person concerned is entitled to an old age pension at the rate of £16.45 a week plus £2.70 living alone allowance from 14 December, 1982. The appropriate pension books and arrears were issued to him in February 1983.
636.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a living alone allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
It was decided by an appeals officer in December last that the person concerned was not entitled to a living alone allowance from 13 August 1982. However, information has been received recently intimating that the pensioner may now be living alone and the social welfare officer has been asked to investigate the position. His title to living alone allowance will be reviewed in the light of the officer's report and he will be notified of the outcome.
637.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position regarding an application for a deserted wife's allowance for a person (details supplied) in Dublin who applied in August, 1982.
The person concerned has been awarded deserted wife's benefit at the maximum rate with effect from 19 August 1982. An order book payable from 31 March 1983 has been forwarded to the designated post office for collection by her and she has been notified accordingly.
A payable order in respect of arrears due for the period from 19 August 1982 to 30 March 1983 will be issued to her shortly.
The delay in deciding this case arose from the efforts that were made to have the husband interviewed in order to obtain his version of the circumstances of the desertion. This is the normal practice in these cases.
638.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position regarding an appeal for unemployment benefit which was lodged by a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7 who has not been in receipt of payment for one-and-a-half years.
The person concerned does not satisfy the contribution conditions for unemployment benefit. He was in receipt of unemployment assistance up to 29 December 1981 when his claim was disallowed on the grounds that he was not genuinely seeking work. He appealed against the disallowance but the decision was upheld by an appeals officer. He repeated his application for unemployment assistance on a number of occasions but his claims were disallowed and other than one decision which he did not appeal all disallowances were upheld by an appeals officer.
He last claimed unemployment assistance on 22 April 1983 and again his case was investigated. Following the completion of inquiries his claim was disallowed on the grounds that he was not genuinely seeking work. It is open to him to appeal against the latest disallowance and a form for this purpose may be obtained at his local office.
He is presently in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance.
639.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit at the proper rate has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and when the balance will be paid.
The person concerned claimed occupational injury benefit in respect of an incapacity resulting from an accident at work on 16 September 1982.
Pending the completion of investigations arising from the accident he was paid disability benefit on an interim basis from 21 September 1982 at the rate of £75 a week. Following investigations, he was allowed injury benefit at the rate of £86.90 a week from 17 September, the first day of incapacity. All benefit due has been paid in respect of the period to 26 February 1983 when he was certified fit to resume work.
His earnings in the relevant tax year, £74.04 a week, were less than the flatrates of benefit paid and he did not accordingly qualify for pay-related benefit. The person concerned has accordingly received all benefit to which he is entitled.
640.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when pay-related benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned is currently in receipt of flat-rate unemployment benefit at the appropriate maximum weekly rate in his case of £81.95.
The inquiries to establish the amount of pay-related benefit payable in this case have recently been completed and pay-related benefit at the rate of £4.85 weekly has been authorised.
All arrears due will be issued to him this week. Weekly payments of £86.80 (including £4.85 pay-related benefit) will continue to be made as they become due.
641.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that six to seven weeks payment of disability benefit is due to a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow for June and July 1982; and, if so, when payment will be made.
Three cheques in respect of the period from 2 June 1982 to 27 July 1982 were returned to my Department. These, however, were re-issued on the 12 July and 17 August 1982.
In order to clarify the position arrangements are being made for an inspector of my Department to visit the claimant.
642.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if an invalidity pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who will be ill for a long time as she has undergone major surgery on a regular basis.
A form on which to claim invalidity pension has been forwarded to the person concerned and on its return her claim will be reviewed with a view to transferring her to invalidity pension.
643.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if social welfare benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford as she has sent in seven weekly medical certificates to his Department without receiving an acknowledgement.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 7 February 1983 but is not entitled to payment as she had less that the required minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited in 1981-82 the contribution year governing her claim. According to the records of the Department the last recorded contribution in her case was paid in 1973. She was informed accordingly.
The person concerned has stated that she was employed to a much later date and the deficiency in her insurance record has, accordingly, been referred to an outdoor officer of the Department for investigation. On receipt of his report her entitlement to payment of disability benefit will be reviewed.
644.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the grounds on which disability benefit was refused in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin; and the reasons for the delay in deciding on the appeal.
The person concerned was disallowed payment of disability benefit from 31 January 1983 following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work.
In connection with her appeal against the disallowance, arrangements were made to have her examined by a different medical referee on 7 March 1983 but she failed to attend for the examination. No explanation of her failure to attend was received.
A further examination by a medical referee has been arranged for 4 May 1983. Her entitlement to further payment of disability benefit will be reviewed in the light of the medical referee's report following this examination.
645.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit was not paid to a person (details supplied), in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit in respect of incapacity for work from 29 November 1982 and in support of his claim submitted a first medical certificate of incapacity for work. He was entitled to payment from 2 December 1982, fourth day of incapacity. He was also entitled to payment of pay-related benefit from 13 December 1982, thirteenth day of incapacity.
The next certificate received from his was a final one certifying him fit to resume work on 29 December 1982. Payment for the period 2 December 1982 to 28 December 1982 should then have been issued but was overlooked in error. A cheque for the arrears due was issued on 2 May 1983.
646.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the refusal to pay disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in Dublin.
The person concerned was disallowed payment of disability benefit from 18 September 1982 following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He appealed against the disallowance and submitted a final certificate stating that he was fit to resume work on 11 October 1982. His case was then referred to an appeals officer who upheld the decision to disallow payment of disability benefit in respect of the period from 18 September 1982 to 9 October 1982, after which date he was certified as fit to resume work.
Subsequent to the appeal decision the claimant submitted a further medical certificate in respect of the period after 18 September. The appeals officer reviewed the case and consulted the Department's medical adviser but concluded that there were no grounds on which a revision of his earlier decision was warranted.
647.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason farmers dole has been stopped in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and the way in which his Department assessed means of £2,350 per annum in his case.
The qualification certificate of the person concerned was revoked from 23 March 1983 on the grounds that his means derived from land and capital exceed the statutory limit in his case of £2,350.40.
The means derived from his land are assessed factually by reference to the income derived from the sale of stock and milk less the expenses necessarily incurred in the running of the farm.
The yearly means derived from capital are assessed on the basis of 5 per cent of the first £400 and 10 per cent of the remainder.
The person concerned has appealed against the amount of means assessed against him. His case has been referred to an appeals officer for determination and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the appeals officer's decision.
648.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the reduction in pay-related benefit being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 29 May 1982 and has been paid to 7 May 1983.
The Social Welfare Act, 1983, provides that from 4 April 1983 amounts payable by way of disability benefit and pay-related benefit may not exceed 80 per cent of a person's reckonable weekly earnings in the relevant income tax year.
The claimant's average weekly earnings in 1980-81, the relevant tax year governing his claim, were £66.82 and 80 per cent of these earnings is £53.46. From 4 April 1983 he qualified for pay-related benefit at the weekly rate of £1.31 which is the difference between 80 per cent of his average weekly earnings (£53.46) and his weekly rate of disability benefit (£52.15). The claimant was notified accordingly at the time.
649.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork who is now unemployed and residing in the United Kingdom; and the reason for the delay in making payment.
Unemployment benefit is not normally paid by this Department to a person residing outside the State and in the case of the person concerned there is no record of a claim for benefit having been received from her before she left the country. As she is now resident in the United Kingdom the person concerned is advised to call to the nearest local office of the Department of Health and Social Security and make a claim there so that her possible entitlements may be investigated.
650.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon as it is six weeks since she received payment.
All arrears of disability benefit payable to the person concerned were issued to her on 18 April 1983. There was a delay in payment after 21 March 1983 because of delay in the submission of medical certificates. Benefit was restored however, when a further medical certificate was received on 18 April 1983.
651.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to pay occupational injury benefit at the full rate and pay-related benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed and was paid occupational injury benefit at the maximum rate payable to a married couple with three dependent children, from 7 May 1982 to 4 November 1982. Injury benefit having been paid for the maximum period of 26 weeks he was then transferred to disability benefit and he has been paid to 7 May 1983. In addition, pay-related benefit was in payment from 22 May 1982, thirteenth day of incapacity to 2 April 1983.
The Social Welfare Act, 1983, provides that amounts payable by way of disability benefit and pay-related benefit may not exceed 80 per cent of a claimant's average reckonable weekly earnings in the relevant income tax year, which in this case is the 1980-81 tax year.
Disability benefit in payment exceeds 80 per cent of the claimant's reckonable weekly earnings and he therefore, ceased to be entitled to pay-related benefit from 4 April 1983. The person concerned is accordingly receiving his full entitlement at present.
652.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange another hearing of an appeal for disability benefit for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned was disallowed payment of disability benefit from 28 February 1983, following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He was examined on 14 April 1983 by a different medical referee who also considered him to be capable of work.
An appeal form has been issued to the claimant and he has been advised to return the form setting out the grounds for his appeal. On receipt of the form duly completed his case will be referred to an appeals officer for determination.
653.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an invalidity pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned is being paid disability benefit at regular weekly intervals and payment has been made to 7 May 1983.
A form on which to claim invalidity pension has been forwarded to him and on its return, duly completed, the claim will be dealt with without delay.
654.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a non-contributory old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The claims of the couple concerned have been investigated and referred to the local pension committee for decision. The social welfare officer has recommended payment of pension in each case at maximum rate from 23 March 1983, when they transferred their holding to a son.
The appropriate pension books and arrears have been issued to the couple on a provisional basis, pending the pension committee's decision.
665.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
Following the completion of inquiries the person concerned was assessed with nil means and payment of unemployment assistance was authorised at £84.65 weekly.
All arrears due, less advances of supplementary welfare allowance which have to be recouped to his health board, will be paid this week. Further weekly payments will be made as they become due.
656.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has been reduced in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if the allowance will be restored immediately with an apology for the inconvenience caused.
The person concerned is claiming disability benefit since 1954 and has been paid to 14 May 1983. His sister was awarded £1.25 per week from his benefit to provide him with some personal comforts while he is a long-term patient in hospital. However, during the period from 13 September 1982 to 6 November 1982 she was incorrectly paid at the weekly rate appropriate to an adult dependant, £20.50, resulting in an overpayment of £134.75. She refunded the sum of £129.75 on 2 December 1982 leaving a balance of £5.00 outstanding.
The weekly payments of £1.25 to the claimant's sister were inadvertently stopped from 22 January 1983 but these have now been restored. A cheque for the arrears due, less the balance of the overpayment outstanding, was issued on 3 May 1983. The inconvenience caused is regretted and the Department will be writing to her accordingly.