asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in Dublin.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
613.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 8 March 1983 and, following the completion of inquiries about her availability for employment, her claim was allowed at the appropriate maximum weekly rate in her case of £15.83. All arrears due were paid to her on 25 May 1983 and weekly payments of £15.83 continue to be made as they become due. The person concerned is also in receipt of unmarried mother's allowance at the maximum rate of £42.60 a week appropriate in her case.
614.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a deserted wife's allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
By decision dated 18 January 1983 the person concerned was awarded deserted wife's benefit with effect from 2 September 1982. Before any payment was made to her, however, it came to light that her husband had resumed living with her on 6 January 1983.
In these circumstances the deciding officer held that the claimant's husband had only been absent temporarily from the family home and that no desertion had therefore taken place. The decision awarding deserted wife's benefit was consequently revoked.
In view of the Deputy's question, the claim is being reviewed and the Deputy will be informed of the outcome.
615.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a deserted wife's allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1.
The claim of the person concerned to deserted wife's allowance is at present under investigation. Following receipt of the social welfare officer's reports of their interviews with the claimant and her husband, it was considered necessary to have her interviewed again to clarify some points. This is being done and a decision on the claim will then be given as quickly as possible.
616.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a free telephone rental allowance will be approved for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The application for free telephone rental allowance made by the person concerned was approved with effect from 24 March 1983 and the Department of Posts and Telegraphs was notified accordingly. That Department has confirmed that the allowance will appear on her July-September 1983 quarterly telephone account.
617.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason an old age pension was reduced in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
An investigation of the entitlement of the person concerned revealed that his means, consisting of a British retirement pension, had increased. As a result his old age pension was reduced from £22.45 per week plus living alone allowance to £20.45 plus living alone allowance, which is the rate appropriate to the latest assessment of his means.
618.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when the remainder of an old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath.
All old age contributory pension payable up to the date of the pensioner's death was paid in this case. Payment for a six-week period after death only applies in a case where the pensioner was entitled to an increase in pension in respect of an adult dependant. Since there was no adult dependant in this case no payment was due after the pensioner's death and no further payment is therefore due.
619.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance contribution has been cut to £14.60 per week in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Meath.
The person concerned was assessed with means at £10.85 weekly derived from self-employment as a carpenter.
The weekly rate of unemployment assistance payable to him is £14.60 being the maximum rate payable to him as a single person £25.45 less £10.85.
It is open to him to apply for a review of his means and a form for this purpose may be obtained at his local office. The review would take the form of an investigation by a social welfare officer and a reassessment of his means in the light of his report.
620.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 who has been waiting for three months.
There is no record of receipt of a claim for old age pension from the person concerned. He is an insured person and should, therefore, send in a completed claim form for old age contributory pension in August next, three months before he reaches age 66 on 12 November 1983.
His wife's claim for an old age contributory pension was rejected as she does not satisfy the condition which requires her to have a yearly average of at least 20 contributions over the period from 6 July 1953 to 5 April 1983, i.e. the end of the contribution year before she reached pension age. Her total of 312 qualifying contributions during this period is equal to a yearly average of ten. She was notified accordingly.
A non-contributory old age pension at the rate of £30.45 a week has however been recommended in her case and this pension is being put into payment on a provisional basis, pending a decision by the local old age pension committee.
621.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry was disqualified from receiving a relative allowance.
A recent investigation of the entitlement of the old age pensioner concerned revealed that, in addition to her daughter, who is the prescribed relative in this case, her son is also residing with her. In the circumstances her prescribed relative allowance has been revoked because the condition of the scheme, which requires that she should be living alone except for the prescribed relative, is no longer satisfied.
622.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Clare.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance of £17.25, being the appropriate maximum weekly rate in his case of £25.45 less means £8.20 derived from the value of board and lodgings on his father's farm. However, following a review of his case his application for unemployment assistance was disallowed from 23 February 1983 on the grounds that, as he failed to attend for interview by the National Manpower Service when requested by them to do so, he was not genuinely seeking work. His case is again being reviewed and will shortly be submitted to a deciding officer for decision as to his entitlement to unemployment assistance.
623.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Clare.
Payment of disability benefit to the person concerned was disallowed from 29 November 1982 following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. She was examined on 7 April 1983 by a different medical referee who expressed the opinion that she was then incapable of work. Owing to an administrative delay, however, payment was not restored until 27 May 1983. On that date a cheque was issued in respect of the period from 25 April 1983 to 26 May 1983 in accordance with medical certificates recently submitted by her. A further cheque in respect of arrears from 7 April 1983, the date of the examination by the medical referee, to 23 April 1983 was issued on 31 May 1983.
No medical evidence has been received in respect of the period from 29 November 1982 to 6 April 1983.
624.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made in a claim for unemployment assistance by a person (details supplied) in County Clare.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £22.60, being the appropriate maximum weekly rate in this case of £25.45 less means £2.85 derived from the value of board and lodgings on his father's farm. However, as he submitted medical certificates indicating that he was not capable of working his application for unemployment assistance was disallowed from 23 February 1983 to 11 March 1983. He re-applied for unemployment assistance on 12 March 1983 and, following the completion of inquiries to establish that he was genuinely seeking work, his application was allowed. All arrears due will be issued to him this week and further weekly payments of £22.60 will continue to be made as they become due.
625.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a contributory old age pension at the full rate is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
In the case of the person concerned one of the conditions on which award of pension is based is the average yearly number of contributions which he had from 5 January 1953 to 5 April 1980. In that period he had a total of 736 qualifying contributions giving a yearly average of 27 and he is being paid the personal rate, £37.80, appropriate to this average. He would require a yearly average of at least 48 contributions to qualify for the maximum personal rate of £40.25 for a pensioner under 80 years of age.
The full pension payable in his case is £63.50, made up of the personal rate of £37.80 referred to plus £25.70 (increase for an adult dependent under age 66) in respect of his wife.
626.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit from 3 December 1981 to 23 May 1983, after which date payment was disallowed following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work.
He appealed against the disallowance and, in connection with his appeal, arrangements have been made to have him examined by a different medical referee on 16 June 1983. His entitlement to further payment of disability benefit will be reviewed in the light of the medical referee's report following this examination.
627.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit from 17 March 1983 to 11 May 1983, after which date payment was disallowed following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He submitted a final medical certificate to the effect that he was fit to resume work on 16 May 1983.
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 if he wishes his case to be referred to an appeals officer for determination.