asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will increase the rate of unemployment assistance being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
840.
The person concerned was assessed with means of £22.40 weekly derived from the value of board and lodging on his brother's holding. He is entitled to unemployment assistance at £3.05 weekly being the maximum rate payable £25.45 less £22.40 and weekly payments are made as they become due.
He recently appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and arrangements are being made to have his case determined by an appeals officer. The rate of unemployment assistance payable to him will be reviewed in the light of his decision.
841.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment benefit until 24 May 1983 when payment was suspended in error following his acquisition of land.
A claimant to unemployment benefit who is a landholder must satisfy the condition of being available for unemployment by having at least 78 employment contributions paid in the three years previous to the date of claim or alternatively have an income of less than £2.00 a day from the land. Inquiries to establish that the person concerned satisfies this condition are at present being made. When these inquiries are completed his further entitlement to unemployment benefit will be determined.
In the meantime payment of unemployment benefit has been restored at the weekly rate of £67.60 including £35.95 pay-related benefit. All arrears due from 25 May 1983 will be paid to him this week.
842.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a non-contributory old age pension at the full rate will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned is in receipt of a widow's contributory pension at the maximum rate.
The amount in payment to her was reduced recently when it came to light that she was being paid a living alone allowance which she had not claimed. Her title to this allowance is being investigated and it will be restored to her if appropriate.
843.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
Extensive inquiries were necessary to ascertain why the person concerned terminated her employment and whether she satisfied the condition of being available for employment before her entitlement to unemployment benefit could be determined.
The inquiries were recently completed and her claim was allowed at the weekly rate of £31.65. Arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due this week and further weekly payments will be made as they become due.
844.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the immediate payment of unemployment benefit and PRSI arrears to a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 8 June 1983 and has been paid to 20 June 1983, date of the latest medical certificate received. In addition, pay-related benefit payable from 8 June to 20 June 1983 has also been issued.
845.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the payment of arrears of PRSI and unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
In order to calculate the entitlement of the person concerned to pay-related benefit it was necessary to obtain his income tax form P.60 for the income tax year from 6 April 1982 to 5 April 1983. This has now been obtained and his entitlement to pay-related benefit has been determined at the weekly rate of £17.90. All arrears due to him will be paid this week. Combined weekly payments of £76.40 including the £17.90 pay-related benefit will continue as they become due.
846.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
The application of the person concerned for unemployment assistance has been authorised at the weekly rate of £33.70 being the maximum rate in his case, £50.50, less weekly means of £16.80 derived from the benefit of his wife's earnings. Arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due to him this week and further weekly payments of £33.70 will continue as they become due.
847.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a free telephone rental allowance will be approved for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
An application for free telephone rental allowance from the person concerned has been approved and both he and the Department of Posts and Telegraphs were advised accordingly on 22 June 1983.
848.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made on an application for a non-contributory old age pension by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will undertake to expedite the application as it has already taken a long time to process.
The 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 a British retirement pension and capital, exceeds the statutory limit.
If he is dissatisfied with the decision of the pension committee, the claimant will have the right of appeal against it.
849.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that as he refused to co-operate with the investigating social welfare officer he failed to show that his means did not exceed the statutory limit. An appeals officer subsequently upheld the disallowance.
He applied for a review of his means and his case has been referred to a social welfare officer for a reinvestigation. When the inquiries are completed his means will be reviewed and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined accordingly.
850.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision on unemployment assistance will be made and assistance paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance following the exhaustion of his title to unemployment benefit on 3 May 1983 when he was paid 390 days of benefit and his case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of his means.
Inquiries are still being made in the case and when they are completed his means will be assessed and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined accordingly. He has been in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance pending the outcome of his application for unemployment assistance.
851.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision on unemployment assistance will be made and assistance paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
Following the completion of investigations the person concerned was assessed with means £38.45 weekly derived from land. He is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at £19.50 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £57.95 less £38.45.
Arrangements have been made to commence weekly payments this week. He had, however, been in receipt of advances of supplementary welfare allowance from his health board and when the amount to be recouped is clarified the balance of any arrears due will be paid.
852.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Meath.
The application of the person concerned for unemployment assistance on 15 February 1983 was disallowed on the grounds that he failed to fully disclose his means. Following his appeal against the disallowance he was given a further opportunity of fully disclosing his means.
He has recently furnished full details of his means which have been assessed at £28.80 weekly derived from an intestacy share in a farm. Unemployment assistance has accordingly been authorised at £29.15 a week being the appropriate maximum weekly rate in his case of £57.95 less means £28.80. All arrears due will be paid to him this week and further weekly payments of £29.15 will continue to be made as they become due.
853.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will pay a non-contributory pension at the full rate to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
It has been decided by the local pension committee that the person concerned is entitled to an old age pension at the reduced rate of £32.45 a week plus £16.30 dependent spouse allowance from 18 February 1983.
The assessment of his means, consisting of half the weekly value of capital, entitles him to a pension at this rate.
854.
Mr. Leonard
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the reduction in the rate of unemployment assistance being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan.
After receiving his maximum entitlement of 390 days unemployment benefit on 12 October 1982 the person concerned applied for unemployment assistance on 13 October 1982. Payment was authorised on an existing qualification certificate with nil means at the appropriate maximum weekly rate in his case of £80.00. Following a re-investigation of his means he was assessed with weekly means of £7.00 derived from his wife's earnings. As a result his weekly rate of unemployment assistance was reduced to £73.00 (£80 less means £7.00). He has applied for a review of his means and his case has been referred to a social welfare officer for investigation. His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the social welfare officer's report.
In the meantime weekly payments of £73.00 will continue to be made as they become due.
855.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a non-contributory old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
It was recently decided by the local pension committee that the person concerned is not entitled to an old age pension on the grounds that her means were not fully disclosed. Representations from the Deputy have been accepted as an appeal against this decision and the social welfare officer has been asked to make further inquiries before the matter is submitted to an appeals officer for determination. The claimant will be notified of the outcome.
856.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to have an invalidity pension paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny as he has been in receipt of disability benefit for the last 15 months.
The person concerned is being paid disability benefit at regular weekly intervals and payment has been made to 2 July 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.
857.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to have a death grant in respect of his late father paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.
One of the conditions for the receipt of a death grant is that there must be not less than 26 contribution weeks of insurable employment for which the appropriate contributions have been paid between 1 October 1970 and the date of death or the attainment of pension age.
Employment contributions reckonable for death grant are not payable in respect of a person who has attained pension age. The deceased was over pension age on 1 October 1970 when the scheme was introduced. The above-mentioned contribution condition is not satisfied and a grant is not therefore payable.
858.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to have unemployment assistance paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny as the application has been made for some time.
The person concerned applied for unemployment assistance on 13 June 1983 and as he was assessed with nil means payment has been authorised at the maximum rate of £25.45 in his case. All arrears due to him will be paid this week and further weekly payments of £25.45 will continue as they become due.
859.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to have unemployment assistance paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny as the application has been made for some time.
The person concerned applied for unemployment assistance on 13 June 1983 and his case was referred to a social welfare officer to investigate his means. He has been asked for an early report and when this is received the entitlement of the person concerned will be determined.
860.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if disability benefit is being paid at the correct rate to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who is out of work since 4 January 1983, has three dependent children under and two dependent children over 18 years.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 3 January 1983 and was paid from 6 January 1983, fourth day of incapacity, to 7 June 1983 at the weekly rate of £81.95 which is the maximum rate appropriate to a married man with four qualified children. The rate of benefit was reduced to £75.00 per week from 8 June 1983 onwards as one of his children attained the age of 18 years on that date and an increase in benefit for that child ceased to be payable.
He was also in receipt of pay-related benefit from 17 January 1983, thirteenth day of incapacity to 2 April 1983 at the weekly rate of £16.77. From 4 April 1983 he ceased to be entitled to pay-related benefit as Regulations operative from that date provide that pay-related benefit is not payable where the disability benefit equals or exceeds 80 per cent of a claimant's reckonable weekly earnings in the tax year relevant to his claim which in this case is the 1980-1981 income tax year. The 80 per cent limit in the case of the person concerned is £78.97 per week.
From 8 June onwards when the increase in disability benefit for his son ceased he again became entitled to payment of pay-related benefit at the weekly rate of £3.97, thus bringing the total amount payable to £78.97 which equals 80 per cent of his reckonable earnings. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit due to 21 June 1983, date of the latest medical evidence received, has been issued.
The figure of £68.30 mentioned by the Deputy was the amount of a cheque which issued on 9 June 1983 paying disability benefit and pay-related benefit for a period of five days only from 2 to 7 June 1983.
861.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to pay unemployment assistance at the full rate to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny as he has been out of work since 16 April 1983; and if he will also arrange to have all arrears paid.
The person concerned was assessed with means at £8.85, derived from the value of board and lodging in his parent's home. He is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at £16.60 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him £25.45 less £8.85 and all arrears due issued on 9 June 1983.
Further payments are being made weekly as they become due.
862.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to have unemployment benefit at the full rate and all arrears paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny as he has been unemployed since midMarch, has been receiving only £30 per week and received no payment for the first three weeks of his unemployment.
To be entitled to full flat-rate unemployment benefit an applicant must have at least 48 contribution weeks for which a contribution was paid or credited during the relevant governing contribution year.
The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment benefit is governed by his contribution record during the period 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982 and during this period he had a total of 46 contribution weeks. Payment was authorised at the reduced rate of £30.50 and the arrears due to him were paid on 18 March 1983. Weekly payments followed as they become due.
He is not entitled to pay-related benefit with his flat-rate unemployment benefit as he had nil reckonable earnings during the relevant income tax period 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982.
863.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason an orphan's pension has not been granted to a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
The widow's contributory pension in payment to the person concerned has included an increase in respect of her grandchild continuously since June 1971. This increase will cease from 1 July 1983 because the child, who is aged 20 years, was certified as being in full-time education by day only up to June 1983.
If the child continues in full-time education after the holidays her grandmother should re-claim the increase at that time. A form for this purpose will be issued to her in early September. The increase will then be restored with effect from 1 July 1983.
If it is established that the child is an orphan, as defined in the Social Welfare Acts, the grandmother may qualify for payment of an orphan's pension in respect of her. In that event if it is to her advantage she will be paid the orphan's pension instead of the increase in her widow's contributory pension.
In order to establish that the child is an orphan it will be necessary for the claimant to forward satisfactory evidence of the death of either the child's father or mother to the Department. On receipt of such evidence the claim to orphan's pension will be examined and she will be notified of the outcome.
864.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 19 October 1982. However, as no employment contributions are recorded in respect of her for the governing contribution year 6 April 1980 to 5 April 1981 inquiries are being made into the insurability of her employment in that year. When these inquiries are completed her entitlement to unemployment benefit will be determined. In the meantime she is receiving unemployment assistance at £18.45 a week being the appropriate maximum weekly rate in her case of £25.45 less means £7.00 derived from the value of board and lodgings in her brother's home.
865.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not yet been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon as he has been out of work through illness since 1 January 1983.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 31 December 1983. He is not qualified for benefit at the moment as according to the records of the Department he has not the required minimum of 26 contributions paid since his entry into insurable employment.
The claimant has indicated that he was formerly employed in Great Britain for a period of time and inquiries are being made regarding his British employment record.
Arrangements have also been made for an inspector to call on the claimant within the next few days with a view to establishing his Irish employment record. When the inquiries are completed his claim for benefit will be reviewed.
866.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has reinvestigated the application for a living alone allowance made by a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned has appealed against the decision to refuse her claim to a living alone allowance. Her case is being submitted to an appeals officer for consideration and she will be notified of this officer's decision as soon as it is available.
867.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will reconsider his decision not to grant unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The application of the person concerned for unemployment assistance on 11 March 1982 was disallowed on the grounds that he was not genuinely seeking employment. He ceased to sign the unemployed register on 28 September 1982. If he is now available for, capable of and genuinely seeking employment it is open to him to re-apply for unemployment assistance.
868.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give details of the social welfare contributions paid by a person (details supplied) in County Galway from 1939 to 1950.
According to the records of the Department the person concerned entered insurance on 5 November 1937. Details of contributions paid by him from 1939 to 1950 are as follows:—
|
Contribution Year |
Contributions Paid |
Contribution Year |
Contributions Paid |
Contribution Year |
Contributions Paid |
|
Jan-June 1939 |
12 |
1943/44 |
1 |
1948/49 |
Not received |
|
1939/40 |
2 |
1944/45 |
9 |
1949/50 |
,, ,, |
|
1940/41 |
Not received |
1945/46 |
Not received |
1950/51 |
3 |
|
1941/42 |
,, ,, |
1946/47 |
,, ,, |
(up to 31 December 1950) |
3 |
|
1942/43 |
4 |
1947/48 |
,, ,, |
869.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway as he has received no social welfare assistance since his PRSI payments ceased on 20 March 1983.
Following the completion of investigations the person concerned was assessed with means of £48.90 derived from land and from capital.
He is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at £20.65 weekly being the maximum rate £69.55 less £48.90 and all arrears due will be paid this week. Further weekly payments will be made as they become due.
870.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo.
The local pension committee decided on 17 June 1983 that the person concerned is entitled to old age pension of £16.45 per week plus £8.30 adult dependant allowance from 1 April 1983. This is the rate appropriate to the assessment of his means consisting of an occupational pension.
The appropriate pension book was issued on 23 June 1983 and the arrears due will be issued shortly.
871.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when pay-related benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo.
The entitlement of an applicant for unemployment benefit to pay-related benefit is subject to the condition that the total weekly flat-rate unemployment benefit, pay-related benefit and income tax rebate may not exceed 85 per cent of his average net weekly earnings.
Inquiries were made to ascertain the average net weekly earnings of the person concerned from 6 April 1982 to the date of commencement of his current unemployment benefit claim, 12 October 1982, to enable his 85 per cent limit to be calculated and it was recently ascertained that the applicant was engaged in non-insurable work in Germany during that period.
In the absence of reckonable earnings in the income tax year in which the unemployment benefit claim commenced his reckonable earnings during the previous income tax year may be utilised in the calculation of the 85 per cent limit. Accordingly he has been asked to furnish a form P.60 showing his net weekly earnings during the income tax period 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982 and when he does so his entitlement to pay-related benefit with flat-rate unemployment benefit will be determined.
872.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Louth; and when it and the arrears will be paid.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 10 May 1983 and has been paid to 20 June 1983, date of the latest medical certificate received.
The claimant is presently an in-patient at St. Brigid's Hospital, Ardee. Consequently payments on his behalf are being issued to the resident medical superintendent during his period of hospitalisation.
873.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will restore unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon who was in receipt of £50.50 per week and who is married with one child.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance at the appropriate maximum weekly rate in his case of £50.50 a week until 7 June 1983. Following a review of his means his application was disallowed from 8 June 1983 on the grounds that he failed to fully disclose his means. He appealed against the disallowance on 20 June 1983 and his appeal has been referred to an appeals officer for determination. His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the appeals officer's decision.
874.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason £3.00 per week is being deducted from the disability benefit of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
Following a review of his claim it was discovered that the person concerned had been paid occupational injury benefit instead of disability benefit from 12 April 1982 to 8 May 1982 and in addition to that benefit from 10 May 1982 to 21 June 1982 resulting in an overpayment of £373.13.
Arrangements have been made to recover the overpayment by deductions of £3.00 from his current weekly rate of disability benefit (£59.65) effective from 14 June 1983.
875.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to pay unemployment assistance at the maximum rate to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned was assessed with means of £14.75 derived from the value of board and lodging in his parents' home.
He is accordingly in receipt of unemployment assistance at £11.50 weekly being the maximum rate payable to him of £26.25 less £14.75.
If he is dissatisfied with the amount of means assessed against him it is open to him to appeal and to have his means determined by an appeals officer. A form for this purpose may be obtained at his local office.
876.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to pay unemployment assistance at the maximum rate to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Following a review of his case the claim for unemployment assistance of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that by refusing to furnish details of his means he failed to show that his means do not exceed the statutory limit.
He appealed against the disallowance and his case has again been referred to a social welfare officer to afford him the opportunity of disclosing his means before submitting his case to an appeals officer. When the inquiries are completed his case will be referred to an appeals officer and the assessment of his means will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
877.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will expedite sanction of a free telephone rental allowance for a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
In order to qualify for a free telephone rental allowance, an applicant must be receiving an old age or invalidity type qualifying payment and be living either alone or with other persons who are so disabled as to be unable to summon aid in an emergency.
The person concerned is not receiving a qualifying payment and her mother, with whom she resides, does not satisfy the living alone condition mentioned. An application for free telephone rental allowance was, therefore, disallowed in this case and notification to this effect was issued on 3 June 1983.
878.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to expedite the payment of unemployment benefit/assistance and arrears to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
According to the records of the Department there are no arrears of unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance due to the person concerned.
He last claimed unemployment benefit from 24 November 1981 to 18 January 1983 and all unemployment benefit due to him was paid as weekly payments became due.
879.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will sanction the application from the Western Health Board for an increased rent allowance to be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The application in this case has been sanctioned and the health board has been advised accordingly.