asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
289.
The person concerned does not satisfy the contribution conditions for entitlement to unemployment benefit. According to the Departments records she has no paid contributions since 1979. Her case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation and inquiries are still being made in the matter. Her entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the outcome of the inquiries.
290.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a deserted wife's allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork, as she is a considerable length of time awaiting a decision.
The claim to deserted wife's allowance-benefit of the person concerned is at present under investigation.
The claimant has been visited by a local officer of the Department but it was also necessary to have her husband interviewed in order to obtain his version of the circumstances of the case. It is expected that the officer's report will be received in the very near future and a decision will then be given and the claimant will be notified.
291.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a contributory old age pension was refused to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
One of the conditions for receipt of a contributory old age pension requires the person concerned to have contributions paid in respect of at least 156 weeks of insurable employment since his entry into insurance. His insurance record under the number supplied shows that he had only 81 paid contributions since the beginning of 1953 and 32 such contributions prior to that year. The regulations provide that the 32 paid contributions prior to 1953 may be regarded as being equal to 48 thus bringing his total number of paid contributions up to the equivalent of only 129. He is not, therefore, qualified for contributory old age pension. A copy of his insurance record has been issued to him.
292.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance on 6 December 1983 and his claim was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation. 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.
293.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment assistance cannot be determined until investigations about his means have been completed. He has been asked by the social welfare officer investigating his case to furnish details about capital and property owned but not personally used by him and a reply is still awaited. When the inquiries are completed his means will be assessed and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined accordingly.
294.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if pay-related benefit has yet been paid to ex-employees of a firm (details supplied) in County Carlow as they were made redundant recently.
Claims to unemployment benefit were made by 66 redundant employees of the firm in question between 9 December 1983 and 19 January 1984 and, of these, 62 are already in receipt of pay-related benefit and payment of pay-related benefit will commence to another claimant this week. Two other claimants are not yet due pay-related benefit and one further claimant does not qualify for it.
295.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will not qualify for unemployment assistance.
The person concerned applied for unemployment assistance and the case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of her means. Inquiries are still being made in the matter but it is expected that they will be completed shortly. Her means will be assessed in the light of the report in the case and her entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined accordingly.
296.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason the maximum rate of unemployment assistance is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that his means derived from self-employment as a plasterer exceeded the statutory limit. He recently appealed at his local office against this disallowance of his unemployment assistance claim and arrangements are being made to submit his case to an appeals officer for determination. His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
297.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a death grant will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford in respect of her late husband.
A claim for death grant was received from the person concerned on 28 December 1983 and payment was issued on 11 January 1984.
298.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware of a problem being experienced by a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7 in relation to her application for a deserted wife's allowance; and the up-to-date position on the matter as Deputy Keating has made written inquiries on the matter but has been unable to obtain a satisfactory reply.
The claim to deserted wife's allowance-benefit of the person concerned is at present under investigation. Difficulty has been experienced in having the husband interviewed to obtain his version of the circumstances of the case. It is hoped, however, to have an officer call on him inside the next few days and when the report of this interview is received a decision will be given without delay and the claimant will be notified.
299.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying social welfare benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Louth as she has been in receipt of social welfare benefit for three years; how she could have completed her benefit, as the final cheque she received was for £11.20; and then the arrears of payment will be made.
The person concerned has been in receipt of disability benefit from 6 January 1983 and payment was issued to 7 January 1984. From 8 January 1984 her claim is governed by the 1982-83 contribution year and as she has not got the required minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited for that year she is not entitled to payment.
300.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
Following reinvestigation of his means by a social welfare officer, the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed from 16 November 1983, on the grounds that by failing to disclose his means he failed to show that his means did not exceed the statutory limit. He appealed against the disallowance of unemployment assistance and his case has been referred again to a social welfare officer to provide him with a further opportunity to disclose his means. When the inquiries are completed, his case will be referred to an appeals officer for determination and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of his decision.
301.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford as she applied on 1 December 1983.
The person concerned was assessed with means of £13.60 derived from an intestacy share in the land of her late father. She is, accordingly, in receipt of unemployment assistance at £14.40 weekly being the maximum rate payable to her £28 less £13.60. She has appealed against the assessment of her means and arrangements are being made to refer her case to an appeals officer for determination.
302.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance for the first six weeks of unemployment was not paid to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 23 November 1983 but his claim was disallowed up to 22 December 1983 on the ground that he lost his employment through circumstances within his own control. He appealed against the disallowance and an oral hearing of his case has been arranged to take place on 6 February 1984.
In the meantime, unemployment benefit was authorised at £57.35 weekly from 23 December 1983 and pay-related benefit was authorised at £24.07 weekly from 10 January 1983 being the maximum rates appropriate in his case.
All benefit due to date has been paid to him and further payments of unemployment benefit and payrelated benefit at the combined weekly rate of £81.42 are continuing as they become due.