asked the Minister for Social Welfare if supplementary welfare payments will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
338.
The question of determining entitlement to a supplementary welfare allowance is a matter for decision by the appropriate health board and it is understood from the South-Eastern Health Board, which is responsible for the administration of the supplementary welfare allowances scheme in County Wexford, that an application for an allowance on behalf of the son of the person concerned was disallowed on the ground that the son is a full-time student and under the regulations disqualified for receipt of an allowance. The applicant has been advised of the decision and of his right of appeal.
339.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford as he has no income.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance and his case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation. The inquiries revealed that he resides with his father who is a self-employed builder. Although requested to do so, the applicant stated that he was unable to furnish details of the income of the household in which he resided. His unemployment assistance claim was accordingly disallowed on the grounds that by failing to furnish the necessary information he failed to show that his means do not exceed the statutory limit.
He recently appealed and arrangements are being made to have his case determined by an appeals officer. His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
340.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if unemployment assistance will be restored to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
Following a reinvestigation of his case, the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that his means derived from the profit from land exceeded the statutory limit.
He appealed against the assessment of his means and the appeals officer also deemed his means to be in excess of the statutory limit.
341.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when invalidity benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The person concerned has been awarded an invalidity pension from 22 December 1983. The pension book payable from 1 March 1984 has been issued to the designated post office of payment.
The person concerned was overpaid the sum of £396.92 on his disability benefit claim in respect of the period from 17 August 1982 to 16 July 1983. The sum of £4.00 per week is being withheld from his disability benefit towards recovery of the amount overpaid and the same amount will continue to be withheld from his invalidity pension until the amount overpaid has been recovered in full.
342.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit from 16 April 1981 to 2 January 1982. He was not qualified for further payment of benefit as he had less than the required minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited in 1980-81, the contribution year governing his claim from 4 January 1982. He ceased to submit medical certificates from 25 May 1982.
There is no trace in the records of the Department of a claim for disability benefit or unemployment benefit since 25 May 1982. He has been requested to furnish details of his claim. On receipt of a reply the matter will be dealt with.
343.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the additional means which were assessed against a person (details supplied) in County Limerick as his unemployment assistance was withdrawn on 7 December 1983.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was referred to a social welfare officer for reinvestigation of his means. He failed to furnish details of his income and his claim was disallowed. He appealed against the disallowance and following the completion of further inquiries by the social welfare officer, he was assessed with weekly means at £15.35 derived from the value of board and lodgings on his parents' holding. He is, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance at £14.05 weekly being the maximum rate £29.40 less £15.35 means. Arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due this week and further payments will be made as they become due.
344.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the additional means that were assessed against a person (details supplied) in County Limerick which reduced his unemployment assistance of £25.05 which he had until Christmas to the present sum of £14.05.
The person concerned has been in receipt of unemployment assistance since 29 September 1981. His case was referred to a social welfare officer for a re-investigation of his means and following the completion of inquiries the means assessed against him were increased from £4.35 to £15.35 a week with effect from 28 February 1983. His means were derived from the value of board and lodging on his father's holding taking into consideration the income of the holding at present. 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. In the meantime he continues to be paid unemployment assistance at £14.05 weekly.
345.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position regarding an application for free electricity allowance by old age pensioners (details supplied) in County Offaly.
There is no trace of the receipt of a recent application for a free electricity allowance from the persons concerned. An application was received in January 1981 but this was subsequently disallowed as the living alone condition of the scheme was not satisfied at that time. However, a further application form has now been issued to the persons concerned and if they consider that the conditions of the scheme are now satisfied in their case the form should be completed and forwarded in the first instance to the ESB for attention. On receipt of the completed application in the Department, the case will be considered and they will be notified of the outcome.
346.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if, he will state in relation to an application for unemployment assistance by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick whether he is being assessed as living with his family or living alone as he is in his own home; and the position regarding a supplementary application which he made recently.
The person concerned applied for unemployment assistance on 24 August 1983 and was paid at £28.25 per week being the appropriate maximum rate in his case of £29.40 less means of £1.15 per week previously assessed against him. On re-investigation of his claim he was assessed with means of £34.60 per week from 2 Novermber 1983 derived from working on his brother's holdings and as this exceeded the maximum weekly rate payable in his case he had no further entitlement to unemployment assistance.
The person concerned appealed against the amount of means assessed and an appeals officer reduced the assessment to £15 weekly with effect from 2 November 1983. He is, accordingly, entitled to unemployment assistance at £14.40 weekly which is the maximum rate payable to him £29.40 less means of £15 from 2 November 1983. All arrears due were paid during the week-ending 10 February 1984.
The social welfare officer report, on which assessment of his means was based, indicated that he lived alone. The applicant has requested that his means be reinvestigated and the case has been referred to a social welfare officer for a further investigation. The means assessed against him will be reviewed in the light of the report on his case and the rate of unemployment assistance payable to him will be determined accordingly.
347.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance has not been issued to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; if he is aware that he is married, has been unemployed for three months and has received no benefits of any kind; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned applied for unemployment assistance on 21 December 1983 and his case was referred to a social welfare officer for inquiries into his means. These inquiries will be completed shortly and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined in the light of the means assessed against him.
348.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath.
Following the completion of inquiries to establish that he was available for work the unemployment benefit claim of the person concerned was allowed at £82.50 weekly with effect from 23 September 1983. Weekly payments commenced to be made to him from 13 October 1983 but the arrears due from 23 September 1983 to the date weekly payments commenced were recouped to his local health board in respect of suppementary welfare allowance received by him pending the outcome of his unemployment benefit claim.
349.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the decision on the pension eligibility of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath.
The investigation of the old age pension claim of the person concerned will be completed shortly and the case will be referred to the local pension committee for decision. If payment of a pension is recommended by the social welfare officer it will be put into payment on a provisional basis pending the committee's decision.
350.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position regarding an application for unemployment benefit made by a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned is a landholder and a part-time gardener by occupation. He exhausted entitlement to unemployment benefit on 2 November 1981. According to the Departments records he had insufficient contributions to requalify for benefit. However, investigations are being undertaken to establish if the casual work undertaken by him was insurable at a class of contribution which provided cover against unemployment. His claim to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the outcome of these inquiries. He has been advised of his right to apply for unemployment assistance but has declined to do so.
351.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for regular weekly payments of disability benefit to be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 7 February 1983 and has been paid to 6 February 1984, the date of the latest medical certificate received. Payments have been made on receipt of medical certification in the Department. However, in recent times certificates were submitted irregularly by the claimant and this affected in a similar way the pattern of payments.
352.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if unemployment benefit will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath.
The person concerned exhausted his title to unemployment benefit on 1 August 1983 on the completion of 390 days of benefit. He will not requalify for unemployment benefit until after he resumes insurable employment for at least 13 weeks.
He applied for unemployment assistance but, following an investigation of his case by a social welfare officer, his claim was disallowed on the grounds that the weekly means assessed against him £33 exceeded the maximum weekly rate of unemployment assistance payable to him £28. Means were derived from the benefit of board and lodging in his parents' home. He obtained an appeal form at his local office but he has not returned it to date. When he does so his case will be referred to an appeals officer for determination of his means and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the outcome.
353.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that unemployment assistance was withdrawn last September in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick and that as his circumstances have changed considerably since then he is awaiting a reassessment of his situation; and if this reassessment will be carried out as soon as possible.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance from 5 February 1982 and, as a single man living on his father's holding, he was assessed with means of £6.15 per week, derived from the value of board and lodging on this holding. He married and continued to live on his father's holding. Up to 31 August 1983, he was paid at £42.20 per week, being the appropriate maximum rate in his case of £48.35 less means of £6.15.
Following reinvestigation of his means by a social welfare officer, his unemployment assistance claim was disallowed from 1 September 1983, on the grounds that his means derived from board and lodging on his father's holding, benefit from his wife's earnings and capital, exceeded the statutory limit.
The person concerned appealed against the assessment of his means on the grounds that he has moved to his own home and that his wife has ceased to work. In view of the altered circumstances, the assessment of his means was reviewed and he was assessed with means, derived from capital, of £3.30 per week from 8 August 1983, reducing by varying amounts to £0.15 from 25 January 1984. He is, therefore, entitled to payment at £45.05 per week from 8 August 1983, increasing, also by varying amounts, to £50.60 from 25 January 1984. Weekly payments at £50.60 per week will continue as they fall due. Arrangements have been made to pay all arrears due, this week.