asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of small farmers to whom payment of small-holders unemployment assistance has been discontinued from 1 February 1983 to 1 February 1984 in Macroom and Newmarket employment exchanges.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
487.
It is assumed that the question refers to smallholders whose means for unemployment assistance were previously assessed on a notional basis but were re-assessed on a factual basis arising from the provision in the Social Welfare Act, 1983. The re-assessment of means of smallholders under this provision commenced in May 1983 and the number whose unemployment assistance payments ceased following factual assessment between may 1983 and 1 February 1984 was three in the case of Macroom employment office and 38 in the case of Newmarket employment office.
488.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when free electricity will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
One of the conditions for receipt of a free electricity allowance is that the applicant must be living alone or if living with another person the latter must be an excepted person for the purposes of the scheme.
The person concerned is living with her sister who is not an excepted person. The sister is in regular receipt of unemployment assistance on the basis that she is available for full-time employment. She is not for this reason an excepted person for the purposes of the free electricity scheme and the person concerned does not satisfy the conditions for receipt of an allowance.
489.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason arrears of unmarried mother's benefit have not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
A payable order for the arrears of unmarried mother's allowance for the period from 9 December 1982 to 21 September 1983, less the amount of supplementary welfare allowance paid to her during that time, has now been sent to the person concerned. The delay in payment was due to an administrative error and is very much regretted.
490.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit payments were ceased to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 28 September 1983 but was not qualified for payment initially as she has less than the required minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited in the 1981-82 year which governs her claim.
Details of the claimant's Northern Ireland insurance record have now been requested from the Northern Ireland authorities and when these are received her claim for the period from 28 September 1983 to 31 December 1983 will be reviewed.
From 2 January 1984 the governing contribution year is 1982-83. According to the records of the Department the claimant has 39 contributions paid for that year and accordingly payment of benefit has been issued for the period from 2 January 1984 to 21 February 1984, the date of the latest medical certificate received.
491.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason an application for the payment of the maximum rate of a non-contributory old age pension was refused in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if his Department accepts that this person has no legal right at present to any goods, money or property.
It was decided by an appeals officer on 8 September 1983 that the person concerned is not entitled to an increase in his existing rate of old age pension. The latest assessment of his means, consisting of half the weekly value of a capital sum payable under a deed of assignment, does not warrant payment of pension at a higher rate.
The circumstances concerning the payment of the sum in question are unusual and in the light of the Deputy's representations the matter is being referred back to the appeals officer for review. The pensioner will be notified of the outcome in due course.
492.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason pay related benefit is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned has no reckonable earnings during the relevant income tax period 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982. She is accordingly not entitled to pay-related benefit with flat-rate unemployment benefit which she is in receipt of at £28.90 weekly.
493.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny, as he has been signing for the past seven weeks; and who has been interviewed by the social welfare officer.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit but his entitlement to benefit cannot be determined until inquiries to establish his contribution record have been completed.
In the meantime and pending the outcome of his unemployment benefit claim he claimed unemployment assistance and his case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of his means. Inquiries are still being made in the matter and when they are completed his means will be assessed and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined accordingly.
494.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of social assistance allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry as a number of pages were removed from the book when she received it.
The person concerned applied for a single woman's allowance from 11 April 1978. She was assessed with means at £6.28 weekly reduced by an appeals officer to £5 weekly and a paying order representing single woman's allowance due from 11 April 1978 to 1 June 1978 was issued to her.
The pension order book issued to her was in respect of weeks due from 2 June 1978 and the orders in respect of the period 11 April 1978 to 1 June 1978, in respect of which payment had already been made by payable order, were removed. However, she refused to accept this pension order book and subsequent books until 7 October 1982 contending that she was entitled to the maximum rate of allowance. From October 1982 she accepted payment. She is at present in receipt of weekly payments of £29.05.
The regulations provide that where payment of a sum is not obtained within, at the outside, six months of the date on which it is due the right to payment is extinguished. Payment cannot, therefore, now be made in respect of a period before October 1982 and accordingly no arrears are due.
495.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 20 December 1982 and payment was made from 23 December 1982, fourth day of incapacity, to 31 December 1983. Payment ceased after that date as she had not the required 26 contributions paid or credited for the 1982-83 contribution year that governs her claim from 2 January 1984. According to the records of the Department she has only 15 credited contributions recorded on her behalf for that year. She is not, therefore, entitled to payment of benefit. She was requested to give details of any employment she may have had in the period from 6 April 1982 to 19 December 1982 but did not reply.
496.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is satisfied that full benefits including pay-related benefit have been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 12 December 1983 and he was paid at the reduced weekly flat rate of £33.55 on the basis of 41 weeks of insurable employment during the governing contribution period 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982.
On 19 January 1984 his local employment office received notification of 11 credited contributions awarded in respect of a claim to disability benefit he made between April 1981 and April 1982. His claim to unemployment benefit was rerated to the maximum weekly rate of £34.80 appropriate in his case and an adjusting payment from 12 December 1983 was made to him on 27 January 1984. Weekly payments of £34.80 continued up to 17 February 1984 when he ceased to sign the unemployment register. His entitlement to pay-related benefit cannot be determined in the absence of his P.45 or a statement of his earnings. The person concerned was repeatedly requested by his local office to furnish this but has not done so to date.
497.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if the maximum rate of non-contributory old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The entitlements of the person concerned are currently under review by the social welfare officer and when his inquiries have been completed the matter will be referred to the local pension committee for decision. Meanwhile, pension at the weekly rate of £16.60 plus £8.40 adult dependent allowance will continue to be paid.
498.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance on 14 June 1983 having exhausted his title to unemployment benefit. His claim to unemployment assistance was disallowed on the grounds that by refusing to co-operate in furnishing details of his means derived from self-employment he failed to show that they did not exceed the statutory limits of £2,350.40 per annum from 14 June 1983 and £2,587 per annum from 29 June 1983. He appealed against this decision but an appeals officer also decided that he failed to show that his means do not exceed the statutory limit. He was notified accordingly on 4 January 1984.
499.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance of £13.40 per week being the appropriate maximum rate £28.90 less £15.50 means previously assessed against him. Following his failure to fully co-operate with the social welfare officer his unemployment assistance was disallowed on the grounds that by failing to furnish details of his means he failed to show that his means did not exceed the statutory limit. He appealed and the case has been returned to the social welfare officer to afford him a further opportunity of co-operating with the social welfare officer and disclosing full details of his means. When a report in his case is received the matter will be referred to an appeals officer for assessment of his means and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined accordingly.
500.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
The entitlement to unemployment benefit from 1 November 1983 to 1 January 1984 of the person concerned cannot be determined until inquiries to establish his contribution record during the governing contribution year 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982 have been completed. A new benefit year commenced on 2 January 1984 and as he satisfied the contribution conditions his claim was allowed at the maximum weekly rate of £74.85 appropriate in his case. All unemployment benefit due from 2 January 1984 to 22 February 1984, less an amount which was refunded to the health board in respect of supplementary welfare allowance he received in that period was paid on 24 February 1984. Further weekly payments will continue as they become due.
501.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a claimant must be fully available for work and must be genuinely seeking work. When the person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 21 November 1983 she stated that she was only seeking part-time work and consequently her claim was disallowed. She appealed against the disallowance and she attended an oral hearing on 6 February 1984 but the appeals officer also decided that she was not available for employment. She was notified of his decision on 13 February 1984. She continues to sign the unemployment register and her entitlement to unemployment benefit is at present being reviewed in the light of her availability for full-time employment and what efforts she is making to get employment from 7 February 1984.
502.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when pay-related benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
The person concerned has insufficient earnings during the income-tax period 6 April 1982 to 5 April 1983, to be entitled to pay-related benefit with flat-rate unemployment benefit. He is in receipt of flat-rate unemployment benefit at £65.60 weekly.
503.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow as she has not received any payment since 22 December 1983.
The person concerned was paid disability benefit from 20 December 1982 to 22 December 1983. Payment ceased at that date as according to the records of the Department she had less than 156 contributions paid on her behalf since her entry into insurance and was, therefore, only entitled to payment of benefit for 52 weeks. Subsequent inquiries established that the claimant had the necessary contributions paid to entitle her to continuous payment of benefit while she remains incapable of work. All benefit due to 16 February 1984, the date of the latest medical certificates received has now been issued.
504.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 29 November 1983 but his claim was disallowed up to 29 December 1983 on the grounds that he lost his employment through circumstances within his own control. He appealed against the disallowance on 23 February 1984 and his case has been referred to an appeals officer for consideration. His entitlement to unemployment benefit from the commencement of his claim to 29 December 1983 will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
His claim was allowed from 30 December 1983 at £34.80 weekly and pay-related benefit at £7.26 weekly and all benefit due to date has been paid. Further payments of unemployment benefit and pay-related benefit at the combined weekly rate of £42.06 are continuing to be made as they become due.