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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 15 Mar 1984

Vol. 348 No. 13

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

379.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.

The person concerned applied for unemployment assistance on 2 February 1984 and the case was referred to a social welfare officer for inquiries into his means. When these inquiries are completed shortly his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined in the light of the means assessed against him.

380.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if unemployment assistance payments will be increased for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.

The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance of £35.15 per week since 5 December 1983 being the appropriate maximum rate in his case of £76.55, less means of £41.40 per week previously assessed against him. Following re-investigation of his claim his means have been re-assessed at £63.45 per week from 14 March 1984 derived mainly from self-employment as a shed erector. Unemployment assistance has accordingly been re-authorised at £13.10, being the appropriate maximum weekly rate in his case of £76.55 less means £63.45. Weekly payments of £13.10 will continue to be made as they become due.

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 on which to make his appeal may be obtained at his local office.

381.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if occupational injury benefit payments will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 14 August 1982 and was paid at the rate of £59.65 a week from 18 August 1982, the fourth day of incapacity.

In order to qualify for disability benefit for a period in excess of 52 weeks the claimant is required to have a total of not less than 156 weeks of insurable employment. According to his record he had a total of 68 employment contributions and as a result disability benefit ceased to be paid from 16 August 1983. His entitlement to injury benefit under the occupational injuries scheme was examined. He claimed that his incapacity resulted from a disease developed at work over a period of years. The incapacity concerned is not a prescribed occupational disease. It did not arise from an occupational accident and accordingly it could not be accepted as a disease caused by accident. The claim to injury benefit was therefore disallowed. The claimant appealed against the decision and the appeal will be referred to the appeals officer for consideration as soon as possible.

382.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a decision has been made to terminate disablement pension in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin as and from August 1984; if he will explain the nature of the gratuity of £227.85 which was paid to him before Christmas; and if he will accept that because of an increase of £10 per week since Christmas in his wages the Department owes him 12 per cent of £10 for the eight months period from August, 1983.

The person concerned was awarded disablement benefit under the occupational injuries scheme from 20 May 1983 at the rate appropriate to a provisional assessment of 30 per cent. A person who is assessed at 20 per cent disabled or over is paid sisablement benefit in the form of a pension and accordingly disablement pension was paid in respect of the period to 29 December 1983 when his disablement was re-assessed provisionally at 12 per cent to 29 August 1984. Disablement benefit in respect of the period was payable by gratuity and payment was made by cheque for £227.85 issued on 20 December 1983.

It subsequently came to light that the claimant had resumed employment from 2 August 1983. He had also received disability benefit till then and the combined disability and disablement benefit rates were restricted to the amount of his earnings. As a result of ceasing to receive disability benefit he was entitled to disablement benefit at the full rate appropriate to 30 per cent from 2 August to 29 December 1983 and a cheque for £82.13 has been issued in payment in adjustment accordingly.

His further entitlement to benefit from 29 August 1984 will be examined at the appropriate time.

383.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in dealing with an application for a free telephone rental allowance by a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7.

There is no trace in the Department of an application for free telephone rental allowance from the person concerned. An application form has, therefore, been issued to her for completion. She has also been asked to furnish any evidence of an earlier application which she may have in her possession. On receipt of the completed form in the Department an early decision will be given in the case and she will be notified of the outcome.

384.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person attending a short AnCO training course is deemed to have returned to full-time education for the purpose of eligibility for rent allowances under the supplementary welfare scheme.

A person who is receiving full-time instruction by day is statutorily disqualified for receipt of a supplementary welfare allowance, including a supplement in respect of rent. An allowance may, however, be paid where there are exceptional circumstances or in an urgent case. The determination of entitlement in an individual case is a function of the appropriate health board, which would exercise due discretion, having regard to all the circumstances, in the case of a person in receipt of an allowance who elects to attend a short AnCO course.

385.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a reduced rate of unemployment assistance is being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick as he has no means and no income whatsoever; and if he is aware that this is a travelling family who are in their first house and will have to vacate their council house if their social welfare allowance is withdrawn.

The person concerned is in receipt of unemployment assistance of £45.75 weekly, being the appropriate maximum rate in his case of £50.75 less means £5 derived from self-employment. His case was recently referred to a social welfare officer for re-investigation of his means and when the inquiries are completed his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the means assessed against him. In the meantime weekly payments of £45.75 will continue to be made as they become due.

386.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will make an immediate decision on an old age pension appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon.

It was decided by the local pension committee on 10 January 1984 that the person concerned is entitled to old age pension at the weekly rate of £19.30 plus adult dependant allowance from 30 April 1983. The social welfare officer appealed against this decision on the ground that the assessment of the claimant's means, consisting of half the weekly value of capital, the disposal of which had not been accounted for satisfactorily and income from a business, exceeded the statutory limit of £42. The matter was referred to an appeals officer for determination.

Following notification by the claimant on 3 February 1984 that he was now in a position to account for the disposal of capital, the appeals officer referred the case to the social welfare officer for further examination. On completion of his inquiries, the matter will be referred back to the appeals officer for his decision and the claimant will be notified of the outcome in due course.

387.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Louth.

The person concerned received unemployment benefit until 3 February 1984 when her claim ceased on receiving the maximum entitlement in her case of 156 days benefit. To requalify for unemployment benefit she would require 13 employment contributions at the appropriate rate from 4 February 1984. She applied for unemployment assistance on 4 February 1984 and her case has been referred to a social welfare officer for inquiries into her means. When these inquiries are completed her entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined in the light of the means assessed against her.

388.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position regarding the disability benefit application made by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 14 March 1983 and payment was issued to her from 17 March 1983, fourth day of incapacity. She has been paid all disability benefit due on her claim to 5 March 1984, the date of the latest medical certificate received. Payment is made at the weekly rate of £30.60, the maximum rate payable to a married woman. She will continue to be entitled to payment of benefit while she remains incapable of work.

389.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason there was a reduction of £6 per week in the pension being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if a pension book of her own, will be given to her.

A routine review of the entitlements of the person concerned revealed that there had been an increase in her means, consisting of half the weekly value of a county council pension which was awarded to her husband after her pension was put into payment. A question for reduction of her old age pension is accordingly being referred to the local pension committee for decision. Pension at the weekly rate of £32.60 is being put into payment pending the committee's decision which will be notified to the pensioner in due course.

The pensioner was requested on 29 February 1984 to return her pension book for the appropriate adjustment. She was also advised that as an alternative to her existing old age pension entitlement an adult dependant allowance of £33.65 could be paid with her husband's contributory pension. The adult dependant allowance, however, could only be paid directly to her if there were special circumstances which would warrant such a course. To date no reply has been received.

390.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position with regard to a smallholders unemployment assistance appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick who applied some time ago.

The unemployment assistance application of the person concerned was disallowed from 16 November 1983 on the grounds that his means exceeded the statutory limit in his case of £2,961.40 a year. He appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and the case has been referred to the social welfare officer for further inquiries into his means, as required by the appeal officer. When these inquiries are completed his means will be determined by the appeals officer and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the means assessed in his case.

391.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position with regard to a blind pension for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.

It was decided by an appeals officer on 13 January 1984 that the person concerned is entitled to blind pension at the weekly rate of £2.80 in respect of one qualified child dependant from 1 July 1983. This is the rate of pension to which she is entitled having regard to the assessment of her means, consisting of half the weekly income from a holding and half a weekly value of capital.

During the course of examining this case, the appeals officer noted that the pensioner was not allowed the appropriate statutory deductions in respect of her qualified children prior to 1983. In view of this the social welfare officer has been asked to review the previous assessments and if an increase in pension in respect of this period is warranted the matter will be referred to the local pension committee for decision. She will be notified of the outcome in due course.

392.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position with regard to an application for unemployment assistance made one-and-a-half years ago by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.

The application of the person concerned for unemployment assistance on 11 October 1982 was disallowed on the grounds that his means derived from land exceeded the statutory limit in his case. He appealed against the means assessed against him and the appeals officer confirmed the decision. He reapplied for unemployment assistance on 10 November 1983 and his application was again disallowed on the grounds that his means derived from land exceed the statutory limit in his case of £2,587.00 a year.

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