asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an increase in unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
362.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £17.50 based on a means assessment of £14.25 weekly as a single man. It came to light recently that he was married and arrangements have been made with his local office for the reauthorisation of his claim at the married rate. He will, therefore, be entitled to unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £40.55. Arrears due will be paid next week. His case has been referred to the social welfare officer for a review of his means. When inquiries are completed, the assessment of his means will be reviewed and the rate of unemployment assistance payable to him will be determined accordingly.
363.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance at the maximum rate will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of unemployment assistance at £28.75 weekly, being the appropriate weekly rate £31.75 less means £3 derived from the value of capital. He recently requested a review of his means and the case has been referred to a social welfare officer for reinvestigation. When the investigation is completed the assessment of his means will be reviewed and the rate of unemployment assistance payable to him will be determined accordingly.
364.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit from 13 September 1984 to 24 October 1984 was not paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
Payment of disability benefit to the person concerned was disallowed for the statutory period of six weeks from 13 September 1984 as she failed to attend for examination by a medical referee of the Department on 4 September 1984. Her explanation for failure to attend for examination has now been accepted and payment of benefit has been restored from 13 September 1984. All disability benefit payable to 10 October 1984, the date of the latest medical certificate received, has been issued to her.
365.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the reduction in payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
The person concerned was paid an increase in the weekly rate of unemployment assistance payable to him in respect of a housekeeper during the period 17 September 1979 to 21 June 1983. It was subsequently ascertained that he did not fulfil the conditions for such an increase and an overpayment was assessed against him.
Recovery of this overpayment is being effected by deductions from his current payment of unemployment assistance with effect from week ending 4 September 1984. He is currently in receipt of £35.35 unemployment assistance weekly being the maximum rate of £40.35 applicable to a man with one dependent child less deductions of £5 weekly towards recovery of the overpayment.
366.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be 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 3 September 1984 she stated the she was avail-bourhoo able for part-time work only, and consequently her claim was disallowed. She appealed on 28 September 1984 against the disallowance and arrangements are being made to have her case determined by an appeals officer at the earliest opportunity. Her entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
367.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an increase in unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.
The person concened was assessed with means at £7.70 weekly derived from the value of board and lodging in his parents' home. He was dissatisfied with the amount of means assessed against him and he appealed his case but an appeals officer also assessed him with means at £7.70 weekly. He is at present in receipt of unemployment assistance at £24.05 being the appropriate rate £31.75 less means £7.70. If however he considers that his circumstances have changed since his means were assessed by an appeals officer on 26 March 1984 it is open to him to apply to have his case reinvestigated. A form for this purpose may be obtained at his local office.
368.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in payment of unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 6.
Inquiries were necessary to establish whether the person concerned satisfied the contribution conditions for entitlement to unemployment benefit and in particular the condition which requires at least 26 contribution weeks paid or credited in the previous contribution year. These inquiries established that he was entitled to credited contributions in that year which qualified him for benefit at the weekly rate of £34.80 increasing to £37.25 weekly from 5 July 1984. All arrears due were paid to him during week ending 1 August 1984 and further payment was made up to 10 August 1984 after which he ceased to sign as unemployed.
369.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an appeal for unemployment assistance will be heard for a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance on 9 January 1984 and his claim was disallowed on the grounds that he was not available for work and not genuinely seeking work. He appealed against the disallowance and attended an oral hearing of his case on 11 June 1984. The appeals officer also disallowed the application. He has not been in touch with his local office since 19 June 1984 when he last signed as unemployed.
370.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of unemployment assistance at £6.30 weekly being the appropriate rate £30.90 less means £24.60. Her means are derived from the profit from boarders. She has appealed against the amount of means assessed against her and arrangements are being made to have her case submitted to an appeals officer for determination of her means. Her rate of unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the appeals officer's decision.
371.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
It has not been possible to trace receipt of a claim to unemployment assistance which refers to the person named in the details supplied. Further inquiries in the matter will be made if the Deputy will furnish additional information to enable the person concerned to be identified.
372.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an appeal for unemployment assistance will be heard for a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed from 4 July 1984 to 14 August 1984 on the grounds that he was not available for work. He completed an appeal application form but subsequently informed the manager of his local office that he did not wish to proceed with the appeal and the application was withdrawn.
His entitlement to unemployment assistance from 15 August 1984 was reviewed and following the recent completion of investigations his claim was allowed from that date. Arrangements have been made to commence weekly payments this week and when the amount of supplementary welfare allowance which was paid to him pending a decision on his case is known, the balance of any arrears which may be due will be paid.
373.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in deciding on an unemployment assistance appeal lodged by a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned appealed against the amount of means assessed against him which resulted in the disallowance of his unemployment assistance claim. Arising out of contentions made by him in support of his appeal it was necessary to refer the case to a social welfare officer for further inquiries. These inquiries were extensive and were not completed until the end of June 1984 when the case was referred to an appeals officer for determination.
The appeals officer required further information and it was necessary to refer the case back to a social welfare officer for additional inquiries. It is expected that these inquiries will be completed shortly after which the case will be referred to the appeals officer. His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
374.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in deciding on an application for a free telephone made by a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
In order to qualify for a free telephone rental allowance an applicant must be living entirely alone or only with children under 15 years of age or other persons who are so permanently incapacitated as to be unable to summon aid in an emergency.
The person concerned applied for a free telephone rental allowance on 28 August 1984. He is in receipt of an invalidity pension from the Department and is permanently incapacitated. His wife, however, is not, from the information furnished, a permanently incapacitated person as required by the scheme and he cannot therefore qualify for the allowance. His wife could however qualify for the allowance provided she is in receipt of a qualifying payment. She was therefore requested on 12 September 1984 to furnish details of any pension she might have. When this information is furnished, a decision will be given in the case and the applicant will be notified of the outcome.
375.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in deciding on an unemployment assistance appeal made by a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Due to the increased number of appeals under various social welfare services, there has been an unavoidable lengthening of the time taken to process cases. The person concerned furnished a completed appeal application against the amount of means assessed against him at his local office on 20 September 1984. His case has been referred to an appeals officer for determination and it will be dealt with at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime payments of unemployment assistance at £17.55 weekly continue to be made to him. His rate of unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
376.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will take steps to increase the value of fuel vouchers in line with the recent 11.5 per cent increase in the cost of one ton of coal.
The value of the fuel allowance is determined at the beginning of each heating season and the question of an increase in the value of the allowance is a matter for consideration in the context of the budget.
377.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has received an appeal against a reduction in unemployment assistance from a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and the reason his Department has not accepted the detailed statement of his income provided by ACOT, Portlaoise.
The person concerned appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and his case was referred to an appeals officer for determination. In assessing his means the appeals officer had before him all the relevant documents in the case including the statement provided by ACOT. Following consideration of the matter the appeals officer reduced the assessment of means, which are derived from the profit from his holding, from £63.40 weekly to £48 weekly. He is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at £31.50 weekly being the appropriate rate £79.50 less means £48 and weekly payments are being made to him as they become due.
378.
Mr. Coughlan
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be given in respect of an appeal against the non-payment of unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
A person who exhausts entitlement to unemployment benefit may requalify once he has a further 13 weeks of insurable employment with contributions paid at the appropriate contribution class after he has drawn 156 days of benefit.
A deciding officer decided that the requalifying contributions paid by the person concerned were not proper to a contribution class providing cover against unemployment and consequently his unemployment benefit claim was disallowed. He recently appealed against the decision in his case and arrangements are being made to have the matter determined by an appeals officer at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime he is in receipt of unemployment assistance at £65.15 weekly being the appropriate rate £86.75 less means £21.60 derived from the profit from his farm.
379.
Mr. Coughlan
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of maternity allowance and/or unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
Arrears of maternity allowance were issued to the person concerned on 16 October 1984 by way of a cheque for £204.93. Failure to pay maternity allowance in full at an earlier date was due to an error and the inconvenience caused is regretted. Prior to her maternity claim, she had been in receipt of unemployment benefit which was paid in full. She subsequently claimed unemployment benefit again with effect from 15 August 1984. Her claim was disallowed on the grounds that she was not available for and genuinely seeking work and she was notified of the position.
380.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made on an appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Galway against the withdrawal of his unemployment assistance.
An appeals officer decided that the means of the person concerned derived from the profit from land exceeded the statutory limit of £4,386.20 per annum with effect from 23 November 1983 and accordingly he was not enitled to unemployment assistance.
The appeals officer also decided that his weekly means from 4 July 1984 amounted to £92 weekly and as the amount exceeded the weekly rate of unemployment assistance appropriate to him as a married man with four qualified children he was not entitled to unemployment assistance from that date. He was advised of the decisions on 5 October 1984.