asked the Minister for Social Welfare when payment of unemployment assistance will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
175.
Following a review, the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that his means, derived from the profit from his holding, benefit from his wife's earnings and from the value of capital, exceeded the statutory limit.
He appealed against the disallowance on 23 May 1986 and his case has been submitted to an appeals officer for determination at the earliest available opportunity. His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the outcome of the appeal.
176.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the entitlements which are due to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7 as she applied for unemployment benefits and has heard no word since.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a claimant must be available for and genuinely seeking work.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 14 May 1986 and inquiries had to be made to establish if she satisfied the condition of being available for and genuinely seeking work before her entitlement to unemployment benefit could be determined. These inquiries were recently completed and her claim was allowed at the weekly flat rate of unemployment benefit of £57.85, being the appropriate rate payable in her case. Arrears of benefit due will be paid to her this week and further weekly payments of £57.85 will continue to be made as they become due.
The person concerned is not entitled to pay-related benefit.
177.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of a contributory old age pension will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The arrears of the contributory old age pension for the period from 14 March 1986 to 1 May 1986, less the amount of the adult dependant's allowance paid on her husband's contributory old age pension in respect of her for that period, were issued by payable order to the person concerned on 6 June 1986.
178.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo is in receipt of the correct rate of unemployment benefit.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 29 April 1985. Payment was disallowed from 12 June 1985 following his examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He was notified accordingly and advised to contact his local employment office to claim unemployment benefit if he was available for work. He appealed against the disallowance of his disability benefit claim and was examined by a different medical referee on 14 August 1985 who also considered him to be capable of work. He was notified of the result of this examination and was supplied with a form on which to set out the grounds for an appeal if he wished his case to be referred to an appeals officer for determination. A reminder was issued on 27 November 1985 and when no reply was received his appeal was withdrawn.
He claimed unemployment benefit from 20 August 1985 on which date he requested permission to sign the unemployed register retrospectively for the period from 12 June 1985 to 19 August 1985. His case was considered by a deciding officer who was of the opinion that he did not show good cause for the delay in claiming unemployment benefit and, accordingly, permission to sign retrospectively was refused.
Payment of unemployment benefit continued from 20 August 1985 to 15 October 1985 when he had drawn his maximum entitlement of 390 days. During this period he was paid at the special reduced rate of benefit payable to a claimant who does not satisfy the condition of having 280 contributions paid in the seven year period prior to the claim. According to the Department's records the person concerned was last employed in 1980.
He claimed unemployment assistance from 16 October 1985 and was paid on the basis of a qualification certificate showing weekly means of £41.30. Following an appeal against the means assessment an appeals officer reduced the weekly means assessment to £40 with effect from 7 May 1986. He was, accordingly, in receipt of unemployment assistance of £52.35 weekly, being the appropriate maximum rate payable in his case of £92.35 less means of £40.
The person concerned submitted a further claim to disability benefit from 26 May 1986 and payment has been issued to 17 June 1986, the date of the latest medical certificate received, less supplementary welfare allowance of £149.35 advanced by the Western Health Board.
179.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will approve an unemployment assistance appeal from a person (details supplied) in County Laois who has no alternative income and who has submitted evidence of his efforts to secure employment.
Following a review, the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed in April 1986 on the grounds that, by failing to furnish particulars of his means, he failed to show that his means did not exceed the statutory limit.
He appealed against the disallowance and, arising from contentions made by him in support of his appeal, his case was referred to the social welfare officer for further inquiries. These inquiries will be completed as soon as possible and his case will then be submitted to an appeals officer for determination at the earliest possible opportunity.
The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the outcome of the appeal.
It is understood that the person concerned is in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance.
180.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will be paid unemployment benefit.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 26 May 1986 and his claim has been allowed at the weekly rate of £74.50, being the appropriate maximum flat rate of unemployment benefit payable in his case.
Arrears of unemployment benefit due from 26 May 1986, less the amount of supplementary welfare allowance advanced to him by the health board since that date, will be paid to the person concerned this week. Further weekly payments of £74.50 will continue to be made as they become due.
181.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will grant an oral hearing to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick who was on unemployment assistance and whose payments were reduced substantially because of disagreements regarding his means, as an oral hearing would be in the interest of both parties.
Following a review, the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned 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 against the disallowance and an appeals officer, on 7 May 1986, assessed him with means of £96.15 weekly. He is, accordingly, in receipt of £10.10 weekly being the appropriate maximum rate payable in his case of £106.25, less means of £96.15.
The decision of the appeals officer is final in the absence of new facts or fresh evidence. If the person feels there were facts or evidence which were not available to the appeals officer he should submit them to the Department. They will be forwarded to the appeals officer with the request for an oral hearing.
If on the other hand the person concerned considers that his circumstances have changed since the last investigation of means, it is open to him to apply for a review of his case. A form for this purpose may be obtained from his local office.
182.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an application for a family income supplement allowance will be sanctioned for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned has been awarded a family income supplement at the weekly rate of £12 from 15 May 1986. The appropriate order book will issue to the designated post office within the next few days and the person concerned will be notified accordingly.