asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
130.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit on 1 October 1986 but payment was not issued because, where a claimant has less than 156 contributions paid at the appropriate rate since entry into insurable employment, payment of disability benefit is limited to 52 weeks.
According to the records of the Department at that time she had a total of 138 contributions paid since entry into insurable employment. As she had a previous claim for disability benefit, it was necessary to establish if she was entitled to payment and it has now been established that she has not exhausted her 52 week entitlement.
Details of her 1985-86 contributions have come to hand which show that she has the necessary 156 contributions to entitle her to continuous payment of benefit. All benefit payable to 4 November 1986, the date of the latest medical certificate received has been issued to her.
131.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will outline the pay-related benefit a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 is entitled to; and, if none is due, the reasons.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 19 April 1982 and payment has been issued on her claim to 22 November 1986.
A total of £441 pay-related benefit was issued from 3 May 1982, the thirteenth day of incapacity, to 20 July 1983 when her entitlement to pay-related benefit was exhausted as she had been paid for the maximum period of 62 weeks and three days based on her earnings of £2,385 in the 1980-81 tax year.
Due to a clerical error a form dealing with entitlement to pay-related benefit was issued to her some weeks ago. This may have created some misunderstanding in this case.
132.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange for disability benefit to issue to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12, due since May last.
The claim in this case was received in the Department in July 1986. The person concerned was last insurably employed in France. Under the EC Regulations her claim to sickness benefit is, therefore, the responsibility of the French authorities. Accordingly, the claim and medical certification were forwarded to the appropriate French institution on 25 July 1986. Further medical evidence submitted by the claimant was forwarded to France on 29 September and 15 October 1986.
In accordance with French requirements the claimant was requested to attend for medical examination in Dublin on 11 August 1986 but failed to appear. It has recently come to light that the claimant was not in a position to attend on that date and the examination has been refixed for 21 November 1986. The French authorities will be notified of the outcome of the medical examination as soon as it becomes available and will again be requested to make a decision on the claim with all possible speed.
133.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when she will pay optical benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The Department has no record of the receipt of a claim for optical benefit in respect of the person concerned during the current year. The person concerned is qualified for optical benefit under the Department's scheme. He has been asked to submit the necessary completed optical application form. When this form is received his claim to optical benefit will be processed without delay.