asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon who has applied for unemployment assistance, has been requested by the social welfare officer to get a bank statement for his brother with whom he lives for the purpose of assessing the applicant for unemployment assistance; and if she can advise if her Department consider it proper for relatives to financially support the unemployed members of the family.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Payments.
149.
Entitlement to unemployment assistance is dependent on a claimant being the holder of a qualification certificate and to obtain a qualification certificate the claimant must satisfy certain conditions, including an assessment of means.
In accordance with the provisions of the legislation governing the unemployment assistance scheme, the value of any benefit or privilege derived by a claimant from any source must be taken into account in the assessment of means. In practice this is taken to mean the value of board and lodging to the claimant residing in the home of his parents or a relative. The purpose of the assessment for board and lodging of claimants living with relatives is to achieve a degree of equity as between claimants living in relatively better off circumstances and those whose circumstances are poor.
In this case it was necessary to establish the value of the claimant of the benefit which he enjoys from the holding of his brother with whom he lives. Following a recent re-investigation, his claim is being disallowed with effect from 7 January 1987 on the grounds that his means, derived from benefit from his brother's holding, exceed the maximum rate payable in this case. The person concerned is being notified accordingly.
If he is dissatisfied with the disallowance it is open to him to appeal and have his case determined by an appeals officer. A form for this purpose may be obtained from his local office.
150.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare an exact breakdown of how means were assessed for a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon claiming unemployment assistance; if a bank loan was taken into consideration when assessing this person's means; and if her Department are aware that this loan was not a personal loan and that it was necessary to carry out essential work to his small farm holding.
Following reinvestigation the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that his means, which were assessed at £4,000 derived from the profit from his holding, exceeded the statutory limit of £3,580.20.
In calculating this amount, the deciding officer took into consideration the gross yearly value of the farm at £9,805, less expenses amounting to £5,751 incurred in earning that income leaving a net profit of £4,054, rounded to £4,000. Bank interest actually paid, and which has arisen in connection with the running of a holding, is allowed as an expense. According to the Department's records the person concerned had not paid the interest when his means were assessed.
He appealed against the disallowance but an appeals officer also decided that his means exceeded the statutory limit.
On 14 November 1986, the person concerned made a fresh application and his papers have been returned to the social welfare officer for reinvestigation of his means.
These inquiries will be completed as soon as possible and his case will then be submitted to a deciding officer for assessment of means. His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of this assessment.