asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason free telephone rental has not been applied to the account of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny, where approval was confirmed on 1 May 1986.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
79.
In order to receive free telephone rental allowance, an applicant must be a registered telephone subscriber. In the case of the person concerned, the telephone is registered in the name of her late husband and the Department was not aware of this fact until the Deputy's representations were received.
If she now applies to Telecom Éireann for the transfer of the telephone to her name with effect from 1 May 1986 a refund will be made to her of the standard rental paid by her from that date. The Department will be writing to her to advise her in this matter in the next few days.
80.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to have a family income supplement paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny where the application is being made; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The claim for family income supplement by the person concerned was disallowed on the ground that his weekly income exceeded the limit of £140 for a family with three children.
81.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will receive an old age contributory pension,
In order to qualify for an old age contributory pension the person concerned is required to have a yearly average of at least 20 contributions in the relevant period which, in her case, is from 6 July 1953 to 5 April 1987. The Department's records show that she had a total of 544 contributions in this period and since this is equal to a yearly average of only 16 she does not qualify for an old age contributory pension.
Under EC Regulations on Social Security her British insurance record for the period from 1964 to 1971 could be taken into account to enable her to qualify for a pro rata old age contributory pension. However, even if she had a full seven years of British insurance her pro rata entitlement would amount to only £30.20. Since she is already in receipt of a widow's contributory pension at a rate of £49.10 per week, the widow's pension will continue to be paid to her. She would not be entitled to be paid a widow's pension and a pro rata old age contributory pension at the same time.
Details of her Irish insurance record have been sent to the British Department of Health and Social Security. That Department will notify her if she has any entitlement to a British pension.
82.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will receive arrears of disability benefit for January and February 1987.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 27 January 1987. Where a claimant whose claim commences prior to 6 April 1987 has 26 but less than 156 contributions paid at the appropriate rate since entry into insurable employment, payment of disability benefit is limited to 52 weeks. In order to requalify a claimant must obtain a further 13 weeks of insurable employment for which contributions at the appropriate rate have been paid or such lesser a number as to bring his total to 156.
According to the records of the Department the claimant had less than 156 contributions paid and he exhausted his 52 week entitlement to benefit on a previous claim. The person concerned indicated that he was previously employed in Britain and his insurance record was requested from the British authorities. It was established that he had sufficient British contributions to qualify for payment of benefit. All arrears of benefit payable to 23 February 1987 the date of the latest medical certificate were issued to him on 21 April 1987.