asked the Minister for Social Welfare if employees of local authorities on full PRSI over 60 years of age, who accept voluntary redundancy-early retirement under an official scheme circulated by the Department of the Environment on 15 October 1987 will be obliged to be available for work and to be genuinely seeking work under the amended Social Welfare Act which applied to the assistance rules to insurance services in order to qualify for unemployment benefit.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
104.
In accordance with the provisions of section 29 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, as amended by section 19 of the Social Welfare Act, 1986, entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a claimant must be available for and genuinely seeking work. Unemployment benefit may be payable up to 66 years of age and all claimants, irrespective of age, are required to satisfy the relevant conditions for entitlement.
The fact that a person opts to leave employment under a scheme of voluntary redundancy or early retirement would not in itself disqualify that person from satisfying that condition. Nevertheless, such persons who claim unemployment benefit would be required to satisfy the Department that they are available for and genuinely seeking work.
105.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if, in respect of social assistance and social insurance payments, he will give the real percentage growth in the rates of payment since 1980; and if he will compare this to real growth in Gross National Product.
Over the period since 1980 varying percentage increases have been applied to long term and short term social welfare payments. It is estimated that the real increase, i.e., the increase above the level of inflation, in these payments over this period has been around 21 per cent for short term payments, 30 per cent for long term unemployment assistance and 37 per cent for other long term payments. It is estimated that the real growth in Gross National Product over the period was less than 1 per cent.
106.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare was denied Class A insurance stamps for his five years of employment when that person was working in excess of 18 hours per week; and if he will review the case with a view to awarding the individual Class A insurance stamps.
Under social welfare legislation, employment by one employer involving part time service as caretaker of lands or of property thereon is insurable at PRSI Class J rate of contribution. The 18 hour figure which applies to certain part time employments does not apply to part time service as caretaker of lands or of property thereon.
The person concerned was employed part time as such a caretaker. During part of the period he was concurrently employed by a second employer. The deciding officer decided that his employment as caretaker with one employer only was insurable at PRSI Class J rate of contribution and that his employment while concurrently employed by a second employer was insurable at PRSI Class A rate of contribution. The person concerned appealed against this decision but the appeals officer upheld the decision following an oral hearing.
The decision of the appeals officer is final and conclusive and can only be reviewed in the light of some new facts or fresh evidence being brought to his attention. If the person concerned considers that he has any such facts or evidence he should submit them to the Department and they will be put before the appeals officer for his consideration.
107.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he intends to resolve the anomaly whereby some recipients of unemployment benefit can receive less money than if they were on unemployment assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Payment of unemployment benefit claim is made for a maximum duration of 15 months. The rate of benefit payable after six months may be reduced where the claimant's record of paid contributions had not reached a certain standard prior to the claim. The reduced rate of benefit payable in such cases for the last nine months of the claim is equivalent to the maximum short term rate of unemployment assistance payable to persons living in urban areas who have been unemployed for less than 15 months.
This reduced rate of benefit is equivalent to the highest rate of unemployment assistance payable to any claimants with the exception of the long term rate of assistance which is payable to persons who have been unemployed for over 15 months. This higher rate was introduced some years ago to cater for the special needs of the long term unemployed.
It is not considered that this constitutes an anomaly. When claimants' entitlement to unemployment benefit expires after the maximum duration of 15 months and they qualify for unemployment assistance, they are entitled to the long term rate in common with other claimants who have been unemployed for at least the same length of time.
108.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) in County Wexford has received a bill for £1,315.22 in respect of overpayment of disability benefit; that this overpayment arose because his Department paid full rate instead of half rate disability benefit to this person while she was in receipt of unmarried mother's allowance; that the claimant is entirely blameless in this matter and will have great difficulty in repaying this money from her already diminished income; and if, in the circumstances, he will arrange that this debt be waived.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 29 August 1986 and was paid at the weekly rate of £41.10 the then maximum rate appropriate to a single person with no adult or child dependants.
Where a person claiming disability benefit is in receipt of another social welfare payment such as unmarried mother's allowance, disability benefit is only payable at half the normal personal rate.
The person concerned failed to state on her application for disability benefit that she was also receiving unmarried mother's allowance. She continued to be paid at the maximum rate until 16 November 1987 when her rate of payment was reduced to her correct entitlement of £21.15 weekly. Arrangements were made to recover the amount overpaid by weekly deductions of £6 from her disability benefit pending notification from her as to how she proposed to refund the overpayment.
The Department have been informed that the £6 weekly deductions will cause financial hardship to the person concerned who has offered to reimburse the Department at the rate of £2 weekly. This offer is acceptable and the amount being deducted has been adjusted accordingly.
109.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the amount it would cost the State in 1988 and in a full year if the basic rate of unemployment assistance were to be increased to (a) £45 per week (b) £50 per week (c) £55 per week and (d) £60 per week from 1 April 1988.
Payments are made to unemployed people under two categories, unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance. The estimated cost to the State if the basic rates of unemployment assistance, urban and rural, were increased from 1 April 1988 to the amounts mentioned by the Deputy, and corresponding increases given to adult dependants, would be as follows:
|
Rate Per Week |
1988 |
Full Year |
|
£ |
£m |
£m |
|
45 |
45 |
60 |
|
50 |
77 |
103 |
|
55 |
110 |
147 |
|
60 |
143 |
190 |