asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of disability benefit due to a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim for the period 12 December to 1 May 1987 will be paid.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
156.
The person concerned only submitted medical evidence of incapacity to the Department on 12 May 1987 in respect of an incapacity which was stated to have commenced on 16 December 1986.
The regulations provide that a person who, without good cause, fails to give notice of incapacity or to submit medical evidence within seven days of the commencement of incapacity is disqualified from receiving disability benefit in respect of any period more than seven days before the date on which such notice or medical evidence is received.
She subsequently submitted an explanation for the late claim but it has not been accepted as showing good cause for the late notification. Accordingly her claim has been authorised for payment from 5 May 1987, seven days before the date of submission of medical evidence, and all benefit payable has been issued to 18 January 1988, the date of the latest medical certificate received.
157.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will make a statement regarding the sickness benefit being paid to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 24; if he will indicate the periods of employment of this person which gave rise to her qualification for sickness benefit; and the last date on which employment contributions were paid in respect of the person concerned.
The person concerned has received disability benefit in respect of claims from 21 August 1972 to 1 July 1978, from 3 April 1979 to 15 August 1981 and since 9 September 1981 to date (apart from the period from 16 November 1981 to 6 February 1982 when she was in receipt of Maternity Allowance).
Her initial claim was allowed on the basis of her 1970-71 contribution record for which a total of 31 social insurance contributions had been paid. Subsequently her 1971-72 contribution record with a total of 42 contributions paid was used to qualify her claim as, in due course, was the 1972-73 contribution year in which she had six paid contributions. These six paid contributions along with credited contributions awarded for periods of certified incapacity were used to re-qualify her for payment of benefit as indicated above.
These last six contributions were paid between July and 21 August 1972. In all, the person concerned has a total of 396 contributions paid on her behalf since she entered insurable employment on 27 April 1959.