asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will clarify the position of those who are assessed as being from 1 per cent to 19 per cent disabled for life and who normally receive a lump sum payment; and the social welfare services which they are entitled to.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Disablement Benefit.
64.
Disablement benefit under the occupational injuries scheme is payable in the form of a gratuity or a pension, as preferred by the claimant, where disablement is assessed as being between 1 per cent and 19 per cent for life. Such a person would be entitled to the full range of social welfare benefits subject to fulfilling the normal conditions.
From 20 per cent upwards payment is invariably made by way of a pension and payment is also only made by way of pension in pneumoconiosis cases. In addition to disablement benefit a person may also qualify for disability benefit or unemployability supplement and may also receive a constant attendance allowance. These are payable in the more seriously disabled cases and would not normally arise in a case where the assessment is between 1 per cent and 19 per cent.
A claimant, however, who accepts a gratuity and subsequently suffers a severe deterioration of his or her condition may apply for a review of the claim and where reassessed at a higher rate may then qualify for increase of disablement benefit. The cost of medical care under the occupational injuries scheme may be paid to a disablement beneficiary irrespective of whether the beneficiary is paid by gratuity or pension.
Many such people were in receipt of invalidity pensions which have now been removed from them. If they are disabled to the extent of 15 per cent they lose their invalidity pension. The Jobsearch programme is specifically designed to remove people from social welfare. Here are people who have been assessed by medical referees from the Department as being disabled for life to an extent ranging from 1 per cent to 19 per cent. To what are they now entitled? Many such people are being sent out on Jobsearch. If they refuse Jobsearch because of their disablement, are they then deprived of social welfare payments?
The number of people who have lost invalidity pension as the Deputy suggested is very small and most of the people going from invalidity pension receive some other benefit such as old age pension. Only a small number——
I am not talking about a person attaining the age of 66——
I think the Deputy should hear the Minister's reply.
Let us stay away from the area of old age pensions.
In any event, the number who have had their invalidity pension removed is relatively small. The Deputy seems to think it is a big number but it is relatively small. I am quite certain that the figures will bear this out. The position of a person who is assessed as being from 1 per cent to 19 per cent disabled for life, which is the case the Deputy mentioned, is that it would be open to him to receive any of the other social welfare benefits in the normal way.
May I ask the Minister a question?
A final supplementary.
Many of those people do not have sufficient contributions because they have been disabled for five, six or ten years. Therefore, because of the new changes in social welfare they would not have sufficient contributions. What is the position there?
The Deputy asked me about the people who were assessed as being from 1 per cent to 19 per cent disabled for life who would normally receive a lump sum payment. If they take the lump sum payment they are then entitled to receive the same sort of services as any other person depending on their means and circumstances.