asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Louth; and the reason payment of same was discontinued.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
86.
Payment of disability benefit to the person concerned is issued weekly on foot of a monthly medical certificate.
There was a delay in issuing benefit to the person concerned for the period 6 June 1988 to 25 June 1988 due to the late submission of a medical certificate for the month of May.
Medical certification for this month has been received and all arrears payable have been issued to her.
87.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Louth; and when payment of same will be made.
The person concerned has been in receipt of disability benefit since May 1977.
Due to an administrative error, payment did not issue in respect of the period from 31 May 1988 to 4 June 1988. The person notified the Department on 7 June 1988 that she had not received payment for this period and an adjustment cheque in respect of arrears due was issued on 10 June 1988.
88.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Louth has not received payment of disability benefit; and when payment will be made.
Where a person has less than 260 contributions paid since entry into insurable employment, entitlement to disability benefit is limited to 52 weeks.
According to the records of the Department the person concerned has only 228 contributions paid on her behalf since entry into insurance. She claimed disability benefit in May 1987 and was paid to 19 May 1988 after which date her 52 weeks entitlement became exhausted.
In order to requalify for disability benefit it will be necessary for her to have at least a further 13 weeks of insurable employment for which the appropriate contributions are paid.
89.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive payment of arrears of a living alone allowance.
A living alone allowance can only be awarded with effect from the next due date of payment after the date of receipt of the application form in the Department. The person concerned applied for a living alone allowance on 2 March 1988 and was awarded that allowance with effect from 4 March 1988, i.e. the Friday following the date of receipt of his claim. An allowance book at the weekly rate of £3.70 was issued to his local post office on 29 April 1988, payable from 4 March 1988. Thus, no further arrears are due.
90.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if recipients of the free electricity allowance are having their allowance withdrawn in cases where they are being looked after by a relative who is drawing unemployment assistance or unemployment benefit; when this new condition was introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
One of the conditions for receipt of a free electricity allowance is that an eligible person must be living alone or with certain excepted persons. A person providing full time care and attention to an invalided applicant is accepted as coming within the category of excepted persons for satisfying the "living alone" conditions of the scheme, but not in any case where the person is in receipt of unemployment benefit or assistance. One of the qualifying conditions for receipt of unemployment benefit or assistance is that the claimant be available for and genuinely seeking work, and a person doing so could not simultaneously claim to be providing full-time care and attention to an applicant for free electricity allowance. There is no new condition. This has been the situation from the commencement of the scheme.
91.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment assistance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance on 18 December 1987 and his papers were referred to the social welfare officer for investigation of his means.
The necessary inquiries have been protracted as the person concerned failed to disclose full details of the livestock on his holding. As soon as the required information is supplied to the social welfare officer, his case will be submitted to a deciding officer for assessment of means. His entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined in the light of this assessment.
92.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when the result of a disability appeal will be made available to a person (details supplied) in County Meath.
Payment of disability benefit to the person concerned was disallowed from 7 February 1988, following a medical referee examination.
The person concerned appealed this decision, and was examined by a different medical referee on 6 April 1988, who also considered her to be capable of work.
The case has now been referred to an appeals officer, who proposes to hold an oral hearing of the appeal on 23 June 1988. The person concerned will be notified of the result of this hearing as soon as possible.