Vol. 399 No. 3
106 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give a breakdown of a figure of more than £7,020 means which was arrived at in respect of an application for unemployment assistance in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo.
Following investigation, the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that he failed to show that his yearly means did not exceed the statutory limit for receipt of a qualification certificate from 6 December 1989. The limit is £7,020 in the circumstances of his case.
He appealed against this decision and following an oral hearing of his case held on 4 April 1990, an appeals officer also disallowed his claim on the same grounds.
If he is now willing to disclose all the sources of his means he should contact his local office and request a further interview with the social welfare officer.
107 Mr. L. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 17, who was in receipt of unemployment assistance until reaching the age of 60 and was transferred to retirement pension is being paid a low rate; the reason three pension books were issued in this case with the rate of payment from one of the books being reduced from 26 July 1990; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance at the rate of £23.40 per week. This was the rate appropriate to a married person with two children whose spouse had means of £79.76 per week.
Based on his means, he was awarded a pre-retirement pension at the rate of £27.50 per week. In addition he received £5 as a fuel allowance during the heating season which ended in April.
The increase arose from the more favourable arrangements for calculating the rate payable to persons with means and to persons receiving temporary transitional supplements arising from the EC directive on equality in social security matters.
