Paul Bradford
Ceist:98 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Social Welfare if the free electricity allowance and the free telephone rental allowance is payable to recipients of Department of Defence retirement pensions.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
Recipients of Department of Defence retirement pensions aged 66 years or over who are also receiving a qualifying social welfare payment are entitled to free electricity and free telphone rental allowances subject to their satisfying the living alone requirements of the schemes.
In addition, free electricity and free telephone rental allowances are payable in respect of veterans and the widows of veterans of the War of Independence under a scheme operated by the Department of Defence.
If the persons concerned are public servants in receipt of a Department of Defence pension but not in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment, then free electricity and free telephone rental allowance would not be payable.
Bernard Allen
Ceist:99 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a mix-up has occurred in relation to the appointment of a person (details supplied) in Cork to see a consultant orthopaedic surgeon which was cancelled by the surgeon's secretary who informed his Department by FAX on 22 March 1991 while his Department still maintain, in a letter dated 15 April, that cancellation of the appointment was not notified to them; if he will now arrange for an investigation of this administrative mix-up in view of the inconvenience and embarrassment caused to all involved.
Bernard Allen
Ceist:100 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in Cork has not received disability benefit payments recently as the last payment he received was for £227.65 in respect of the five month period from 20 July 1990.
It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 99 and 100 together.
The person concerned was in receipt of disability benefit from 21 March 1989 to 10 July 1990 when payment of benefit was disallowed following an examination on 27 June 1990 by a medical referee who found him capable of work. He appealed this decision and was examined again on 18 September 1990 by a different medical referee who also found him capable of work. He pursued his appeal and the case was referred to an appeals officer. An oral hearing of this appeal was held on 28 November 1990 and the appeals officer decided that he was capable of work from 11 July 1990. Following representations for a review and in the light of the medical evidence available, the chief appeals officer sought a specialist medical report. To this end, an appointment was made by the medical adviser of my Department with a consultant in Cork to have the person concerned examined on 22 March 1991. However, the consultant had to cancel the appointment and sent a message to the FAX number in one of my Department's buildings. This was not the building in which these cases are processed and the message was apparently mislaid in transit to the proper building. Steps have been taken to prevent this type of occurrence again. My officials are not, therefore, disputing that the message was received.
A further complication in this case was that the chief medical adviser, who has since retired, has made a memorandum to the effect that he was initially told, during the course of a telephone conversation with the consultant's office, that no notification had been sent.
My officials and I regret the inconvenience experienced by the person concerned. It is also regretted that, as a result of the circumstances as outlined, the case was not resolved earlier and complete information furnished to the Deputy.
Following a further oral hearing of his case on 8 May 1991, an appeals officer decided that the person in question was not capable of work. Payment of disability benefit has been restored at the weekly rate of £64.90 from 7 May 1991. He had been in receipt of unemployment benefit, including pay-related benefit, up to 6 May pending the outcome of his appeal.
The person concerned also appealed against a review decision by the deciding officer who had allowed disablement benefit at the rate appropriate to an assessment of 10 per cent from 20 July 1990. The appeals officer decided that disablement benefit should be increased from that date to the rate appropriate to an assessment of 15 per cent. That decision has since been reviewed in the light of recent medical evidence received and the rate of disablement benefit is now based on an assessment of 25 per cent disablement from 20 July 1990 to 31 December 1991. An adjusting payment in respect of this latest decision will be made to him shortly.
Gerry O'Sullivan
Ceist:101 Mr. G. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in Cork has been denied unemployment assistance, having regard to the serious unemployment situation in Cork at present.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed by a deciding officer from 1 May 1991, on the grounds that he was not genuinely seeking employment.
He was notified of this decision and he appealed the disallowance on 8 May 1991. Further investigations have been completed and his appeal is being sent to the independent social welfare appeals office for determination by an appeals officer.