Michael Ring
Ceist:98 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the current position on an appeal lodged by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo in relation to her pension. [15183/97]
Written Answers. - Pension Entitlements.
The person concerned is in receipt of an old age non-contributory pension of £19.50 per week which is the appropriate rate for someone with weekly means of £54. Her entitlement is currently being reviewed by a local officer of my Department. As soon as all the necessary inquiries are completed, a formal decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome without delay.
Michael Ring
Ceist:99 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will get his full pension entitlements. [15184/97]
Michael Ring
Ceist:100 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs whether a person (details supplied) in County Mayo is entitled to a new pro-rata old age contributory pension. [15185/97]
I proposed to take Questions Nos. 110 and 111 together.
The person concerned has been in receipt of a reduced rate retirement pension since his 65th birthday. He currently receives £126.90 per week, which consists of a personal rate of £75.90 and a qualified adult allowance of £51 in respect of his wife. In addition, he will be receiving a £5 weekly fuel allowance from mid-October next.
His rate of pension is determined by his yearly average contribution record. He has a total of 1,234 reckonable paid and credited contributions recorded over the 28-year period from 1960 to 1988. No contributions are recorded for the 1974-5, 1981-2 and 1985-6 years and there are a reduced number of contributions recorded in the two years of 1961-2 and 1982-3. His overall record represents a yearly average of 44 contributions, entitling him to his current personal rate. He would need a higher yearly average of 48 to entitle him to the maximum personal rate of £78 per week, in addition to his existing qualified adult and fuel allowances.
The new pro-rata old age contributory pension rules, which come into effect from 21 November 1997, cater for those people who have a low yearly average of between ten and 19 contributions, and who could not qualify for a contributory pension up to now. As the yearly average of the person concerned is considerably higher than these levels, the new rules are not relevant in his case.
In addition to his retirement pension, the person concerned is entitled to free travel, free electricity allowance, free television licence and free telephone rental allowance.
On this basis, according to the Department's records the person concerned is in receipt of his full social welfare entitlements.
Michael Ring
Ceist:101 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs whether a person (details supplied) in County Mayo is receiving her full pension entitlements; and the way in which her reduced pension was calculated. [15186/97]
The person concerned is in receipt of a reduced rate old age non-contributory pension of £38.50 per week which includes £5 over-80 allowance. Her entitlement was last reviewed in February 1997.
The 1997 Social Welfare Act provides for a more favourable assessment of capital for pension purposes. The improved assessment takes effect from 17 October 1997. The Department has now reassessed the entitlement of the person concerned under these new rules, based on her capital and her share in the family farm. As a result of this, she will be entitled to an increased pension of £41.50 a week plus an over-80 allowance of £5 based on means derived from capital of £8,413.04 and the benefit from the holding of £1,175.
The person concerned is in receipt of free travel and free electricity allowance — free television licence. She may have an entitlement to free telephone rental allowance. An application form and information leaflet has been issued to her now for completion. She is not entitled at present to fuel allowance as she has access to her own supply of fuel.
Michael Ring
Ceist:102 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs to confirm whether a person (details supplied) in County Mayo is receiving her full pension entitlements; and the way in which her reduced pension was calculated. [15187/97]
The person concerned is in receipt of a reduced rate old age non-contributory pension. Her entitlement to pension was last reviewed in February 1997. Her current rate of pension is £41.50 per week.
The 1997 Social Welfare Act provides for a more favourable assessment of capital for pension purposes. The improved assessment takes effect from 17 October 1997. The Department has now reassessed the entitlement of the person concerned under these new rules, based on her capital and her share in the family farm. As a result of this, she will be entitled to £45.50 per week based on means derived from capital of £4,758.33 and a benefit of £1,175 from the farm.
She is also in receipt of free travel. The household is already in receipt of free electricity allow-ance-free television licence through another member of the family. The household might have an entitlement to free telephone rental allowance. An application form and information leaflet has been issued to another member of her family for completion. The household is not entitled at present to fuel allowance as they have access to their own supply of fuel.