Vol. 553 No. 2
667 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo is being refused a proportional respite care grant for the care they provided to their mother until she died. [13291/02]
My Department provides an annual respite care grant to persons who are in receipt of carer's allowance. This respite care grant is payable where a person is entitled to, or in receipt of, carer's allowance during a particular period specified in legislation. This year the specified period is from 6 June 2002 to 14 June 2002. There is no provision for payment of the grant on a proportional basis.
The person concerned was in receipt of maximum weekly rate of carer's allowance up to 22 March 2002 when the care recipient died. An additional six weeks payment of carer's allowance was also made following the death of the care recipient. As his entitlement to carer's allowance had ceased he has no entitlement to the respite care grant for 2002.
668 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be awarded the carer's allowance. [13292/02]
The person concerned applied for a carer's allowance on 9 April 2002. The principal conditions for receipt of the allowance are that full-time care and attention is required and being provided and that the means test which applies is satisfied.
Having examined all the medical evidence submitted with the application, my Department's chief medical advisor expressed the opinion that the care recipient is not so disabled as to require full-time care and attention. In addition, it was also established that the person concerned does not provide full-time care and attention as prescribed in regulations. Accordingly her application for carer's allowance was refused. She was notified of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right to appeal to the social welfare appeals office. To date no appeal has been lodged.
669 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo is being refused a proportional respite care grant for the care they provided to their father-in-law until he died. [13293/02]
My Department provides an annual respite care grant to persons who are in receipt of carer's allowance. This respite care grant is payable where a person is entitled to, or in receipt of, carer's allowance during a particular period specified in legislation. This year the period is from 6 June 2002 to 14 June 2002. There is no provision for payment of the grant on a proportional basis.
The person concerned was in receipt of carer's allowance at the maximum weekly rate up until 8 April 2002 when the care recipient died. An additional six weeks payment of carer's allowance was also made following the death of the care recipient. As her entitlement to carer's allowance had ceased she has no entitlement to the respite care grant for 2002.
670 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when a carer's allowance appeal will be finalised for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [13294/02]
The person concerned claimed carer's allowance in respect of her parents on 5 December 2001. Her application was disallowed by a deciding officer on the grounds that the chief medical adviser of the Department did not consider that the care recipients were so invalided or disabled as to require full time care and attention. She appealed against this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office and her case was considered by an appeals officer who has decided that an oral hearing is necessary. The person concerned will be advised of the date and venue for the hearing when the arrangements have been made.WP leading adjustment
Under social welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by deciding officers and appeals officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in making such decisions.
671 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when the family of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo, now deceased, will receive one week's old age pension that this person was due prior to their death. [13299/02]
On 13 June 2001, a cheque for £181, €229.82, was issued by the Department to the solicitors acting for the administrator of the estate of the person concerned. This payment represented the value of two pension orders due to him but which remained uncashed at his death in April 2001. According to the records of my Department, this cheque was cashed on 19 June 2001. There is no further pension due to his estate.
