Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 April 2005
167 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a social welfare application and appeal has been disallowed in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 16; if his attention has been drawn to the hardship caused to this person as a result of the disallowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13881/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, provides assistance to eligible people who have little or no income.
The Dublin/mid-Leinster area of the executive has advised that payment of a basic supplementary welfare allowance and rent supplement to the person concerned ceased when she ceased to reside at the address she had provided. The executive has further advised that she was unsuccessful in appealing against this decision to the executive's area appeals officer. Her case was forwarded to the social welfare appeals office for further adjudication. The appeals officer upheld the original decision to terminate payment of basic supplementary welfare allowance and rent supplement.
The appeals systems both in the executive and in the social welfare appeals office operate independently and are designed to ensure that every appellant's case gets full and satisfactory consideration. Neither I nor my Department have any function in decisions made by an appeals officer.
