Disability benefit hardship during number changeover
The claimant received benefit through 17 February, but the insurance-to-RSI number change caused delay. Pattison described hardship to the claimant’s family and criticised the lack of safeguards; Woods said the RSI number had not been provided and pointed to supplementary welfare agents.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and when payment will be made.
Comment on this
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 9 January 1981 and was paid from 12 January, fourth day of incapacity. All payment due to 17 February, date of latest certificate received, has issued. The delay in payment was due mainly to the change-over in January 1981 from the system of insurance numbers to RSI numbers for the purpose of payment of benefit. He is not entitled to pay-related benefit.
Comment on this
This is a typical case where a man, his wife and five children were left without anything up to about a week ago from 7 January last. Is the Minister aware that this man was in hospital for some of that period? Would the Minister not agree that the social welfare contributors who pay so dearly for this benefit should not suffer in this way because of the change-over? Is the Minister aware that the change-over has caused suffering not alone to this family but to families all over the place and that it is grossly unfair to have a system which has inflicted so much hardship? I am familiar with this family and I know what they suffered. If it was not for the supplementary allowance they would have died of starvation.
Comment on this
If the Deputy had brought such a case to my attention I would have pursued it immediately on his behalf. The first problem is that the RSI number was not quoted in this case. I appreciate that that is not an answer but, unfortunately, when one is dealing with a large system and computers it causes a problem. It means people have to be written to to ask them what their RSI number is.
Comment on this
Should the Minister not have taken steps, even by creating temporary local offices of some kind, or increasing the number of agents, in order to provide against this kind of thing happening?
Comment on this
There are supplementary welfare agents in all the health board areas throughout the country. We have already had some discussions on that aspect of it. I sympathise with the problem. As a TD I have had to deal with it myself but by getting the RSI number and the insurance number I found the Department were able to help me.
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