Disability benefit delayed by insurance number
A Meath claimant’s disability benefit was delayed after he gave his son’s insurance number. Hussey said the claim was admitted under the correct number and payment issued, but Tully challenged the delay and the explanation.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why a person (details supplied) in County Meath who was in receipt of disability benefit for approximately two years up to 27 December 1980 has received no benefit since that date.
Comment on this
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 27 December 1980 but he was not entitled to payment on the insurance number quoted by him as he had no contributions paid or credited in the contribution year governing his claim under that number.
Following inquiries it was established that he had been quoting the insurance number of his son of the same name on the documents submitted in connection with his claim. As he was qualified for payment under the correct number his claim was admitted from 27 December 1980 and payment issued from 31 December 1980, fourth day of incapacity. All disability benefit due to 3 March 1981, date of latest medical certificate received, has been paid.
When details of his earnings in the relevant tax year are available payment of pay-related benefit, if due, will be made.
Comment on this
Surely the Minister is aware that the person concerned has been on disability benefit for the past two years and, therefore, pay-related benefit does not arise in this case. Will he tell the House when this man was paid benefit?
Comment on this
It must have been fairly recently because all disability benefit due to 3 March 1981, the date of last medical certificate, has been paid.
Comment on this
Does the Minister not agree that this is one of the ridiculous situations arising as a result of the change-over? In this case the person did not have an RSI number and, therefore, some other excuse had to be found for not paying him. Does the Minister not accept that it is disgraceful that a person living on the verge of poverty was left without payment? I am not satisfied that the wrong number was quoted in this case because there was no reason for quoting the number. The person quoted his own number for two years.