Non-contributory widow’s pension in Tipperary
The widow was awarded the maximum pension rate from December 1980, with arrears issued; the Minister said the claim was not unduly delayed because her farm and capital required means assessment.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the very long delay in processing an application for a non-contributory widow's pension by a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary.
Comment on this
The person concerned has been awarded a non-contributory widow's pension at the maximum rate appropriate to a widow with no qualified children with effect from 12 December 1980. A pension order book, payable from 6 February 1981, has been issued to the designated post office for collection by her and a payable order for the arrears of pension prior to 6 February 1981 issued on 6 April.
There was no undue delay in processing the claim for widow's pension in this case. The widow was the owner of a good-sized farm and also had a considerable amount of capital and the assessed means from these sources far exceeded the statutory means limit for the award of pension. Although she intimated in October 1979 that she was transferring the farm to her son, the formal transfer was only notified to my Department recently.
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