Delay in occupational injury benefit
Payment was delayed because the claimant had no RSI number and the Department had to identify contributions paid by his employer. The Minister agrees the wait was excessive; benefit was paid after the inquiries and his record was established.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reasons for the undue delay in granting occupational injuries benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary.
Comment on this
The person concerned claimed occupational injury benefit in respect of an accident at work on 9 November 1981. Normally in such cases payment of disability benefit is made pending inquiries as to the nature and origin of the incapacity. In this case, however, the claimant had no RSI number and it was necessary to contact his employer so that the contributions paid in respect of him could be identified and credited to him. On completion of the inquiries, payment of disability benefit was made from 13 November 1981, fourth day of incapacity.
It has also been accepted that the incapacity arose out of and in the course of his employment and payment of injury benefit has been allowed in respect of the period from 9 November 1981 to 8 May 1982, when his entitlement to injury benefit ceased on the expiration of 26 weeks from the date of the accident. An adjusting payment, representing the difference between the rate of injury benefit to which he was entitled and the amount advanced by way of disability benefit, has now been made. Further payments will be made on receipt of medical evidence of incapacity.
Comment on this
Would the Minister not agree that from November 1981 to the present time, when payment was made, was an inordinately long time for any married man with a wife and dependent children to wait for payment of benefit to which he was entitled?
Comment on this
I agree with the Deputy. The reason was that the person concerned did not have an RSI number and, technically, was not qualified to receive any benefit. He would have qualified for supplementary welfare benefit. The Department investigated the claim and ultimately discovered that the employer, without specifying the employee, — in other words, on an emergency basis — had paid in contributions in the meantime. Obviously there is some problem there. When the Department were satisfied that these payments had been made, they then had to set up an RSI number for him. He has now got an RSI number and has been given credits for the payments which, up to that time, had not been received by the Department in respect of him. It is a complicated case where, in effect, there was a defect, but it should not have taken as long as it did.
