asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give a breakdown by category of the cost of the various non-contributory allowances, assistance and pensions paid by his Department in the last year.

The information requested is as follows:

(a) Actual outturns will not be available until towards the end of April 1988.

169.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare in respect of the social insurance fund, if he will give (i) a breakdown by category of the cost of the various benefits paid in the last year to insured persons and (ii) the total contributions to the fund in that year.

The information requested is as follows:

170.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will issue in a claim for disability benefit for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo.

The claim to disability benefit of the person concerned was originally disallowed from 19 July 1987 following an examination by a medical referee who considered him to be capable of work. The claimant appealed against the disallowance of benefit and was examined again on 1 October 1987 by a different medical referee who considered him to be incapable of work.

However, it had been ascertained that the person concerned is self-employed and does not appear to be complying with the rules of behaviour for a person claiming or in receipt of disability benefit. One of these rules is that a claimant must not do any work unless it is work which he is allowed do under the Department's regulations.

The claim to disability benefit of the person concerned was, therefore, suspended from 19 July 1987 on these grounds pending investigations into his entitlement to this benefit. These investigations are ongoing and when they are completed entitlement to further payment of benefit will then be reviewed.

171.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when the appeal for disability benefit of a person (details supplied) in County Louth will be heard.

The person concerned was paid disability benefit to 21 November 1987 after which date payment was disallowed following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He appealed against the disallowance of benefit and was examined by a different medical referee on 11 January 1988 who also expressed the opinion that he was capable of work.

His appeal has been referred to an appeals officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing of his claim on 7 March 1988.

172.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has any plans to amend the law to relax the time limit applying for contributory pension claims because of the serious anomalies which frequently arise in the case of widows after the death of their husbands.

The time limit for applying for a widow's pension is three months from the time a woman becomes a widow. The time limit may, however, be extended to six months in cases where a claimant can show that there was cause for the delay in making the claim.

It is considered that these provisions are reasonable and there are no plans at present to change them.