Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 389: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason for the delay in deciding an application for a non-contributory old age pension in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 in view of the fact that the application was made in August 2006; and if he will take steps to ensure that this matter is sorted without further delay. [3454/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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State Pension (Non-Contributory) is a means tested payment and all income is assessable as means. This includes cash income, private pensions, foreign pensions, the value of any property (excluding the claimant's own home) and the value of any investments and capital which the claimant may have. A pensioner is obliged to declare all means, and to inform this Department of any change in his/her circumstances.

In this customer's case the file was forwarded to the Social Welfare Inspector for the area where the customer resided at that time. However the Inspector was unable to locate the customer as enquiries showed that he had entered hospital. Follow-up efforts by the Social Welfare Inspector to interview the customer at the hospital were unsuccessful as he had moved to a nursing home. Recent enquiries indicate that the customer is now residing in a nursing home nearer to his original residence.

As a result, the file has been referred to the Local Officer for that area, who will arrange to call to the customer shortly to access his means. On completion of all enquiries a decision will be made and the customer will be notified of the outcome.