Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 200: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will review an application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford. [14385/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the carer's allowance appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in this case.

With regard to the second person mentioned, the Appeals Office has advised me that her disability allowance claim was disallowed on the grounds that following an assessment by a Medical Assessor who expressed the opinion that she was medically unsuitable for the allowance and also did not satisfy the habitual residence conditions. An appeal was registered and in accordance with the statutory procedures the relevant department papers and the comments of the Social Welfare services on the matter raised in the appeal have been sought.

The supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA) is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). Entitlement to a basic SWA payment is based on a number of conditions including a habitual residency condition.

The HSE has advised that the persons concerned were in receipt of a basic SWA payment for the period May 2010 to April 2011. The Executive have further advised that following a review of their entitlement it was decided that they were no longer entitled to the payment as they were not considered to be habitually resident in the State.

The HSE further advised that the persons concerned were informed of this decision in writing and have appealed the decision to the HSE Appeals Office. The HSE Appeals Office will contact the persons concerned when a decision has been made on their case.