€92,000 disability payout

A MAN who was refused arrears payments for disablement benefit by the Department of Social and Family Affairs was awarded more than €92,000 following an investigation by the Ombudsman.

The complainant, who received serious back injuries from an accident at work in 1979, was subsequently granted short-term disability benefit and received an Invalidity Pension from 1982. However, a Department official questioned him in February 2003 as to why he was not in receipt of disablement benefit. The man replied that he was unaware of such a payment. Following an examination by one of the department’s medical assessors, he was granted disablement benefit, which was backdated for three months. When he subsequently applied for arrears dating back to 1979, his claim was refused on the basis that it was late.

However, the Ombudsman said it was clear that the man had never been provided with information about the possibility of his entitlement to the payment.