APPLICANT CASE-FILES

The case-files were opened by the Institution following applications for financial or residential assistance. They record the assessment of applicants' financial position, living conditions and health, and give details of benefits received and any residency in the Institution's homes.

Typically files contain: letters of enquiry regarding eligibility from the applicant with a summary of their income; regular reports of visits to applicants (stating name, age, religion, rent charge, income, capital resources, address, state of health, living conditions, domestic help, loneliness and care, amenities, hobbies or occupations, remarks including appearance, family and friends, and serious life circumstances) ; correspondence between the Institution's secretary and applicant (often revealing other matters such as membership subscription, rental situations, matters affecting the elderly in general, and Board of Management decisions on applications); Institution's 'declarations of circumstances forms' completed by applicants; Institution's application form for eligibility completed by applicants (stating name, date and place of birth, father's profession or occupation, marital status, physical disability, religion, close relative, academic qualifications, names and addresses of 3 referees, details of employment - including dates, subjects, age of pupils, employers name and address - investments, secured income, earned income, property, cash reserves, outgoings, declaration and attestation) ; correspondence with third parties such as councils concerning rents; and health forms with detailed description of medical history.

In many instances, the subjects of the files left legacies to the Institution or elected it to be their executor. Papers regarding the settlement of their estate are therefore present. In some instances, personal items such as letters, photographs, financial documents and pocket diaries are included.

These files were separated from the main series of applicant case-files on the death of the applicant and placed in bundles with reference numbers prefixed with the letter 'D'.

Files were created for every applicant for Institution assistance. Each file was assigned a unique reference number and these numbers have been used to arrange this series. It means that the files are now roughly chronological. The files were filed alphabetically by the Case-Secretary of the Institution but on deposit, this order was lost.

FILES CONTAIN PERSONAL INFORMATION AND ARE CLOSED FOR 100 YEARS FROM THE LAST DATE ON EACH FILE