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

Question 620: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if those people who have applied for the jobseeker's allowance or jobseeker's benefit but whose application has not yet been processed or who have not yet received their first welfare payment are included in the live register figures published monthly by the Central Statistics Office; the number people who have applied for the jobseeker's allowance or jobseeker's benefit but whose application has not yet been processed or who have not yet received their first welfare payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29317/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Claims for jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance, which have not yet been processed, are included in the live register figures published monthly by the Central Statistics Office. At week ending 27 June 2009, there were total 78,585 claims awaiting a decision of which 29,180 were jobseeker's benefit claims and 49,405 jobseeker's allowance claims.

Staff in the Department are working extremely hard to process claims as expeditiously as is possible, having regard to the conditions of the schemes. The average processing time for claims decided in June was 3.34 weeks for jobseeker's benefit and 5.92 weeks for jobseeker's allowance. This is the average nationally and there are fluctuations between offices.

The Department has been examining all aspects of the work associated with the processing of claims and streamlining wherever possible. Process improvement initiatives that have been introduced include: a more streamlined procedure for claimants moving to jobseeker's allowance when their jobseeker's benefit expires; a streamlined process for people who had a claim in the previous 2 years; application forms for the jobseeker schemes are now available on the Department's website. This means that anyone who wants to make a claim can print the form at home and bring it to the local office completed. This helps reduce queuing times; more straight-forward procedures for providing evidence of identity and address have been introduced; we have introduced an appointment system for taking claims in 17 offices and plan to extend this, over the coming months to other offices where it would be of benefit and; the process for casual employees has been streamlined and the employee can now self certify on a weekly basis without recourse to the employer. In addition, five central decision units in Dublin, Sligo, Finglas, Carrick-on-Shannon and most recently Roscommon have been established. A further central support unit is being established in Tallaght.

Where a person is awaiting a decision on their jobseeker's claim they may apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance from the local Community Welfare Officer.