Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 856: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the length of time it is taking to process applications for allowances and benefits administered by her Department; the reason for the delay; and the steps being taken to reduce it to ensure applicants receive their entitlements in a timely fashion. [33070/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The current average processing times for the schemes referred to by the Deputy are as follows:

More than 95% of Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance applications are decided on and paid within the week.

In regard to the Guardians (Contributory and Non Contributory) Payment Scheme, a specific processing target is not set. This is because factors outside of the Department's control can impinge on claim processing times. These factors include the need to liaise with outside bodies to obtain the required information to determine entitlement.

In compiling statistics to determine average processing times for the various schemes in the Department, the parameter dates are the date the claim was made by the customer (i.e. the registration date) and the date the decision was given by the deciding officer.

The Department is committed to processing claims as expeditiously as possible having regard to the eligibility conditions which apply. These conditions vary from scheme to scheme. In some cases there is an unavoidable time lag involved in making the necessary enquiries to enable decisions to be made. Time can also elapse where the applicants do not supply all the necessary information in support of their claim. The processing of claims may involve, among other things, the need to establish the customer's social insurance record, verify medical conditions, establish a customer's identity or their place of habitual residence and assess means where appropriate.

Additional information or indeed information originally sought but not provided may also have to be requested from the customer. The figures for pension schemes include claims where a person's date of entitlement has not yet been reached.

The Department aims to process claims quickly and efficiently. In this regard there is a continued emphasis on providing staff with the necessary training and development to ensure they have the requisite knowledge and skills to carry out their work. Operational procedures, the organisation of work, and the allocation of staff resources continue to be reviewed and restructured to maximise the processing capability of the scheme areas. All aspects of claim processing are kept under constant review and improvements are implemented on a continuous basis.