Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 72: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the steps she is taking to improve processing times for jobseeker claims at social welfare branch and local offices. [40706/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 72 together.

The average processing times for claims decided in October was 3.14 weeks for jobseekers benefit and 7.38 weeks for jobseekers allowance. In October, 3 out of every 4 claims for Jobseekers Benefit were processed within 3 weeks and 2 out of every 3 claims for the means tested payment Jobseekers Allowance were processed within 6 weeks.

To date, some 378 additional staff have been assigned to Local Offices, new Central Support Units and the Departments Inspectorate to specifically deal with the increase in claims for unemployment payments.

In addition, over the past year the Department has introduced a range of process improvement initiatives to deal with the increased volume of claims.

Over the last three months there has been a steady decrease in the numbers of Jobseekers claims waiting a decision. The numbers have reduced by almost 23% which illustrates that the process improvement measures, coupled with the additional resources that have been assigned to Local Offices are having a positive effect.

One of the most significant initiatives introduced aimed at reducing queuing times and waiting times, involves the customer attending the office by appointment at which time the claim is taken and decided. This system was first introduced in Dundalk and since last August has been introduced in a further 19 offices. The Department is currently finalising plans to extend the initiative to other offices.

The impact of this initiative is very encouraging, the processing times in Dundalk Local Office where the initiative was trialled and first introduced are now less than 1 week for JB and under 4 weeks for JA.

In addition, a range of other process improvements have been introduced which include:

A more streamlined procedure for claimants moving to jobseekers allowance when their jobseekers benefit expires.

A streamlined process for people who had a claim in the previous two 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.

I accept that processing are still too long in a small number of offices and I can assure the House that the Department is working to improve the situation in these offices as a priority.

Anyone who is under financial pressure while awaiting a decision on their claim for a jobseekers payment can apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance which is subject to a means test and other qualifying conditions. It is open to any customer who is not satisfied with the decision on their claim to appeal that decision.

I fully appreciate that becoming unemployed and having to claim a jobseekers payment is stressful enough in itself. The Department will continue to introduce initiatives to ensure that the process is as straightforward as it possibly can be.