John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons on a national, county and local social welfare office basis awaiting for their application for jobseeker's allowance and benefit to be processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1719/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The total number of jobseeker's awaiting a decision on their claim at 9th January 2010 was 58,878. A table showing the breakdown between Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) and Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) claims at each local office is as follows. This information has been compiled from data that is maintained on a Local Office catchment area basis and these figures do not correspond exactly with county boundaries.

Over the past number of months the Department has introduced a range of process improvement initiatives to deal with the increased volume of claims which 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 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

The process for casual employees has been streamlined and the employee can now self certify on a weekly basis without recourse to the employer. A compensatory periodic control measure has been introduced for employers.

One of the most significant initiatives introduced recently 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 has already been introduced in 20 offices. The Department plans to extend it up to a further 25 offices and over the next few weeks it will be introduced in Cavan, Clonmel, Ennis, Tralee, Arklow, Wexford, Finglas, Navan Road, Kilbarrack, Swords and Dun Laoghaire.

I realise the importance of getting claims decided as quickly as possible and I want to assure the Deputy that staff in local offices and in the Department's inspectorate are doing all they can to reduce the numbers of claims awaiting a decision.

JA/JB Claims Pending by Local Office at January 9th 2010.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 95: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the way she intends to achieve the €20 million projected savings on rent supplement as announced in budget 2010; and if these savings are based on the 2009 estimate, the 2009 outturn or otherwise. [1806/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Rent supplement is payable to people who are unable to meet the cost of renting private accommodation and is intended as a short-term support. There are currently over 93,000 tenants benefiting from a rent supplement payment - an increase of 26% since the end of 2008. The provisional outturn on Rent Supplement for 2009 is €507.68 million. Budget 2010 provided for expenditure of €509m in 2010, after the achievement of €20m savings.

Rent limits are set at levels that enable eligible households to secure and retain basic suitable rented accommodation, having regard to the different rental market conditions that prevail in various parts of the state.

It is essential to ensure that state support for rent supplemented tenants, who form a substantial section of the rental market, does not give rise to inflated rental prices with particular negative impact on those tenants on lower incomes, including people in low paid employment. The Government is determined to ensure that reductions in rent levels generally in the year to date result in savings for the taxpayer.

Maximum rent limits are prescribed in regulations and are time limited so that they can be adjusted in the light of rent levels generally. The most recent regulations cover the period 1 June 2009 to 31 May 2010. Rent limits can, however, be reviewed at any time. Notwithstanding rent limits, the Community Welfare Service may, in certain circumstances, exceed the rent levels as an exceptional measure to meet special needs. Equally the Community Welfare Service also pay below prescribed rent limits in the light of rent levels in the local rental market.

Budget 2010 provided for €20m savings in the rent supplement scheme arising from a review of the maximum rent limits. To this end, the maximum level of rent supplement payable by the State will be reviewed early in 2010 on the basis of the latest data available on general trends in rental prices.

The review will be conducted with reference to analysis of rents recorded with the Private Residential Tenancies Board, the CSO private rent index and data from the Daft.ie property website. The maximum rent limits payable will then be adjusted and new limits will apply in respect of all new tenancies or renewals of tenancies from April 2010.

Indications are that rents in the private rented sector continue to fall since limits were reviewed in 2009. Based on current information available about decreases in rent levels, the Department expects the rent review to lead to savings of €20 million.