Written answers
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Department of Social and Family Affairs
Social Welfare Benefits
10:00 pm
Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context
Question 483: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the average time it took to process each individual social welfare payment between January and end of June 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31559/10]
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context
Processing times vary across schemes because of both the volume of applications and the differing qualification criteria. For example, means assessments are required for all of the social assistance schemes, customers must also satisfy the habitual residency conditions, and medical examinations are required for some of the illness-related schemes. In the case of insurance-based schemes, it may be necessary to ascertain details of foreign insurance records.
It should also be noted that many factors outside the Department's control can impact upon claim processing times, e.g. the supply of relevant information by the customer, employers, other EU countries or other third parties.
While every effort is made to decide on entitlement for any individual person as close to their eligibility date as possible, there are cases where delays will necessarily be experienced. In situations where customers find themselves suffering financial hardship while awaiting such a decision, the facility to receive supplementary welfare allowance funded by the Department and administered by the Health Service Executive is available. In May 2010, more than 96% of basic SWA applications were decided on and paid within a week.
The table shows the processing times from January 2010 to May 2010. The statistics for June have not yet been finalised.
Deputies:
New claims average processing times in weeks: Jan 2010 to May 2010
| Activity | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May |
| State Pension (Contributory) | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
| State Pension (Transitional) | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Widow(er)'s Contributory Pension | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| State Pension (Non-Contributory) | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 |
| Widow(er)'s (Non-Contributory) Pension & One Parent Family Payment (Widow) | 14 | 14 | 8 | 7 | 10 |
| One-Parent Family – (Local Office based) | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 |
| Household Benefits | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Bereavement Grant (Social Welfare Services Office Sligo) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Bereavement Grant (Social Welfare Services Office Longford) | 6 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| Invalidity Pension | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
| Family Income Supplement - New Claims | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
| Disability Allowance | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 |
| Carer's Benefit | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Carer's Allowance | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Jobseeker's Benefit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Jobseeker's Allowance | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Illness Benefit | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Occupational Injury Benefit - Interim Illness Benefit | |||||
| Maternity Benefit * | N/App | N/App | N/App | N/App | N/App |
| Child Benefit - Domestic- EU | 226 | 226 | 226 | 226 | 426 |
| Domiciliary Care Allowance | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Back to Education Allowance | Applicants for back to education are already in receipt of another social welfare payment before a decision is made on their entitlement to back to education. Consequently, delays, if any, should not cause hardship. Statistics are not maintained centrally as to the processing times of claims. |
| Treatment Benefit | Treatment Benefit operates differently than other schemes. As payment is made to contractors after treatment has been given, there is no delay for the customer. The scheme is on target. |
| Disablement Benefit | As this scheme is not a primary income support scheme, there is no performance standard. Many of the claimants are already in receipt of a payment. |
Deputies:
* In the case of Maternity Benefit, pending claims are not delays in payment as claims are made in advance (i.e. claims may be received as much as 10 weeks before payment is due to begin).
No comments