Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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184. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the average waiting time for decisions on applications for partial capacity benefit. [47732/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The partial capacity benefit scheme which was launched in February 2012 allows people with restricted capacity to avail of employment opportunities while still in receipt of an income support. The scheme is open to people who: (a) have been in receipt of illness benefit for a minimum of six months; or (b) are in receipt of invalidity pension.

The process of claiming partial capacity benefit involves the submission and consideration of comprehensive medical evidence in relation to the application by a Departmental Medical Assessor. Following on from this, where a Deciding Officer is putting a PCB claim into payment, they liaise with the customer in order to put the PCB claim into payment on a date to coincide with the start date of the customer’s employment, which can result in longer decision times for partial capacity benefit claims in certain cases.

The average decision time for partial capacity benefit claims is currently 10 weeks.