Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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2054. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of payment schemes that have a backlog or are in arrears; the way in which the schemes are in arrears; her plans to sanction overtime for departmental staff to clear backlogs in payment schemes; the cost to the Exchequer as a result of backlogs to payment schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28279/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The payment schemes operated by my Department are designed to address certain contingencies that may arise in the course of a person’s life. By their nature, at any given time there will be a certain number of claims awaiting decision and my Department is committed to ensuring that claims are processed as expeditiously as possible. Each scheme area is continuously monitored and reviewed to ensure customers are responded to and claims are processed as quickly as possible.

The number of claims awaiting decision at end of May 2017 and the average time to award for each main social welfare scheme is set out in the table appended.

The time taken by my Department to process claims depends on a number of factors, primarily the conditionality and complexity that applies to the relevant scheme. For example, long term schemes with medical or caring conditionality are relatively complex to decide upon and, consequently, do take longer to process. The quality and completeness of the application form and other supporting material is also an important factor. When the number of people applying to any particular scheme increases significantly, it can put pressure on my Department’s capacity to process those claims in a timely manner.

It is important to remember that someone who is awaiting a decision on an application may already be in receipt of a payment from my Department and that anyone who is experiencing financial difficulties while awaiting a decision on a claim may have recourse to a payment under the Department’s Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, which is operated by the nationwide network of Intreo Centres.

As part of its programme of service delivery modernisation, a number of business process improvement projects have been implemented by my Department in recent years to streamline the processing of claims and enhance operational efficiency. The Department has also developed and implemented new IT systems to improve our claims processing and management. Operational processes, procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure that processing capability is maximised. Staffing levels are also kept under continuous review to ensure the best use of available resources.

Provision for overtime is made in the administrative budgets assigned to the managers responsible for the administration of the Department’s schemes and overtime is used, where appropriate, to address increases in applications awaiting decision or seasonal peaks in demand in respect of particular schemes.

There is no additional cost to the exchequer consequent on increases in the numbers of applications awaiting decision, as, if there is an underlying entitlement to a payment, arrears issue in full once a decision on entitlement is made.