Written answers
Tuesday, 17 December 2019
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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725. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the waiting times for the various payment schemes operated by her Department, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53411/19]
Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The information requested (where available) by the Deputy is detailed in the following tabular statement.
Tabular statement
The average number of weeks to award various social welfare claims at the end of November 2019.
| Scheme | Ave Number of Weeks to Award |
|---|---|
| State Pension (Contributory) | 7 |
| State Pension (Non-Contributory) | 12 |
| Jobseekers Allowance | 1 |
| Jobseekers Benefit | 1 |
| One-Parent Family Payment | 3 |
| Supplementary Welfare Allowance Basi | 1 |
| Maternity Benefit | 6 |
| Paternity Benefit | 6 |
| Carer's Allowance | 12 |
| Carer's Benefit | 10 |
| Disability Allowance | 12 |
| Invalidity Pension | 12 |
| Illness Benefit | 1 |
| Occupational Injury Benefit | 1 |
| Child Benefit (Dom &FRA) | 3 |
| Working Family Payment | 3 |
| Domiciliary Care Allowance | 10 |
| Household Benefits | 1 |
| Free Travel | 1 |
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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726. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps taken to expedite the turnaround times for reviews of applications for the waiting times for the various payment schemes operated by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53412/19]
Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. A wide range of reviews on applications already in payment are carried out arising from customer requests, together with reviews undertaken by the Department.
Time to process reviews vary across schemes, depending on the different qualification criteria. Schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer, particularly in the case of illness-related/caring-related schemes, can take longer to process. Similarly, means-tested payments can also require more detailed investigation and interaction with the applicant, thereby lengthening the decision- making process. To help my Department to make timely and fair decisions on applications, customers should ensure that they complete forms fully, attaching all the supporting documentation required.
I wish to reassure the Deputy that processing of reviews is actively monitored, with all possible steps taken to improve turnaround times. This includes, where possible, the assignment of additional resources, coupled with the implementation of new business processes when required.
I can assure the Deputy of my Department's commitment to providing a quality service to all its customers.
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