Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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424. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the current waiting time for each application for social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57366/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department always seeks to ensure that claims are handled quickly and efficiently, understanding the many pressures faced by customers. I am pleased to report that claim processing is up to date, with processing targets met, or exceeded, for all the main scheme areas.

Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. Schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer, particularly in the case of illness-related schemes, can take longer to process. Similarly, means-tested payments can also require more detailed investigations and interaction with the customer, thereby lengthening the decision-making process.

The current average processing times and targets across the schemes are outlined in the table below:

Overall, I am pleased that my Department continues to ensure that the customer service has been maintained at a high level.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.