Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

79. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the current wait time for a supplementary welfare allowance to be decided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59201/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Community Welfare Service (CWS) is committed to providing a quality service to all citizens, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. The Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme (BASI) is a weekly allowance paid to people who do not have enough income to meet their needs and those of their families.

Where an application for Supplementary Welfare Allowance is complete and accompanied by the required documentation, it is processed very quickly. The current average time to award a basic supplementary welfare allowance is one week.

Where an application cannot be finalised promptly, the delay is normally due to additional information or documentation being requested from the person to support their application and the length of time that it takes for the information to be provided.

This can result in longer processing times for these applications as greater flexibility is given to clients with extended time to respond. Upon receipt of this information, the application is then processed as quickly as possible.

My Department has taken a number of steps to simplify and streamline the application process:

- There is a full-time CWO presence in 50 Intreo Offices nationwide, 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday in line with my continuing commitment to a service which has local engagement with local clients as its cornerstone.

- A client does not have to attend an office in person to make a claim. If it is more convenient for them, a client can speak directly with a CWO when they call the CWS freephone line. People who have never been to a CWO before find this very useful.

- Of course, in addition, CWOs attend clinics in other locations, deal with people over the phone and where needed, arrange to visit a person’s house by appointment.

As part of the Budget, I secured agreement for some 74 additional staff to be assigned to the Community Welfare Service. Recruitment has commenced and it is anticipated that they will be in place by Q1 2023.

In the interim, until the staff have been recruited, 30 Social Welfare Inspectors have been temporarily reassigned to the Community Welfare Service since the start of November to assist with claims processing.

I trust this clarifies the matter.