Written answers
Thursday, 6 July 2023
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Social Welfare Payments
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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282. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the degree to which she and her office continue to ensure the making of a basic payment to applicants of social welfare payments while the primary application is being processed in order to alleviate hardship; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33380/23]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents.
The basic supplementary welfare allowance provides immediate assistance for those in need who are awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment or do not qualify for payment under other State schemes. This assistance is subject to the person having the right to reside and satisfying the Habitual Residence Condition (HRC).
Basic SWA is paid at rates up to €218 per week with increases for adult and child dependents. Currently there are 12,556 recipients of a basic SWA payment.
Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to Supplementary Welfare Allowance is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service. There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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283. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which waiting times for payments in respect of means-tested applications compare with contribution-related payments; the extent of progress in reducing waiting times for means-tested payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33381/23]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The following means test based schemes are assessed in terms of operational performance:
• State Pension (Non-Contributory)• Jobseeker's Allowance• One-Parent Family Payment• Supplementary Welfare Allowance • Carer's Allowance• Disability Allowance• Household Benefits
The following schemes which are based on PRSI contributions are also assessed:
• State Pension (Contributory)• Widow(er)'s Contributory Pension• Jobseeker's Benefit• Maternity Benefit• Paternity Benefit• Invalidity Pension• Illness Benefit• Occupational Injury Benefit
The attached tabular statements below outline the agreed target and metric for each scheme, along with the average targets achieved in May 2023.
Table 1: Processing times versus targets for means test based schemes
Scheme | Target | Metric | Target Performance May 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Pension (Non-Contributory) | 75% | In 12 Weeks | 94% |
| Jobseeker's Allowance | 90% | In 6 Weeks | 96% |
| One-Parent Family Payment | 90% | In 10 Weeks | 96% |
| Supplementary Welfare Allowance Basic | 90% | In 1 Week | 82% |
| Carer's Allowance | 75% | In 10 Weeks | 94% |
| Disability Allowance | 75% | In 10 Weeks | 73% |
| Household Benefits | 90% | In 4 Weeks | 99% |
Table 2: Processing times versus targets for contribution-related payments
| Scheme | Target | Metric | Target Performance May 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Pension (Contributory) | 90% | By date of entitlement | 99% |
| Widow(er)'s Contributory Pension | 90% | In 6 Weeks | 94% |
| Jobseeker's Benefit | 90% | In 3 Weeks | 95% |
| Maternity Benefit | 90% | By due date | 97% |
| Paternity Benefit | 90% | By Commencement of leave | 88% |
| Invalidity Pension | 90% | In 10 Weeks | 93% |
| Illness Benefit | 90% | In 1 week | 94% |
| Occupational Injury Benefit | 90% | In 1 week | 61% |
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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284. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the current total number of recipients of child benefit payments; the extent to which this has fluctuated over the past three years, and is likely to so do in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33382/23]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Child Benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16 years of age. Child Benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16 and 17 if they are in full-time education or full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves.
Child Benefit is currently in payment to 655,233 claimants, in respect of 1,230,491 children.
At the end of 2022 the total in receipt of Child Benefit was 648,053 claimants receiving payment in respect of 1.2 million children. The end of year totals for 2021 and 2020 were 630,663 and 633,456 claimants respectively.
The number of Child Benefit payments made in any year is related to a number of factors, including the birth rate, the number of families migrating to the State and the number of families leaving the State.
It is not possible to predict future fluctuations in the number of payments with any degree of certainty.
I trust this helps clarify the position for the Deputy.
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