Written answers
Tuesday, 23 July 2024
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Social Welfare Payments
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1399.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the current average processing times for all social welfare payments; the number of applications received for each payment; the number of applications processed to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33584/24]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The data requested by the Deputy on the average processing times for all social welfare payments; the number of applications received (registered) for each payment and the number of applications processed (cleared) to date in 2024 is shown in the below tabular statement.
| Welfare scheme | Average processing time (weeks) in June 2024 | Number of applications registered to date in 2024 | Number of applications cleared to date in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Pension Contributory - Irish | 2 | 22,760 | 23,784 |
| Widow(er)'s Contributory Pension | 2 | 4,526 | 4,358 |
| State Pension Non-Contributory | 8 | 5,709 | 6,972 |
| Jobseeker's Allowance | 2 | 65,787 | 58,978 |
| Jobseeker's Benefit | 1 | 75,344 | 76,269 |
| One-Parent Family Payment | 3 | 5,584 | 4,886 |
| Supplementary Welfare Allowance | 1 | 23,344 | 25,713 |
| Maternity Benefit | 6 | 21,468 | 21,475 |
| Paternity Benefit | 6 | 15,064 | 14,664 |
| Parent's Benefit | 1 | 39,275 | 40,538 |
| Carer's Allowance | 6 | 11,987 | 13,686 |
| Carer's Benefit | 5 | 2,395 | 3,006 |
| Disability Allowance | 7 | 14,473 | 21,483 |
| Invalidity Pension | 5 | 5,046 | 7,573 |
| Illness Benefit | 1 | 183,473 | 183,590 |
| Occupational Injury Benefit | 1 | 2,721 | 3,076 |
| Child Benefit | 1 | 16,126 | 17,213 |
| Working Family Payment | 9 | 15,822 | 13,172 |
| Domiciliary Care Allowance | 6 | 6,810 | 6,688 |
| Household Benefits | 1 | 33,991 | 36,880 |
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1400.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the average wait time for an additional needs' payment application. [33585/24]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments (ANPs) to help meet expenses that an eligible person cannot pay from their weekly income. The ANP scheme is demand led and administered by Designated Persons (DPs) in the Community Welfare Service (CWS), taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
There is no delay in processing additional needs payments. Work on hand for ANPs is within the scheme's normal processing levels and fully completed applications, where the required documentation is supplied, are processed within ten days. Where it is clear that a person has an urgent or immediate need, every effort is made to ensure that the claim is processed on the same day. CWOs are very experienced and can generally assess when a case is so urgent that it requires an immediate response.
When considering an application from people in financial difficulty for any payment under the SWA scheme, the DP must consider all of the relevant circumstances when examining a case in determining the most appropriate scheme type and level of assistance required. The DP may ask for a number of supporting documents to ensure the customer receives a level of payment appropriate to their needs. Where an application cannot be finalised promptly, the delay is normally due to the need for additional information or documentation and the time it takes for the information to be provided. Upon receipt of this information, the application is then processed quickly.
The 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.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
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