asked the Minister for Social Welfare the average amount of time taken by his Department to process a claim for (a) contributory and non-contributory widow's pension (b) contributory and non-contributory old age pension (c) pay-related unemployment benefit (d) supplementary welfare allowance (e) disability benefit (f) invalidity pension (g) deserted wives' benefit (h) unemployment assistance (i) blind person's pension.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefit Applications.
345.
The services administered by my Department which are referred to by the Deputy may be divided into the following categories:
(a) short-time claims such as disability benefit, unemployment benefit, pay-related benefit, and unemployment assistance,
(b) long-term claims such as the contributory schemes of widow's pension, old age pension, invalidity pension and deserted wives' benefit and the non-contributory schemes of widow's pension, old age and blind pension and deserted wives' allowance.
The time normally taken to process the short-term claims is between one and two weeks provided that the application form, containing all the necessary data, is furnished to my Department at the commencement of the claim. As pay-related benefit is not payable in respect of the first two weeks payment cannot be made before the expiration of that period. In the case of unemployment assistance the time scheme can only be met where the applicant is the holder of a qualification certificate at the date of the claim; otherwise it is necessary to investigate the means of the claimant which can take approximately six-eight weeks.
The time normally taken to process a long-term claim under the contributory schemes is about four weeks.
In the case of a long-term claim under the non-contributory schemes it is necessary to visit the applicants in their homes to investigate their means before a decision as to entitlement can be made. These inquiries normally take about six-eight weeks but in the case of blind pension, where medical examination is necessary, the time taken in finalising the claim can be longer.
It is not always possible to process claims for deserted wives' benefit and allowance within the times set out above as the inquiries as to desertion in these cases can be more prolonged.
Supplementary welfare allowance is administered locally by community welfare officers and in most cases payment can be made immediately on application.