asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he is aware of the unduly long delays which are still being experienced in respect of payments of almost all classes of social welfare allowances; and if he has any plans to end this situation which is causing hardship to many families.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Social Welfare Payment Delays.
3.
There is no undue delay in the issue by my Department of social welfare payments to qualified persons where correct identifying and other relevant particulars are available. The time taken to process claims can vary, however, depending on the type of benefit, pension, allowance or assistance claimed and the information furnished by the claimants.
In the case of long-term payments of pensions or allowances, it is necessary to obtain complete insurance records or to investigate means, as appropriate. In particular, the investigation of means can take about six to eight weeks in certain cases depending on the extent of the inquiries. Every effort is made, however, to reduce the time taken to complete the inquiries in all cases in order to avoid hardship to claimants.
The time normally taken to process short-term claims, such as disability benefit, unemployment benefit and pay-related benefit is between one and two weeks provided the application form, containing all the necessary data, is submitted to my Department at the commencement of the claim. Pay-related benefit is not payable in any event in respect of the first two weeks of the claim and all such claims are normally processed for payment within that period.
Since the beginning of January, however, some delays have occurred in the payment of short-term claims for disability benefit mainly because claimants have not quoted both their revenue and social welfare insurance numbers on claim forms and medical certificates submitted to my Department, despite an extensive press and television advertisement campaign in December and January requesting them to do so. In addition, all existing claimants who had not furnished the two numbers were written to individually, but approximately one quarter of them failed to reply. It is hoped, with the co-operation of claimants, to have this problem resolved as soon as possible and to resume prompt payment of benefit.
If the Deputy is aware of any cases in which he considers that claimants are experiencing hardship through delay in payment I will arrange to have the cases investigated and payment of benefit issued as quickly as possible.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I am glad the Minister concedes that there have been delays in regard to sickness and disability benefit payments. The Minister gives the reason that people had not supplied either the revenue or the insurance numbers. Surely where one number is supplied it would be a comparatively easy matter for an official to ratify one number with the other by a phone call or some other means and not to be keeping these people out of benefits for weeks?
There is a total change in the scheme — there is complete modernisation going on in regard to the payment of benefits, computerisation. From 6 April 1979 the RSI number came into being for new claimants and other entering the scheme at that stage. Gradually all the claims will be on the RSI numbers. From 1 January last all claims are being processed through manual transfer to the computer of all existing claims, of which there are 67,000 to 68,000 a week to be handled. At some time that had to be done and I gave advice about the transfer in the House before the process was begun. Once the transfer has been done it will become a matter of referring to the computer. By the end of this week all claims will be renumbered under the RSI numbers which will be the number henceforth. This major transfer work means a tremendous amount of overtime for the staff. It means an enormous amount of extra work generally. Because of the difficulties involved, we have advised people through television and newspaper advertising to quote the two numbers-during the transition period. That process will have been completed in the near future and from then on it will be possible to deal with claims much more quickly — a matter of reference to a computer.
(Cavan-Monaghan): It is like an article of faith: I do not understand it but I accept it. However, if the Minister is acquainted with the old insurance number would it not be possible in the Department to identify the file and the applicant and to pay him?
It takes a lot of time. At some stage we had to decide whether to computerise or not. The day when even the most efficient commercial enterprise decides to computerise brings an enormous transfer of files. That transfer is taking place in the Department and has been in the past few weeks. Once that has been done, reference will be to the computer rather than the files. It will all be there on the press of a button, unless there is some very early information which had not been given in individual files when they went into the computer. This is part of major modernisation which had to be done sometime.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I am asking the Minister to show a little more sympathy. He must appreciate that in many cases he is dealing with old and unlearned people who do not understand what he has just said, as I do not.
I have told the Deputy that if he is aware of any cases in which claimants are suffering hardship and lets me know about them I will have them investigated.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I am writing about them every week and I get courteous replies from the Department, but people are left without payment.
Can the Minister explain why there is such a long delay in dealing with unemployment assistance claims, particularly in regard to women, when they first come on the register?
In many instances it is a matter of establishing the record of contributions. There is also the matter of the means test.