andMr. Timmins asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware of the strain that is being put on the finances of health boards through lengthy payment of supplementary welfare allowances to applicants for benefits and assistance from his Department and through the delay by his Department in processing these applications and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Supplementary Welfare Allowance Payments.
265.
A claimant for a social welfare payment of benefit or assistance who does not obtain his payment immediately may apply for a supplementary welfare allowance to meet his needs until payment commences. Every effort has been and is being made in my Department to eliminate delays but the high volume of claims, particularly unemployment claims, combined with the effects of the Government staff embargo has inevitably meant that the time taken to deal with these claims has increased and a higher number of persons may therefore have to avail themselves of the supplementary welfare allowances scheme while their claims are being decided.
This situation has created administrative difficulties for health boards both in dealing with the increased claim load and in implementing the arrangements whereby the amount of supplementary welfare allowance paid as an interim measure is recouped by my Department. There is no evidence however that the finances of health boards are being seriously affected and the recoupment arrangements are in general operating satisfactorily.