asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will consider a system of self-assessment by applicants for unemployment assistance, in order to speed up the processing of applications and reviews.
Written Answers. - Self-Assessment for Unemployment Assistance.
21.
Social Welfare legislation provides for a means test for unemployment assistance. The means test is designed to ensure that all applicants for unemployment assistance are treated in an equitable manner having regard to the resources available to them. Payment of unemployment assistance is made to those who are in genuine need and is directly related to the financial circumstances in each individual case. It is considered that the best means of ensuring that the objectives of the means test are met is by carrying out an individual investigation in the case of each applicant.
I accept, however, that the need for individual investigation of cases and assessment of means by a social welfare officer, combined with the continuing rise in numbers claiming unemployment assistance has given rise to delays in many cases. Despite reorganisation and redeployment of staff within the Department and the streamlining of working methods and systems, the overall numbers of staff available to the Department has not matched fully the huge additional workload placed on it in recent years.
While there may be delays in processing claims of persons coming straight on to unemployment assistance there should not be similar delays in the cases of applicants coming from unemployment benefit. Persons claiming unemployment benefit are advised of the need to apply for a qualification certificate about three months before exhaustion of their benefit. If they apply when advised to do so they should be able to go on to unemployment assistance without experiencing any delay.
I understand that the general question of means assessment and the administration of the means test is one of the matters on which the Commission on Social Welfare will be reporting shortly. In these circumstances I consider that it would not be appropriate to make any change to the existing method of assessment until such time as the benefits of the commission's deliberations and recommendations on the matter are available. However, I would like to emphasise that every effort will continue to be made within the available resources to ensure that employment assistance applications and reviews are processed as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Question No. 22 re-entered for oral reply.