Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 Nov 1995

Vol. 458 No. 2

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Claim Forms.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

134 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, he has to replace the plethora of brightly coloured Social Welfare claim forms with a single unified claim form for all social insurance-based payments such as unemployment benefit, disability benefit, maternity benefit, invalidity pension, contributory old-age pension and deserted wife's benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16637/95]

Trevor Sargent

Question:

135 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social Welfare his views on whether the public and information givers, whether statutory or voluntary, are well served by the sheer multiplicity of claim forms issued by his Department in view of the fact that the basis for all claims is either PRSI contributions, a means test or universal; whether two multiple option claim forms would be sufficient to meet the needs of information givers and the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16638/95]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 134 and 135 together.

The social welfare system comprises a variety of schemes designed to support people at various stages of their lives or when certain contingencies arise. It has been the practice to have a separate application form for each benefit type which is designed to elicit concise information needed to determine entitlement to the needs and circumstances of the applicant. Some of the administrative functions of my Department have been decentralised in recent years and schemes are now administered from a number of centres, including those based in Sligo, Letterkenny and Longford. The application forms also contain relevant addresses to ensure that they are forwarded directly to the relevant decision area. The colouring of forms also helps avoid delays at the sorting and distribution stages within the Department.

Some progress has already been made towards streamlining administrative procedures. For example, schemes to support deserted wives, prisoners' wives, widows and single parents which were broadly similar in nature were amalgamated into a single unified lone parent's allowance scheme which now caters for people caring for children without the support of a partner.

While the process of integrating and simplifying the system will continue, it is not considered that a single uniform application form covering all social insurance schemes, with a further form for assistance schemes, is feasible at this time.

While the basic information required to identify the applicant and locate the appropriate PRSI record is common to all social insurance schemes, the specific information needed to determine entitlement to the most appropriate benefit type can differ significantly. Applications for disability benefit, for example, are made on a combined application form also completed by a medical practitioner who certifies the nature of the illness involved. Unemployment benefit claims, on the other hand, are usually completed during a visit to one of the Department's local offices and the information required relates strictly to the employment position of the applicant.

I am aware of the important role that the NSSB and other independent information givers have in the area of information, advice and welfare rights services. I have already indicated my commitment to the further development of that role and my Department will be consulting with the relevant organisations on a number of matters, including the effectiveness of the current applications procedures and forms.