Vol. 471 No. 6
134 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Welfare if it is possible to relocate the social welfare officials administering the lone parent's benefit for Dublin lone parents back to Dublin in view of the delays in returning lone parents' books when lone parents take up or change employment. [21489/96]
In the normal course, where lone parent payments have to be adjusted to take account of changes in circumstances, clients are not asked by the Department to return the books until all the necessary information is received. After all information is received and processed, clients are then advised to return their book as soon as the last relevant payable order is cashed. These returned books are readily identifiable for immediate processing and a new book at the correct rate is normally issued to the client's post office in time for the next pay day.
Where lone parents return their books for adjustment otherwise than on request, inquiries are carried out by the Department as quickly as possible. In case where a lone parent has taken up employment, a revised decision as to entitlement is required. Every effort is made to keep this decision process time to a minimum.
At present the Department is carrying out a major reassessment of over 11,000 lone parent allowance claims. This intensive review work, due for completion in December, is causing some temporary delay in making revised decisions where lone parent circumstances have changed, but this factor will no longer apply when the new one parent family payment commences in the new year.
