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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 26 Feb 2002

Vol. 549 No. 3

Written Answers. - Processing of Claims.

Ivan Yates

Question:

60 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if applications for lone parent's allowance can be processed more speedily once they reach the pension services office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6649/02]

Claims under the one-parent family payment scheme are processed from my Department's office in Sligo which also administers a range of other payments and benefits. In the case of one-parent family payments around 18,000 claims are received per year, equivalent to 350 per week. The time taken to process individual new claims varies significantly having regard to the difficulty or otherwise in establishing the circumstances in each case. Because of the nature of the scheme and the conditions which must be fulfilled, there can be delays in establishing entitlement, particularly in cases of separation. Generally speaking, applicants are in receipt of another social welfare payment while their claim is being processed and such payment will normally continue until entitlement to one-parent family payment is determined. However, every effort is being made to process applications as quickly as possible and to minimise the time during which applicants receive these interim forms of support.

Furthermore, as recipients of the one-parent family payment are in a relatively young age bracket, they are more likely to move in and out of employment, education or training on a regular basis or to have other changes in their circumstances. Approximately 48,000 existing cases per year, or some 920 per week, have to be reviewed.

It is intended to devolve the administration of the one-parent family payment scheme to the Department's network of local offices. This is being done primarily to develop improved employment support and training opportunities for single parents and it will also assist in reducing claim processing times through closer links with the local investigative officer network.

Pending the devolving of claim processing to local offices, a re-organisation of the one-parent family payment administration is currently being undertaken to, inter alia, reduce delays in the processing of new claims. Every effort continues to be made to process claims from lone parents as quickly as possible and any delays which occur will not result in any loss of entitlements to the people concerned.

Question No. 61 answered with Question No. 40.

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