Vol. 554 No. 5
1726 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the total number of one parent family payments being made; the number of applications for such payments being processed; the average time it takes to process an application for one parent family payment from the date of application to initial payment being made; her plans to streamline this process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17152/02]
At the end of September there were 78,344 recipients of one parent family payment. In addition, 13,481 clients were in receipt of deserted wife's benefit-allowance and prisoners' wives' allowance. In aggregate, these schemes include payments in respect of 134,110 child dependants.
Each year 18,000 claims for one parent family payment are received. This is equivalent to 350 per week on average. The number of one parent family payments awarded is in the region of 13,000 each year.
The average number of weeks to award of new claims following initial receipt for unmarried and separated one parent family payment claims in the year to date are 11 and 16 weeks approximately.
The time taken to process new claims varies significantly having regard to the difficulty or otherwise in establishing the circumstances in each case. Administrative work is necessary in respect of each one parent family claim. There is also an onus on claimants to make a claim in the prescribed manner, to furnish all necessary documentation, including birth and-or marriage certificates, details of earnings, and to co-operate with investigating officers during the processing of the claim. In a significant number of cases delays are caused by the fact that the claimant has not provided the certificates or documents required.
Every effort is made to process applications as quickly as possible and to minimise the time during which applicants have to rely on these alternative forms of support. The vast majority of one parent family payment applicants are in receipt of another social welfare payment while their claim is being processed. Such payment normally continues until entitlement to one parent family payment is determined.
The length of time needed to decide on claims to one parent family payment does not result in any loss of payment to the people concerned as entitlements are back-dated to the date of initial claim receipt.
