Social Welfare Benefits.

Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Questions (34, 35)

John O'Mahony

Question:

94 Deputy John O’Mahony asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons on a national, county and local social welfare office basis awaiting for their application for jobseeker’s allowance and benefit to be processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1719/10]

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Written answers

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Deputy Mary Hanafin)

The total number of jobseeker's awaiting a decision on their claim at 9th January 2010 was 58,878. A table showing the breakdown between Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) and Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) claims at each local office is as follows. This information has been compiled from data that is maintained on a Local Office catchment area basis and these figures do not correspond exactly with county boundaries.

Over the past number of months the Department has introduced a range of process improvement initiatives to deal with the increased volume of claims which include:

A more streamlined procedure for claimants moving to jobseeker's allowance when their jobseeker's benefit expires.

A streamlined process for people who had a claim in the previous two years.

Application forms for the jobseeker schemes are now available on the Department's website. This means that anyone who wants to make a claim can print the form at home and bring it to the local office completed. This helps reduce queuing times.

More straight-forward procedures for providing evidence of identity and address have been introduced

The process for casual employees has been streamlined and the employee can now self certify on a weekly basis without recourse to the employer. A compensatory periodic control measure has been introduced for employers.

One of the most significant initiatives introduced recently aimed at reducing queuing times and waiting times, involves the customer attending the office by appointment at which time the claim is taken and decided. This system has already been introduced in 20 offices. The Department plans to extend it up to a further 25 offices and over the next few weeks it will be introduced in Cavan, Clonmel, Ennis, Tralee, Arklow, Wexford, Finglas, Navan Road, Kilbarrack, Swords and Dun Laoghaire.

I realise the importance of getting claims decided as quickly as possible and I want to assure the Deputy that staff in local offices and in the Department's inspectorate are doing all they can to reduce the numbers of claims awaiting a decision.

JA/JB Claims Pending by Local Office at January 9th 2010.

Local Office	JA	JB
Achill	4	0
Apollo House	137	53
Ardee	287	163
Arklow	145	100
Athlone	354	312
Athy	247	125
Balbriggan	557	204
Ballina	381	173
Ballinasloe	267	63
Ballinrobe	111	42
Ballybofey	161	80
Ballyconnell	97	77
Ballyfermot	223	74
Ballymun	130	61
Ballyshannon	65	30
Baltinglass	146	70
Bandon	157	104
Bantry	152	70
Bantry CO	32	14
Belmullet	33	23
Birr	169	122
Bishop Square	1038	280
Blanchardstown	1528	258
Boyle	101	52
Bray	197	103
Buncrana	538	219
Cahir	49	68
Cahirciveen	45	44
Carlow	154	62
Carrickmacross	147	55
Carrick-on-Shannon	174	77
Carrick-on-Suir	154	80
Carrigaline	252	145
Cashel	54	44
Castlebar	226	139
Castleblaney	119	43
Castlepollard	218	72
Castlerea	367	111
Cavan	565	239
Claremorris	233	92
Clifden	52	28
Clonakilty	124	80
Clondalkin	1026	346
Clones	53	37
Clonmel	103	40
Cobh	49	42
Coolock	522	337
Cork	2867	424
Dingle	30	48
Donegal	60	84
Drogheda	851	381
Dun Laoghaire	603	378
Dundalk	258	100
Dunfanaghy	69	57
Dungarvan	205	145
Dungloe	78	86
Edenderry	304	85
Ennis	522	319
Enniscorthy	503	191
Ennistymon	135	111
Fermoy	182	153
Finglas	358	182
Galway	1726	460
Gorey	386	273
Gort	151	98
Kells	216	112
Kenmare	43	35
Kilbarrack	285	195
Kilkenny	340	104
Killarney	437	119
Killorglin	50	38
Killybegs	26	27
Kilmallock	163	168
Kilrush	132	89
King’s Inns Street	416	207
Kinsale	113	53
Letterkenny	263	82
Limerick	1637	1167
Listowel	173	74
Longford	618	220
Loughrea	316	77
Macroom	184	169
Mallow	164	176
Manorhamilton	16	36
Maynooth	691	483
Midleton	327	140
Monaghan	160	157
Muine Bheag	127	35
Mullingar	852	308
Navan	1017	248
Navan Road	991	360
Nenagh	188	124
New Ross	348	211
Newbridge	1069	357
Newcastle West	140	159
Newmarket	164	361
Nutgrove	145	202
Portarlington	390	89
Portlaoise	337	249
Rathdowney	142	59
Roscommon	95	50
Roscrea	79	47
Skibbereen	137	72
Sligo	415	122
Swinford	233	76
Swords	396	347
Tallaght	1111	313
Thomas Street	279	72
Thomastown	129	84
Thurles	158	84
Tipperary	78	72
Tralee	240	245
Trim	513	282
Tuam	472	70
Tubbercurry	22	23
Tulla	93	156
Tullamore	179	88
Tullow	128	42
Waterford	1096	510
Westport	77	69
Wexford	414	241
Wicklow	48	57
Youghal	98	37
	40,401	18,477

Róisín Shortall

Question:

95 Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the way she intends to achieve the €20 million projected savings on rent supplement as announced in budget 2010; and if these savings are based on the 2009 estimate, the 2009 outturn or otherwise. [1806/10]

View answer

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Deputy Mary Hanafin)

Rent supplement is payable to people who are unable to meet the cost of renting private accommodation and is intended as a short-term support. There are currently over 93,000 tenants benefiting from a rent supplement payment — an increase of 26% since the end of 2008. The provisional outturn on Rent Supplement for 2009 is €507.68 million. Budget 2010 provided for expenditure of €509m in 2010, after the achievement of €20m savings.

Rent limits are set at levels that enable eligible households to secure and retain basic suitable rented accommodation, having regard to the different rental market conditions that prevail in various parts of the state.

It is essential to ensure that state support for rent supplemented tenants, who form a substantial section of the rental market, does not give rise to inflated rental prices with particular negative impact on those tenants on lower incomes, including people in low paid employment. The Government is determined to ensure that reductions in rent levels generally in the year to date result in savings for the taxpayer.

Maximum rent limits are prescribed in regulations and are time limited so that they can be adjusted in the light of rent levels generally. The most recent regulations cover the period 1 June 2009 to 31 May 2010. Rent limits can, however, be reviewed at any time. Notwithstanding rent limits, the Community Welfare Service may, in certain circumstances, exceed the rent levels as an exceptional measure to meet special needs. Equally the Community Welfare Service also pays below prescribed rent limits in the light of rent levels in the local rental market.

Budget 2010 provided for €20m savings in the rent supplement scheme arising from a review of the maximum rent limits. To this end, the maximum level of rent supplement payable by the State will be reviewed early in 2010 on the basis of the latest data available on general trends in rental prices.

The review will be conducted with reference to analysis of rents recorded with the Private Residential Tenancies Board, the CSO private rent index and data from the Daft.ie property website. The maximum rent limits payable will then be adjusted and new limits will apply in respect of all new tenancies or renewals of tenancies from April 2010.

Indications are that rents in the private rented sector continue to fall since limits were reviewed in 2009. Based on current information available about decreases in rent levels, the Department expects the rent review to lead to savings of €20 million.