Seán Crowe
Question:36. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the actions she has taken to reduce waiting times for social welfare payments. [25721/13]
View answerWednesday, 29 May 2013
Questions (36)
Written answers
I wish to assure the Deputy that prompt processing of claims remains a priority for me. Each scheme area is continuously monitored and reviewed to ensure customers are responded to as quickly as possible. I am proud to inform the Deputy that the Department has had major success in clearing backlogs especially over the last year in the disability related schemes. The Table below provides details of processing times for each of the Department’s schemes in March 2013. All claims are registered promptly, in some schemes this is done through the scanning of claim documents onto the system while in other schemes this involves an officer inputting data. The time taken to perform means tests and/or medical examinations where these are required is not measured separately, while a determination on habitual residence where required is an integral part of the decision making process.
Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. As can be seen from the data in the table below, schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer, particularly in the case of illness-related schemes, can take longer to process. Similarly, means-tested payments can also require more detailed investigation and interaction with the applicant, thereby lengthening the decision making process. Delays can also arise if information is required from social security organisations in other jurisdictions and where additional information has been requested from the applicant but remains outstanding. Work on clearing backlogs in some scheme areas, such as carers allowance and invalidity pension has temporarily distorted the time taken to clear claims due to the high level of reviews and appeals following backlog clearances, but the progress made will be reflected in processing times in the coming months. Both schemes are up to date with the processing of new applications, as is family income supplement for both new and renewal applications.
As part of the Department’s programme of service delivery modernisation, a range of initiatives aimed at streamlining the processing of claims, supported by modern technology, have been implemented in recent years. Operational processes, procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure that processing capability is maximised. In addition, the staffing needs of the Department are regularly reviewed, having regard to workloads and the competing demands arising, to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources.
The new Intreo service is currently being rolled-out and implemented on a phased basis. This new service integrates employment and income supports and provides for a streamlined and personalized service to clients in accessing job opportunities and availing of supports to enable them to get back to work at the earliest possible opportunity. The Intreo Centres also include a single integrated decision-making team that integrate and streamline the processes formerly undertaken by the different agencies now amalgamated into the Department. The benefits of the integrated decisions process are already visible in terms of shorter decision times and in the reduced recourse to supplementary payments in offices where integrated decisions are in operation.
Table: Claim processing times - March 2013
|
Scheme |
Average weeks to award |
|
State Pension (contributory) |
4 |
|
State Pension (transition) |
6 |
|
State pension (non-contributory) |
14 |
|
Widow(er)’s Pension (contributory) |
2 |
|
Widow(er)’s Pension (non-con) pension & one parent family payment (widow) |
6 |
|
One Parent Family |
13 |
|
Household Benefits |
2 |
|
Bereavement Grant |
1 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
60 (claims received in the last 6 months are decided within 8 weeks. Appeals and reviews from backlog clearance are pushing out the average) |
|
Family Income Supplement - New Claims |
14 (new and renewal claims are now processed within 2 weeks of receipt) |
|
Disability Allowance |
23 |
|
Carer’s Benefit |
9 |
|
Carer’s Allowance |
34 (claims received in the last 6 months are decided within 13 weeks. Appeals and reviews from backlog clearance are pushing out the average) |
|
Jobseeker’s Benefit |
2 |
|
Jobseeker’s Allowance |
4 |
|
Illness Benefit |
1 |
|
Maternity Benefit |
2 |
|
Child Benefit - Domestic |
3 |
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
7 |
|
Back to Education Allowance |
Applicants for BTEA are already in receipt of another social welfare payment before a decision is made on their entitlement to the Allowance. |