Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2018
572. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which backlogs have been addressed in respect of various headings and payments operated by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8808/18]
View answerThe prompt processing of applications remains a priority for my Department. Each scheme area is continuously monitored and reviewed to ensure customers are responded to as quickly as possible, and their applications are processed as expeditiously as possible.
All applications 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 carry out means tests and/or medical assessments 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.
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 where information is required from social security organisations in other jurisdictions and where additional information has been requested from the applicant but remains outstanding.
This means that processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. For example, in January 2018, it took on average 1 week to award a jobseeker’s benefit payment, which is based on social insurance contributions, while it took 2 weeks to award a jobseeker’s allowance payment, which is means-tested.
In the same month, it took on average:
- 10 weeks to award an application for carer’s benefit, which is based on a medical assessment of care requirements, an assessment of the level of care being provided and social insurance contributions; while
- an application for carer’s allowance took 18 weeks to award, which has similar medical and care provision conditionality but it is also means-tested.
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.
The staffing needs for all areas within my Department are continuously reviewed, taking account of workloads, management priorities and the competing demands arising, to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources. This is done with a view to providing an efficient service to those who rely on the schemes operated by the Department.
The table sets out the average time to award for the principal schemes operated by my Department in January 2018.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Average time to award for principal DEASP schemes, January 2018
|
Schemes |
Average time to award (weeks) |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
1 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance |
2 |
|
One-Parent Family Payment |
4 |
|
State Pension Contributory (Domestic) |
6 |
|
Widow, Widower’s and Surviving Civil Partners Contributory Pension |
4 |
|
Widowed Parent Grant |
1 |
|
State Pension Non-Contributory |
13 |
|
Household Benefits |
1 |
|
Free Travel |
3 |
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
11 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
1 |
|
Child Benefit (Domestic & FRA) |
3 |
|
Child Benefit (Over 16) |
1 |
|
Child Benefit (Additional Child) |
1 |
|
Maternity Benefit |
6 |
|
Paternity Benefit |
6 |
|
Carer's Allowance |
18 |
|
Carer's Benefit |
10 |
|
Disability Allowance |
14 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
6 |
