Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2018
1056. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the average waiting time for decisions on carer’s allowance, domiciliary care allowance payments and disability allowance; the number of persons awaiting decisions for such payments; the length of time in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44989/18]
View answerMy Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.
In general, social welfare schemes with a number of complex qualifying conditions can take longer to process. This is compounded if the documentary evidence provided at initial application stage is incomplete or insufficient; this is often the case with carer’s allowance applications.
Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested payment, made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that they require that level of care. An increased payment can be made where full-time care is being provided to two people.
At the end of September 2018 the Department had received 15,527 applications since January 2018 and there were 5,836 applications awaiting decision. The average waiting time in September for new CA applications was 17 weeks. Staff have recently been re-assigned to the CA area to work on claims processing and this should lead to a reduction in processing times.
Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance for people with a disability aged between 16 and 66 with a disability expected to last for at least one year and who satisfy the medical condition, means test and are habitually resident in Ireland.
At the end of September 2018 the Department had received 17,629 applications since January 2018 and there were 5,113 applications awaiting decision. The average waiting time in September for new DA application was 11 weeks.
Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly payment for a child aged under 16 with a severe disability, who requires ongoing care and attention, substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age. It is not means tested.
At the end of September 2018 the Department had received 6,776 applications since January 2018 and there were 1,444 applications awaiting decision. The average waiting time for new DCA application was 10 weeks.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
