Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 October 2019
54. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps which have been taken to address waiting times for processing entitlement to essential social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43606/19]
View answerMy Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.
Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the different qualification criteria. 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 occur if a claim is submitted and all the necessary supporting documentation is not included. If information is required from social security organisations in other jurisdictions, this can also affect processing times.
All of the Department's schemes processing times are within target except for some of the long-term illness related schemes. Currently, Carers Allowance and Disability Allowance claim processing times are outside the scheme targets. My Department recognises that the current processing times for these schemes must be improved and has put additional temporary resources and a new process in place to achieve this. Building on improvements already achieved, it is expected that processing times for these applications will improve further in the coming months.
To help my Department to make timely and fair decisions on applications, applicants should ensure that they complete the application forms fully, attaching all the supporting documentation required as per the checklist provided on the application forms. Applicants for illness-related schemes should provide, at the outset, all information they have in relation to medical conditions and the effect of those conditions on their capacity to work or their care needs.
I wish to reassure the Deputy that claim processing is kept under active review, with all possible steps taken to improve processing times. This includes the assignment of additional resources, where available, and the review of business processes, to ensure the efficient processing of applications.
