Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 September 2022
364. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current timeframe for decisions to be made on supplementary welfare allowance and the exceptional needs payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44400/22]
View answer365. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the rationale for centralising community welfare services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44401/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 364 and 365 together.
The Community Welfare Service (CWS) of my Department delivers the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme which is the safety net within the overall social welfare system. This scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents.
The CWS 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. Based on the available data, it is estimated that 63% of all SWA payments are decided within 4 weeks from the date of application and 92% are decided within eight weeks of application. 50% of applications for Additional Needs Payments are finalised within 0-4 weeks and 90% are finalised within 0-8 weeks. Where an application is not finalised within this timeframe, this is generally due to additional information or documentation being requested from the customer to support their application.
The Department has introduced innovations this year which have increased efficiency in processing applications for SWA payments. One of these is the establishment of a back-office team to undertake the preparatory work on applications - for example, the gathering of supporting documentation that is necessary to assess and finalise a claim. This method of processing applications supports a number of CWS areas across the country and it has been found to be very effective in releasing Community Welfare Officers (CWO) from the requirement to undertake administrative tasks and to focus on delivery of services. It allows for increased capacity for CWOs to meet with customers as required and to process claims. This model will be extended to cover all CWS areas across the country in the coming weeks.
In addition, a new National CWS Claims Decisions Team is being established this month to work on finalising SWA applications. Where claims require further contact with the customer or a home visit is required, the claim will remain with the local CWO to be finalised. This Claims Decisions Team is based in multiple locations around the country.
The delivery of crucial Community Welfare Services to meet the challenges and the needs of vulnerable customers across the country remains a priority for my Department. The continued availability of locally based CWO is a cornerstone of the service. CWOs can facilitate emergency and in-person meetings in 51 Intreo Centres across business hours, five days per week. Some CWOs are based in Social Welfare Branch Offices and provide appointments at those offices. In addition to meeting citizens in Intreo Centres, Branch Offices and DSP offices, CWOs can facilitate an appointment within a short time of a person requiring such a meeting, at a mutually agreed location, including at the person's home.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
