Seán Sherlock
Question:298. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision on a working family payment claim by a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [50992/22]
View answerSocial Welfare Benefits
Questions (298)
Written answers
Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work weekly payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children.
An application for WFP was received from the person concerned on 25 September 2022. A Deciding Officer reviewed the application, and WFP was awarded on 11 October 2022. The first weekly payment and all arrears owing have issued to their selected financial account.
The person concerned was notified on 11/10/2022 of this decision.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (299)
Denis Naughten
Question:299. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will introduce an income disregard for someone in receipt of a means tested social welfare payment where they rent out a vacant room in their home, similar to the rent-a-room scheme operated by the Revenue Commissioners; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51012/22]
View answerWritten answers
In May 2022, I announced a series of measures designed to remove barriers facing social welfare customers who choose to accommodate people in their homes.
The Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No. 10) (Income Disregard) Regulations 2022, S.I. No. 397 of 2022, were signed on 12th of July 2022.
In practice, this means that a social welfare customer will be able to rent out a room in their home to a person who is not an employee or an immediate family member, for up to just under €270 per week (equivalent of €14,000 over a year), and will not see their social welfare payment impacted, including the Fuel Allowance or Living Alone Allowance.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (300)
Denis Naughten
Question:300. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will introduce an income disregard provision for persons with a disability in receipt of a welfare allowance payment where they are medically certified as being unable to reside alone in order that they can rent out a room to a non-connected person, without it impacting on their payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51013/22]
View answerWritten answers
In May 2022, I announced a series of measures designed to remove barriers facing social welfare customers who choose to accommodate people in their homes.
The Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No. 10) (Income Disregard) Regulations 2022, S.I. No. 397 of 2022, were signed on 12th of July 2022.
In practice, this means that a social welfare customer will be able to rent out a room in their home to a person who is not an employee or an immediate family member, for up to just under €270 per week (equivalent of €14,000 over a year), and will not see their social welfare payment impacted, including the Fuel Allowance or Living Alone Allowance.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (301)
Kieran O'Donnell
Question:301. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on an application by a person (details supplied) for an increase in their payment. [51014/22]
View answerWritten answers
I can confirm that a letter was received from the person concerned by the disability allowance (DA) section on 04 August 2022
On 11 October 2022 the person concerned was requested to supply supporting documentation required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on his means.
On receipt of this information a decision will be made on his DA entitlement and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (302)
Bernard Durkan
Question:302. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if and when domiciliary care allowance may be awarded in the case of a person (details supplied) on behalf of their son who has been identified as suffering from a disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51050/22]
View answerWritten answers
Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable to a parent / guardian in respect of a child aged under 16, who has a severe disability and requires continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the level of care and attention normally required by a child of the same age. The child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months. Eligibility for DCA is determined primarily by reference to the degree of ongoing additional care and attention required by the child rather than the child's disability.
An application for DCA in respect of their child was received from the spouse of the person concerned on 30 June 2021. A deciding officer disallowed their claim as their child was not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for DCA. The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 6 October 2021 and of their right of review and /or appeal.
To date the person concerned has not requested a review or appeal of the Department's decision.
While the statutory 21 day time-limit for submitting an appeal has expired, it is also open to the person concerned to seek a review of the above decision and this right is not time limited. If requesting a review of the deciding officer's decision, the person concerned may forward any further new information or documentary evidence that was not previously available with the initial DCA application for further consideration by a deciding officer.
Alternatively, the person concerned may re-apply for DCA in respect of their child and enclose any further relevant information or evidence that is available.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (303)
Bernard Durkan
Question:303. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the position in regard to the availability of the State pension and the living-alone allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51053/22]
View answerWritten answers
The person concerned reached pension age on 12 October 2021.
An application for the State Pension (non-contributory) pension was received on 4 March 2022. The application was disallowed as their means exceeded the statutory limit. The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 21 March 2022.
Under current eligibility conditions for state pension (contributory), an individual must have at least 520 full-rate paid contributions in order to qualify for a standard contributory pension. As the person concerned was employed in the public sector, they can also be considered for a mixed insurance pension. To qualify for a mixed insurance pension, 520 employment contributions are required, of which at least 260 must be full-rate employment contributions with the remainder made up of modified contributions.
I have arranged for a copy of the person’s social insurance contribution record to issue to them along with an application form for State pension (contributory). On receipt of completed application form, the person’s entitlement to State pension (contributory) will be examined and they will be notified of the outcome in writing.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (304)
Bernard Durkan
Question:304. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the application for domiciliary care allowance can be reviewed in the case of a person (details supplied); if the case can be urgently reviewed or arrangements put in place for an oral hearing with a view to granting the application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51057/22]
View answerWritten answers
Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable to a parent / guardian in respect of a child aged under 16, who has a severe disability and requires continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and the child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months. This level of care and attention must be required to allow the child to deal with the activities of daily living. While a diagnosis of a specific disability may assist the Department's deciding officers and medical assessors to make an appropriate decision on entitlement, eligibility for DCA is not based on the type of disability but on the resulting medical and additional care needs. A diagnosis of autism alone or any other disability or condition does not necessarily indicate the level of care required by the child.
An application for DCA in respect of their child was received from the person concerned on 24 August 2022. A deciding officer disallowed the claim on 29 September 2022, as their child was not considered to satisfy the conditions for DCA. The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision, the reason for it and of their right of review and / or appeal.
To date, the person concerned has not submitted any new or additional information or evidence for further consideration and there is no record of a request for an appeal of this decision. The person concerned may request a review of this decision and should forward any new or additional information or documentary evidence that was not previously available to the Department for consideration. A full review of the decision will be completed by a deciding officer on receipt of this information.
It is also open to the person concerned to appeal this decision directly to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) as advised in the Department's notification dated 29 September 2022. The Appeals Officer may make a decision based on the written appeal submission and evidence only, or the applicant may be invited to attend an oral hearing. Alternatively, the person concerned may request an oral hearing in the appeal process.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Departmental Funding
Questions (305)
Bernard Durkan
Question:305. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she expects to be in a position to offer funding through the various schemes available to her for the rest of the current year and in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51060/22]
View answerWritten answers
The funding for schemes and services under the remit of the Department of Social Protection for 2022 was considered by the Select Committee on Social Protection and voted on by the Dáil in February 2022. Officials in my Department constantly keep the expenditure of each scheme under review, monitoring expenditure against the published estimate.
As announced on Budget Day, my Department will fund a number of additional measures in 2022, including a Cost of Living double-week payment, lump sum payments for Fuel Allowance recipients, Working Family Payment recipients, carers, and people on Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension and Blind Pension. There will also be an additional payment to Child Benefit recipients in the first week of November. The traditional Christmas Bonus will be paid in December.
These measures were not included in the original 2022 Revised Estimates and must be funded as part of a Supplementary Estimate to be considered by the Select Committee on Social Protection and voted on by the Dáil later in the year.
Officials in my Department are reviewing the performance on all schemes to determine the revised estimates for each subhead to determine the requirements for a Supplementary Estimate.
The funding for schemes and services in 2023 for my Department were announced on Budget Day. The 2023 Revised Estimates will be published in December and will be presented to the Select Committee and voted on by the Dáil in due course.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (306)
Bernard Durkan
Question:306. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the degree to which her Department has in place a method for determination of eligibility for domiciliary care allowance, given the number of children who are now deemed eligible on the basis of special needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51061/22]
View answerWritten answers
Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable to a parent / guardian in respect of a child aged under 16, who has a severe disability and requires continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of that required by a child of the same age and the child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months. Eligibility for DCA is determined primarily and essentially by reference to the degree of ongoing additional care and attention required by the child rather than the child's disability.
While an assessment or diagnosis of a specific disability or condition may assist the Department's deciding officers and medical assessors to make an appropriate decision on entitlement, eligibility for DCA is not based on the type of disability or diagnosis, but on the child's resulting medical and additional care needs. The decision and assessment process that applies in the consideration of whether a child satisfies the criteria for receipt of DCA includes the examination of all relevant factors identified as impacting on the child's additional care needs. A child who is categorised as having special needs or otherwise might qualify for DCA depending on the extent of their additional care needs.
Applications for DCA are decided by a deciding officer on a case-by-case basis, while also considering the opinion of a Departmental medical assessor. A parent / guardian should apply for DCA once they consider that their child may meet the qualifying conditions for receipt of the allowance. In addition to the personal details provided on the completed application form (Dom Care 1), including the signed details from the applicant's GP on this form, the applicant may provide any additional information or evidence that is relevant to their application, such as medical professional report(s) if available.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (307)
Bernard Durkan
Question:307. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of children who are deemed to have a disability putting them in the category of special needs; the number of such children who have been awarded domiciliary care allowance; the number refused in each of the past twelve months to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51062/22]
View answerWritten answers
Eligibility for Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is determined primarily by reference to the degree of additional care and attention required by a child rather than the child's disability. DCA applications are decided by a deciding officer on an individual case by case basis, while also considering the opinion of a Departmental medical assessor.
While statistics on overall awards or refusals are available, information on awards or refusals in relation to particular medical disabilities, conditions or special needs category is not collated. It should also be noted that some children can have multiple diagnoses.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
State Pensions
Questions (308)
Bernard Durkan
Question:308. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons seeking to avail of the State old age pension on the basis of self-employment contributions or partnership conditions that have been approved in the past twelve months; the number refused in the same period; if ameliorating action can be taken in the case of refusals particularly where a lesser number of contributions took place than were required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51063/22]
View answerWritten answers
The state pension (contributory), qualification is based on a number of criteria, including that a minimum of 520 qualifying contributions have been paid into the Social Insurance Fund. This ensures that people who seek a contributory pension have made at least 10 years paid contributions into the Social Insurance Fund which finances it. For those who have paid the required contributions at a reckonable rate – including Class S (self-employed) - they will be used in the calculation of their entitlements.
As we treat class 'S' paid contributions in the same way as other paid reckonable contributions e.g., class 'A' when calculating state pension contributory, my department does not currently hold a breakdown of all applications awarded or disallowed by contribution type. Therefore, the information requested by the Deputy in not available. However, if the Deputy has a particular case, he can bring it to the attention of my department who can provide further clarification.
Where a person aged 66 or over does not satisfy the conditions to qualify for a state pension (contributory), or qualifies for less than the maximum rate, they may instead qualify for one the following:
- The means-tested State Pension (non-contributory) which is a means-tested payment with a maximum payment of 95% of the SPC; or
- An increase for a qualified adult, amounting up to 90% of a full rate SPC pension where their spouse has a contributory pension; or
- Where their spouse/civil partner is deceased, a widow's/widower's/civil partner's contributory pension, which they may claim either based on their spouses or their own social insurance record. The qualifying conditions for this require fewer contributions paid (260) than the State pension (contributory), and the maximum personal rate for those aged 66 is the same rate as the state pension (contributory), with allowances (notably the Living Alone Allowance) payable where applicable.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (309)
Bernard Durkan
Question:309. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which exceptional needs payments are available in cases where family income is insufficient to meet their requirements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51064/22]
View answerWritten answers
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department can make additional needs payments to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an over-arching administrative term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from a person’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.
The scheme is demand led. Payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation, and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
In general, additional needs payments are not intended to cover circumstances where responsibility rests with another Government Department or Agency. However, an additional needs payment can be made to help meet essential expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.
The payment is available to both social welfare recipients and also to families on low incomes including persons who work 30 hours or more. Information on how to apply for the payment is available at www.gov.ie/en/service/4eb45-additional-needs-payment/.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (310, 311)
Bernard Durkan
Question:310. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applicants for jobseeker’s allowance and benefit who have been approved the payment in the past twelve months to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51065/22]
View answerBernard Durkan
Question:311. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applicants for jobseeker’s allowance and benefit who have been refused the payment in the past twelve months to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51066/22]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 310 and 311 together.
Jobseeker's Benefit is a payment for people between 18 and 66 years of age who become fully or partly unemployed and have paid sufficient pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contributions.
Jobseeker's Allowance is a means-tested payment made to people who are unemployed.
Over the 12-month period from October 2021 to September 2022, there were 112,655 claims awarded and 13,336 claims disallowed for Jobseeker's Allowance.
In the same time period, there were 129,954 claims awarded and 8,382 claims disallowed for Jobseeker's Benefit.
Question No. 311 answered with Question No. 310.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (312)
Bernard Durkan
Question:312. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applicants throughout the country currently in receipt of the working family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51067/22]
View answerWritten answers
The Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly tax-free payment for employees with children which supports people in low paid employment. The WFP is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents, and to offer a financial incentive to take up employment.
It is a targeted measure that is directly linked to household income and therefore directly supports low-income working families. There are approximately 45,000 families with 99,000 children who are currently in receipt of WFP. The estimated spend of WFP in 2022 is €349 million.
Budget 2023 included the provision of a once off €500 cost of living lump sum payment to all WFP recipients and is due to be paid on the week commencing 14th November.
An increase in the income limits applicable to WFP customers was also announced in Budget 2023. This increase will take effect from 5th January 2023 and will see the income limit for all family sizes increase by €40. This will see an increase in payment across all awarded claims of €24 per week while also increasing the income qualification thresholds for customers.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (313)
Bernard Durkan
Question:313. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applicants for domiciliary care allowance who have been refused in the past twelve months to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51068/22]
View answerWritten answers
Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly payment in respect of a child aged under 16, who has a severe disability and requires continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of that normally required by a child of the same age and the child must be likely to require this level of care for at least 12 consecutive months. Eligibility for DCA is determined primarily by reference to the degree of additional care and attention required by the child rather than the child's disability.
The total number of DCA applications received in the past 12 months was 10,229. The number of applications that were disallowed in the same period was 3,819.
It should be noted that in many instances where the initial application is disallowed, the claim can subsequently be awarded in instances where further information or medical evidence is provided by the applicant.
It should also be noted that there has been a 15% increase in the number of applications over the last year and that DCA section has reduced processing times to 6 weeks in that period.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (314)
Bernard Durkan
Question:314. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for the exceptional needs payment that have been awarded and refused in the past twelve months to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51069/22]
View answerWritten answers
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department can make additional needs payments to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.
The schemes are demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
The data indicates that almost 66,000 applications ANPS have been awarded from the start of the year to end-September, while almost 9,000 claims have been disallowed in the same period.
Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an additional needs payment is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service. There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (315)
Bernard Durkan
Question:315. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which social welfare appeals against refusal for various payments including oral hearings are being processed within a reasonable time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51070/22]
View answerWritten answers
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
All claim decisions taken by the Department’s Deciding Officers and Designated Persons are appealable to the Chief Appeals Officer. In any year about 85% of all claims are awarded by the Department and just 2% are appealed. Nevertheless, the Department endeavors to ensure that these cases are dealt with as quickly as possible.
The time taken to process an appeal reflects a number of factors including that the appeals process is a quasi-judicial process with Appeals Officers being required to decide all appeals on a ‘de-novo’ basis. In addition, appeals decisions are themselves subject to review by the High Court and decisions have to be formally written up to quasi-judicial standards.
Significant efforts and resources have been devoted to reforming the appeal process in recent years. As a result, average appeal processing times have generally improved between 2018 and 2021 from 30.0 weeks for an oral hearing in 2018 to 25.5 weeks in 2021, and from 24.8 weeks for a summary decision in 2018 to 13.9 weeks in 2021. The figures for the period January to September 2022 were 25.4 weeks for oral hearing decisions and 15.0 weeks for summary decisions. Further improvement in appeals processing times is a priority for the Chief Appeals Officer.
Currently, the number of Appeals Officers (full-time equivalent) is 40 which is similar to the position over the last two years. A number of new Appeals Officers have joined the Appeals Office over the past 12-18 months to replace staff leaving on retirement and for other reasons. Given the complexity of the appeals process it can take some time for new staff to be trained up and develop expertise. The desire to process appeals quickly has to be balanced with the competing demand to ensure that decisions are consistent and of high quality and made in accordance with the legislative provisions and the general principles of fair procedures and natural justice. The tables below provide the average appeal processing times for appeals by scheme type for the year January 2022 to the end of September 2022.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Appeal Processing Times by Scheme 1 January 2022– 30 September 2022
|
Average processing times (weeks)Summary Decisions |
Average processing times (weeks)Oral Hearings |
|
|
Blind Person’s Pension |
14.6 |
- |
|
Back To Work Family Dividend |
12.5 |
- |
|
Carer’s Allowance |
12.1 |
18.3 |
|
Carer’s Benefit |
10.9 |
19.8 |
|
Carer’s Support Grant |
10.6 |
23.9 |
|
Child Benefit |
26.8 |
25.8 |
|
Death Benefit |
4.9 |
- |
|
Deserted Wife’s Benefit |
14.9 |
64.2 |
|
Disability Allowance |
11.6 |
20.8 |
|
Disablement Pension |
19.4 |
32.6 |
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
21.1 |
32.5 |
|
Farm Assist |
16.2 |
38.9 |
|
Guardian's Payment (Contributory) |
13.4 |
12.5 |
|
Guardian's Payment (Non-Contributory |
13.6 |
- |
|
Illness Benefit |
14.9 |
20.3 |
|
Insurability of Employment |
145.0 (Figure affected by the finalisation of a significant number of long-standing cases) |
77.6 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
13.8 |
15.6 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance (Means) |
14.6 |
31.2 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance (Payments) |
12.1 |
47.7 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
13.0 |
23.7 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit Over 65 |
13.1 |
23.4 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit Self Employed |
15.7 |
- |
|
Jobseeker's Transitional Payment |
11.9 |
25.0 |
|
Liable Relatives |
8.9 |
- |
|
Maternity Benefit |
11.9 |
20.9 |
|
Occupational Injury Benefit |
23.1 |
- |
|
One Parent Family Payment |
16.7 |
23.8 |
|
Pandemic Unemployment Payment |
22.1 |
- |
|
Partial Capacity Benefit |
12.1 |
24.1 |
|
Parents Benefit |
13.1 |
- |
|
Paternity Benefit |
13.5 |
- |
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
19.3 |
41.1 |
|
State Pension (Non-Contributory) |
23.5 |
55.9 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
14.9 |
31.2 |
|
Treatment Benefit |
12.9 |
- |
|
Widow/Widower's Pension (Contributory) |
16.7 |
58.7 |
|
Widow/Widower's Pension (Non-Contributory) |
11.9 |
- |
|
Widowed Parent Grant |
16.7 |
- |
|
Working Family Payment |
17.6 |
65.4 |
|
All Appeals |
15.0 |
25.4 |
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (316)
Bernard Durkan
Question:316. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which applications for carer’s allowance have been approved and refused in the past twelve months to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51071/22]
View answerWritten answers
Carer’s Allowance is a payment to people on low incomes who are caring full-time for a person who needs support because of age, disability or illness (including mental illness). The person being cared for must require full-time care and attention.
Over the 12-month period from October 2021 to September 2022, there were 13,810 claims awarded and 7,623 claims disallowed for Carer's Allowance.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (317)
Gary Gannon
Question:317. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of times that a one-parent family has had their allowance temporarily re-directed to a different post office without the prior knowledge of the recipient. [51086/22]
View answerWritten answers
People who are in receipt of a social welfare payment in a post office continue to be paid at their nominated post office for the duration of their claim. Occasionally, if a person cannot be contacted or fails to respond to correspondence from the Department a person’s payment may be transferred to another local post office until contact has been established. This means that the payment is immediately available for collection once contact is made.
Case specific information, including whether a post office change has been made, is not collated centrally by my Department. Therefore, it is not possible to provide the information that the Deputy is seeking as the information requested is not available.I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.