Thomas Gould
Question:177. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the average wait time for an appointment with a community welfare officer in Cork city. [62668/22]
View answerWednesday, 14 December 2022
Questions (177)
Written answers
Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) are physically on site daily in over 50 Intreo Centres across the country where they are available to be seen without an appointment, during business hours Monday to Friday including at the Cork City Intreo Centre. 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.
It is important to note that a person does not need to meet with a CWO to make a claim and any person who needs to access the CWS can call the National CWS freephone number at 0818 60 70 80, to make an appointment or to speak directly to a CWO. An appointment can be arranged within a short time of a person requiring such a meeting, at a mutually agreed location, including at the person's home. Alternatively, a person can speak with a CWO over the phone if they do not wish to wait or to travel to meet with a CWO in person – currently the CWOs on the phoneline are dealing with approx. 1,700 callers per week.
A person can apply for a Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) payment by completing a SWA1 form, which is widely available. It can be downloaded at www.gov.ie. It is available in all Intreo Centres and Branch Offices. It can also be requested by emailing cwsforms@welfare.ie or by calling 0818 60 70 80. Customers can also request a SWA1 form by using the Request Application Form page available on www.gov.ie. The completed application form and supporting documentation can be posted or dropped into the local Intreo Centre where it will be processed quickly.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
Question No. 178 answered with Question No. 176.