Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 April 2023
122. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department will carry out a review on the length of time it currently takes to review and receive supplementary welfare allowance. [19645/23]
View answerThe Community Welfare Service (CWS) delivers the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme which is the safety net within the overall social welfare system. This scheme helps eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single Additional Needs Payments (ANPs).The CWS is committed to providing a quality service to all citizens, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made quickly. The current average time to award a basic SWA is one week and 75% of all applications for ANPs are finalised within four weeks. Where an application cannot be finalised promptly, the delay is normally due to the need for additional information or documentation and the time it takes for the information to be provided. Upon receipt of this information, the application is then processed quickly.It is important to note that where it is clear that a person has an urgent or immediate need, every effort is made to ensure that the claim is processed on the same day. Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) are very experienced and can generally assess when a case is so urgent that it requires an immediate response. A lot of effort and resources have been applied to the CWS to ensure that it is a responsive and accessible service for people. I wish to reassure the Deputy that claim processing is kept under active review. I trust this clarifies the matter.
