Vol. 426 No. 3
56 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, he has to introduce alternative payment methods for social welfare recipients such as EFT into Bank and Post Office accounts; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I am committed to providing social welfare customers with improved services. One of the service aspects receiving attention related to the methods used for making payments under the various schemes. I want to provide a range of payment methods which will be more convenient for our customers and will ease the administration of cash payments.
In order to create the necessary environment for improved service to clients I have decided that existing cash payment cases will be offered more modern and flexible payment arrangements on a phased basis.
My Department has recently concluded an agreement with An Post to undertake the extra work arising for post offices. This will ensure that social welfare customers can receive a truly modern service, with appropriate payment methods. An Post is developing services which are broadly analogous to electronic funds transfer in addition to an already expanded range of methods used in post offices in the social welfare payment process.
An Post is, and will continue to be, the main paying agency for social welfare customers. Before the recent agreement, An Post was managing all pension payments, the majority of child benefit cases and about one third of unemployment payments.
An Post now makes significantly more unemployment payments — currently close to 50 per cent of the total. As circumstances permit, additional unemployment cases will continue to be transferred to An Post. An Post also now manages 13,000 disability benefit weekly payments and ultimately that number is expected to increase to 30,000 cases.
In parallel, we have been developing alternatives to An Post for those persons who, for one reason or another, find that payment via the commercial banks and certain other financial institutions would be more suitable for them. One of the new methods being offered is electronic fund transfer or EFT.
57 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 has been refused unemployment benefit; whether this position is likely to change; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned has been employed on a part-time basis for some considerable time and claiming unemployment assistance for days of unemployment.
In April 1991 social insurance cover was extended to all employees earning £25 per week or more. As a result, over 26,000 part-time workers were brought into social insurance and can now be eligible for unemployment, disability, maternity and treatment benefits.
Changes in the benefits system were required to accommodate this group. These changes came into force on 4 January, to coincide with the change in the benefit year.
The entitlement of the person concerned was examined to see whether he could qualify for unemployment benefit from January 1993 on the basis of PRSI contributions paid in respect of his employment in the 1991-92 contribution year.
