I am committed to providing an efficient service to all my customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are issued as expeditiously as possible having regard to the eligibility conditions which apply.
Entitlement to carer's benefit is based on satisfying medical, employment, PRSI and residency conditions. There is inevitably a time lag involved in making the necessary investigations and inquiries to enable timely and accurate decisions to be made. In addition to the work my Department has to carry out, there is also an onus on applicants to furnish all necessary documentation. Time can elapse through delays by persons applying for benefit not supplying all the necessary information in support of their claim. Since January 2002, my Department has received a total of 1,195 applications. There are 208 claims awaiting decision and all these claims are at an advanced stage of processing.
The carer's benefit scheme has been in operation for just under two years. In the past year the number of applications has increased by over 50%. The increase in the number of new claims affects the time taken to process claims. The average time for deciding an application for receipt of the benefit is currently in the region of eight weeks, although in many cases they are processed within a much shorter timeframe. In any case, where there is a delay in processing a claim, payment is backdated to the date of original application.
The level of resources required and the standard of claim processing is kept under review to ensure that applicants receive a good quality service having regard to the conditions governing the scheme. If the Deputy has any particular case in mind where a particular difficulty is being experienced, perhaps he would advise me and I will do my utmost on his behalf.