The one parent family payment is the income support scheme for separated, unmarried and widowed persons and also for prisoners spouses who are bringing up children without the support of a partner. The scheme was introduced in 1997 when it replaced a number of schemes for different categories of lone parent.
At the end of October 2004, there were 79,797 persons receiving one parent family payment. On average, some 350 new claims for one parent family payment are received each week, equivalent to approximately 18,000 per year.
As recipients of the one parent family payment are in a relatively young age bracket, they are more likely to move in and out of employment, education or training on a regular basis or to have other changes in their circumstances. Approximately 70,000 existing claims are revised each year, mainly for these reasons.
Administrative work relating to the one parent family payment has been carried out in a central unit in the pension services office in Sligo.
A comprehensive review of the payment arrangements for lone parents was undertaken by my Department in 2000. This review recommended the localisation of the administration of the scheme to bring lone parents into closer contact with the various support services available at local level. Localisation is intended primarily to improve client service, by reducing claim processing times through closer linkage with the local investigative officer network, as well as providing more direct local contact for lone parents with the Department's employment support services.
One parent family payment claim processing commenced in my Department's local office in Tallaght in 2001. Following the success of this initial project, local offices in Finglas and Waterford began processing one parent family payment claims at the end of 2003. During 2004, a major programme was undertaken to extend claim processing to a further 16 offices.
At the end of 2004, there will be a total of 19 local offices dealing with one parent family payment claim processing. This will mean that approximately half of all new one parent family claims received each year, that is, approximately 9,000 claims, will be dealt with in local offices. Processing will be extended to other local offices on a phased basis during 2005.
The process of devolving the administration of the one parent family payment to local offices is essentially a relocation of the service from a central to a local basis. While there will be costs arising during the process relating to training, localisation of the scheme will not result in any significant increase in the cost of administering the scheme.
I am satisfied that the social welfare arrangements in place for lone parents are appropriate. The policy in this area is to provide income support for lone parents while at the same time encouraging them to consider employment as a realistic alternative to long-term welfare dependency. The position is being kept under review on an ongoing basis.