Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 December 2013
185. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are any timetables for the delivery of social welfare benefits which social welfare officers must follow; if she has given any consideration to imposing guaranteed timetables for the delivery of each social welfare benefit as a way of ensuring citizens receive their entitled services in a timely manner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55120/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe time taken to process claims for social welfare payments can vary due to a range of factors, including the complexity of the claim (e.g. whether or not it is subject to a means test, a test for medical conditionality or an assessment of the client’s residential status in the State) and the nature and completeness of the documentation submitted by the client in support of the claims. In addition the time taken to process claims depends on the volume of claims received in any time period relative to the availability of staff to process such claims.
In setting standards for claim processing I am also conscious that deciding officers of the Department, operate under statute to make decisions regarding the disbursement of public monies in circumstances where the decisions made have a significant impact on the wellbeing of clients. Accordingly they must be given the time to take considered decisions and unlike some areas of the private sector cannot, in response to peaks in workload, trade off quality against speed based on an assessment of the risk of taking a bad decision compared to the benefit of achieving time based service targets. Accordingly, I do not plan to offer guaranteed processing times to customers in respect of social welfare claims.
However, my Department has set measurable performance targets for the majority of schemes under its remit, generally based on weeks required to award 90% of claims received taking account of process variances at scheme level. These performance standards are summarised in the table below. Most schemes perform at close to the required standards, reflecting the high priority given to claim processing.
Award Performance Standards by scheme
|
Scheme |
Performance Indicators |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
90% in 3 weeks |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance |
90% in 6 weeks |
|
One-Parent Family Payment |
90% in 10 weeks |
|
State Pension Contributory - Domestic |
90% by date of entitlement |
|
State Pension Transition |
90% in 6 weeks |
|
State Pension Non-Contributory |
90% in 10 weeks |
|
Widow(er)'s Non-Contributory Pension |
90% in 10 weeks |
|
Widow(er)'s Contributory Pension |
90% in 6 weeks |
|
Household Benefits |
90% in 4 weeks |
|
Free Travel (Stand-alone New Pass) |
90% in 2 weeks |
|
Bereavement Grant |
90% in 4 weeks |
|
Child Benefit - Domestic |
90% in 4 weeks |
|
Maternity Benefit |
90% by due date |
|
Treatment Benefit |
90% in 3 weeks |
|
Family Income Supplement |
90% in 6 weeks |
|
Carer's Allowance |
90% in 13 weeks |
|
Disability Allowance |
90% in 13 weeks |
|
Invalidity Pension |
90% in 6 weeks |
|
Bereavement Grant |
90% in 4 weeks |
|
Illness Benefit |
90% in 1 week |
|
Interim Illness Benefit (OIB) |
90% in 1 week |
