Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 June 2022
136. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are delays in processing payments for the disability benefit following application approval; the average processing times for this payment by month as of March 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33057/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Illness Benefit scheme is designed to provide support to those who cannot attend work in the short term due to illness.
To qualify for a payment under the terms of the Illness Benefit scheme a person must be under pensionable age, satisfy prescribed PRSI conditions and be certified by a doctor as being incapable of attending work due to illness.
Details of the average processing times for Illness Benefit claims by month as of March 2022 are shown in the table below.
|
Month |
% Cleared within 7 days |
|
Mar-22 |
82.98% |
|
Apr-22 |
82.14% |
|
May-22 |
86.41% |
There are currently no processing delays for Illness Benefit applications when all relevant supporting documentation is submitted. Applications that require officer review to ensure eligibility for payment can take longer to process. My officials consistently work to clear all claims as quickly as possible.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the deputy.
