Pearse Doherty
Ceist:424. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the current waiting time for each application for social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57366/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 22 November 2022
Ceisteanna (424)
Freagraí scríofa
My Department always seeks to ensure that claims are handled quickly and efficiently, understanding the many pressures faced by customers. I am pleased to report that claim processing is up to date, with processing targets met, or exceeded, for all the main scheme areas.
Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. Schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer, particularly in the case of illness-related schemes, can take longer to process. Similarly, means-tested payments can also require more detailed investigations and interaction with the customer, thereby lengthening the decision-making process.
The current average processing times and targets across the schemes are outlined in the table below:
|
Social Welfare Scheme |
Current Weeks to Award claims |
Target Weeks to =Award |
|
Carer's Allowance |
5 |
11 |
|
Carer's Benefit |
7 |
12 |
|
Child Benefit |
2 |
4 |
|
Disability Allowance |
7 |
10 |
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
6 |
10 |
|
Free Travel |
6 |
2 |
|
Household Benefits |
1 |
4 |
|
Illness Benefit |
1 |
1 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
8 |
10 |
|
Jobseekers Allowance |
1 |
6 |
|
Jobseekers Benefit |
1 |
3 |
|
Maternity Benefit |
6 |
By Due date |
|
Occupational Injury Benefit |
1 |
1 |
|
One Parent Family Payment |
3 |
10 |
|
Paternity Benefit |
6 |
By Commencement date |
|
State Pension Contributory |
6 |
By date of entitlement |
|
State Pension Non-Contributory |
6 |
12 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
1 |
1 |
|
Widows Contributory Pension |
1 |
6 |
|
Working Family Payment |
4 |
6 |
Overall, I am pleased that my Department continues to ensure that the customer service has been maintained at a high level.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.