Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 December 2022
172. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to deal with the backlog of applications for supplementary welfare payments in counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62590/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraStaffing levels have been maintained in the Community Welfare Service (CWS) nationwide in recent years, even during times when demands on the service decreased significantly. This reflects my commitment to continue to support the delivery of locally based services to citizens. There are currently over 412 staff working in the CWS throughout the country, including 318 Community Welfare Officers (CWOs).
I have taken a number of steps to manage the increased level of Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) applications and improve service capacity, including:
- I recently secured agreement for some 74 additional staff to be assigned to the CWS. Recruitment has commenced and it is anticipated that staff will be in place by Q1 2023.
- In the interim until the staff have been recruited, 30 Social Welfare Inspectors have been temporarily reassigned to the CWS since the start of November to assist with claims processing.
- The introduction of a national CWS freephone line means that clients don't have to attend an office in person to make a claim or an enquiry.
- The rostering of staff ensures there is a full-time CWO presence in over 50 offices nationwide.
- The establishment of a back-office support team, to take-on the more routine administrative tasks associated with claim processing, frees up front-line CWOs to deal directly with client and their claims.
- The establishment of a national CWS Response Team, which is the primary resource in responding to pressure points and surges in demand for community welfare services.
- In addition, the Department is well advanced in the development of an online claim option.
These changes mean that the CWS is in a strong position to respond to the increase in service demand and is responding very well. These supports are being provided to counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly presently and will remain in place to ensure customer service in these counties,
If a SWA application is urgent, every effort is made to ensure the person receives a payment on the same day. CWOs are very experienced and can generally assess when a case is so urgent as to require an immediate response. Approximately 9% of SWA payments to customers across the country are made on this basis, which shows just how responsive the service is to an urgent customer need.
SWA applications are generally processed promptly. Delays in processing an application usually relate to cases where additional information or documentation has been requested from the applicant confirming the essential nature of the expense or the person’s inability to cover the expense from their normal income. This can result in longer processing times for these applications as greater flexibility is given to clients with extended time to respond. Upon receipt of this information, the application will then be processed quickly.
If the Deputy is concerned about a particular case, I would ask that she brings this to the attention of my Department.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
