Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 March 2023
149. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to improve the processing times for disability allowance applications; the target timeline for decisions to be made in these applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15098/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.
The processing target for the Disability Allowance (DA) scheme is to award 75% of applications within 10 weeks. The average number of weeks to award a DA claim in February 2023 was 10 weeks. My Department understands the many pressures faced by people and always seeks to ensure that claims are processed quickly and efficiently.
In setting the targets, consideration is taken of the complexity of the schemes and the processes that are necessary to determine eligibility. As a result, the processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria.
Schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from a person, 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 person applying for the payment, thereby lengthening the decision-making process.
It is also the case that in order to register a claim and establish?an early entitlement, some people may submit an application form without first securing all of the necessary supporting documentation.? While this ensures that people will be paid, along with arrears, from an earlier date, this adds to the average processing times.
I wish to reassure the Deputy that claim processing is kept under active review, with all possible steps taken to improve processing times. This includes the assignment of additional resources, where available, and the review of business processes, to ensure the efficient processing of applications.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
