Fast-tracking Jobseekers Claims is welcomed by the Minister for Finance
Monday, 17 August 2009 15:13
The Minister for Finance, Mr. Brian Lenihan, T.D., has welcomed the announcement by his colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Hanafin T.D. regarding the introduction of a new fast-tracking of claims for Jobseekers payments which is being introduced in approximately one third of Social Welfare Local Offices around the country.
Commenting on the new system, the Minister for Finance said:
“I am happy to see that a new fast-tracking process of claims for Jobseekers payments is being introduced in a number of Social Welfare local offices around the country, including Blanchardstown. The process means that claims can be cleared for payment in a matter of days following the customer’s first contact with the office and will significantly reduce the waiting times for the customer and backlogs of claims waiting for a decision”.
How the new process works
• Customers making new or repeat claims for Jobseekers Benefit or a repeat claim for Jobseekers Allowance are given an appointment when they first arrive in the local office.
• They also receive the relevant claim forms and details of any supporting documentation required. At that stage, they are encouraged to complete the application forms in advance of their allotted appointment.
• Appointments are generally scheduled for within 2 to 3 working days of the initial visit and the appointment can take up to 30 minutes. During this time, the vast majority of claims are taken, registered and decided with the customer present. It then only takes a matter of days for the customer to get the appropriate payment.
The current national average processing times for Jobseekers Benefit is just over 3 weeks and for Jobseekers Allowance is 6 weeks.
Further details on the new fast-tracking system can be found on the website of the Department of Social and Family Affairs – www.welfare.ie
17 August 2009