89. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department will conduct a review of the delays relating to the awarding of disability and carer’s allowance, particularly in light of delays of up to five months that have occurred in County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33295/25]

Sentiment score: 0.15

My question relates to the delays around reviews of decisions relating to disability and carer's allowance. Currently, people are waiting a long time. This matter needs to be addressed. I hope the Department is going to take action on it.

Sentiment score: 0.12

The reason I raise this is because people find themselves out of work through no fault of their own because of a disability or they have to give up work to care for a loved one and may have to put in a claim for carer's allowance. These are genuine cases. I understand that it is complex. I understand that there are a number of different aspects in terms of judging whether people are eligible or not. The Oireachtas helpline is of assistance, but it is not a silver bullet. The experience we have had is that some applications take four and five months to process, which can cause serious problems. Even in straightforward cases, there may be a missing document that is then supplied. If there is an appeal, it can take up to 12 months. That is our experience. The Minister asked if I have an individual case. I want to go back and check where those cases are at. If there is a particular case, I will bring it to his attention. The Minister read out a reply prepared by the Department. I am not saying that the officials are giving him false information, but the experience we have been having does not match what he read out.

Sentiment score: 0.02

If they could be done within a six-week period, that would certainly be very good. I welcome the fact that there is a target in that regard. In the absence of targets, nothing is achieved. Things move when there are targets. The Minister is correct about people supplying more information. Often, those who make claims are not sure what is being sought as a result of the language the Department uses. It has been simplified in recent years, and that is welcome. It is important that we try to achieve the target. As already stated, people find themselves out of work through no fault of their own because of a disability or they have to give up their jobs. The Minister and I often come across cases in our constituencies of people having to give up work to care for loved ones. It is really important that we try to support people financially. We must remember that while they are waiting, they have nowhere else to go. They can go to the community welfare officer, maybe, but there are very strong rules in that regard. It can be difficult and can take time. It is really important that we try to iron out any difficulties with this. The delivery part of the appeals process needs to be looked at.

Sentiment score: 0.17