20-week wait for jobseekers’ allowance

DOZENS of people have been waiting more than 20 weeks for jobseekers’ allowance in parts of Co Cork.

The appalling delays were highlighted by Deputy Jim O’Keeffe after he tabled a Dáil question to Minister for Social Welfare Mary Hanafin.

She confirmed to the Fine Gael TD that, in Bandon alone, there are 30 applicants waiting more than 20 weeks, while 23 have been waiting between 15 and 20 weeks.

A further 63 have been waiting between 10 and 15 weeks and 46 waiting between five and 10 weeks for jobseekers’ allowance.

A similar picture of delays emerged in other social welfare offices in Clonakilty, Kinsale, Skibbereen and Bantry.

The position in relation to jobseekers’ benefit claims is equally worrying, with 28 applicants waiting for more than 15 weeks in the Bandon office, 56 waiting between 10 and 15 weeks in Clonakilty, along with 48 waiting between five and 10 weeks in Kinsale.

“The waiting times for jobseekers’ allowance and jobseekers’ benefit is totally unacceptable,” Mr O’Keeffe said.

He said most claims for jobseekers’ benefit could easily be authorised at the relevant branch office, thereby avoiding getting caught up in a large pool of claims awaiting authorisation at regional offices.

“If clearance was given by the minister for such authorisation then jobseekers’ allowance claims would also be speeded up,” he said.

Ms Hanafin recently announced that an agreement to fast-track jobseekers’ claims had been reached with the Public Services Union and she stated that the average processing times for jobseekers’ benefit is just over three weeks and for jobseekers’ allowance is six weeks.

“It just shows how out of touch Minister Hanafin is with the real world throughout the country in Social Welfare offices under her control,” Mr O’Keeffe said.

He is calling on the Government and in particular Ms Hanafin to immediately implement the fast-tracking of all claims for payments to the entire Social Welfare Branch Office network throughout west Cork.