Almost 6,000 households apply for welfare aid

ALMOST 6,000 new “working poor” households have applied for the Family Income Supplement (FIS) since the start of this year.

However, the Department of Social and Family Affairs’ failure to keep pace with the level of demand has seen a backlog of almost 8,000, with families forced to wait up to 10 weeks for welfare payments. The payment is aimed at filling a gap for families who are working, but on a low income and trying to make ends meet.

The growing waiting lists are highlighted as an issue of concern in a briefing document prepared by the Department for Minister Eamon O Cuiv when he took over the portfolio.

“The average waiting time for FIS claims in February 2010 was 10 weeks for new claims and nine weeks for renewal claims. Despite overtime being worked during February and the first half of March, processing was unable to keep pace with the receipt of FIS claims and renewals, leading to a steady increase in the number of claims on hand,” the minister was warned.

The alarming scale of the financial problems facing households is highlighted in separate figures provided in the briefing document given to the Irish Examiner under Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation. It shows:

* 3,558 new clients were seen by the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) in the first two months of this year.

* The highest number of new clients (1,800) are married with children.

* More than half were aged between 26 and 40.

* The total number getting financial advice and help from the agency now exceeds 31,000.

* The average debt owed is €14,990.

* The total debt owed by MABS clients has reached €53m, with the majority owed to banks and more than €0.5m to loan sharks.

Almost 26,000 families already receive the Family Income Supplement, which the department describes as an “incentive” for people to stay in work where they might be “marginally better off” if they left their jobs and claimed the dole and other welfare payments.

“These are people living below the breadline,” said Labour spokeswoman on equality Kathleen Lynch, adding the backlog is “clearly as a result of the moratorium” on recruiting civil servants.

“This is not an assessment backlog, this is a backlog in terms of people being paid, which is the worst type of delay,” said the Cork North Central TD.

Despite a growing number of claims, Ms Lynch said she was “staggered and amazed” at the low take-up of the payment.

The department said it hopes the waiting list will be reduced in the coming weeks with the lifting of a refusal to work overtime by some workers who are members of the Civil Public Services Union (CPSU).