Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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108. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there is an almost five month delay in processing arrears owed to approved applicants for disability allowance; her views that such a long delay is fair or reasonable; if her attention has been drawn to the financial hardship and distress caused to those awaiting payment; if she will immediately sanction additional staff to tackle this backlog; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28798/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department is committed to ensuring that arrears due to customers are paid without delay.

Due to the increased number of disability allowance applications received and decided over the last 12 months there has been a corresponding increase in the volume of requests for reviews and/or appeals against adverse decisions. This has led to increased waiting times for arrears to issue in cases where the person was in receipt of another weekly social welfare payment during the period in question.

In cases where the person was not in receipt of another weekly social welfare payment there are no significant delays in issuing arrears once the application is awarded.

When a disability allowance application is being awarded and the person was in receipt of another social welfare payment there are a number of necessary administrative steps which must be completed before arrears are issued. In these cases there will be inter-scheme and/or local/Intreo office follow up action required, to reconcile overlapping benefit periods arising from the award of disability allowance, before the final due arrears balance can be established and paid. Officers are currently working on these and it is expected that any remaining arrears due once the overlapping payment is deducted will issue within the next 10 working days.

Furthermore, additional resources have recently been allocated to the arrears area in the disability allowance scheme to deal with the increased volumes and minimise delays.