Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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3. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection whether there is any potential for her Department to coordinate with other agencies to inquire as to the welfare of a person after lengthy non-collection of payments. [37676/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides two main payment options for its customers, payment in cash at post offices or payment directly into customer accounts by electronic fund transfer. Last year, approximately 70% of all Social Welfare payments were made by electronic fund transfer and 29.5% were by cash collection at post offices. A relatively small number of payments were also made by cheque.

Where possible, customers are offered a choice of payment method and their wishes are facilitated, whether they choose to collect their social welfare payment in cash at a post office or receive the payment directly into their account in a bank, a credit union or in An Post.

For those who collect their payment in cash at a post office, the payment continues to be available for collection at their nominated post office for a prescribed period. The length of the period varies on a scheme by scheme basis. Where a payment is not collected within the prescribed period and has been returned to my Department, the payment is suspended and a letter issues to the customer asking him or her to explain the reasons for non-collection of payment. Where a person fails to reply to the letter, and depending upon the circumstances of the case, a Social Welfare Inspector may be asked to establish the circumstances for non-collection of the payment.

In January 2020, my Department established a dedicated Safeguarding Unit. While the Safeguarding Unit primarily acts on reports of alleged financial abuse of vulnerable social welfare recipients, where necessary, officials assigned to the Unit liaise as appropriate with relevant agencies such as the Health Service Executive, An Garda Síochána or advocacy groups in relation to concerns for a person’s welfare brought to their attention.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.