Almost half-a-million social welfare recipients are to have their claims reviewed this year as part of a major Government programme to control spending on unemployment, illness and pension benefits.
The Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs has set a £180 million target for savings it hopes to achieve this year. It will also carry out 9,600 employer inspections as part of a renewed effort to minimise social welfare fraud.
The programme is outlined in a three-year strategy statement for the Department, which was introduced yesterday by the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern. The Minister said he aimed to significantly improve the quality of customer service and to control public expenditure by eliminating duplication and controlling fraud and abuse.
The Department hopes to achieve the largest savings in unemployment payments, where 120,000 claimants will have their cases reviewed with a savings target of £78 million. Some 158,000 people in receipt of illness payments will have their cases examined, with a savings target of £32.5 million. The savings target from a review of 26,000 pensioners is £36.5 million.
PAYE/PRSI payments will also be reviewed, with a hoped-for saving of £17 million.
The Department's strategy statement also sets out new customer service targets. Most unemployment claims will be processed within two weeks. Applications and inquiries regarding old-age pensions will be dealt with, in under five weeks for contributory pensions and eight weeks for non-contributory payments.
Ninety per cent of child benefit claims, and 85 per cent of disability benefit claims, will be dealt with within a week.
The Department also promises that 90 per cent of calls will be answered within 10 seconds. It hopes to achieve a 90 per cent satisfaction rating from customers. No penalties are listed if the Department fails to meet these targets.
The Department is the largest spending area of Government, with an outlay of about £13 million a day.
