Family Income Support applicants must be processed by Christmas – Ellis

Dessie Ellis TD has raised concerns at the Department of Social Protection instruction to the Family Income Support section of the department to only process applications received on or after November 5th. The effect of this is that applications coming in now will be processed before the applications of families who have already been waiting for five and six months.
Deputy Ellis said every effort must be made to ensure all applicants are processed and paid before Christmas.
“I understand that the minister, along with senior officials, has taken a decision to instruct the Family Income Support section of the department to only process applications received on or after November 5th. The effect of this is that applications coming in now will be processed before the applications of families who have already been waiting for five and six months. The new applications may be processed immediately while those unfortunate enough to have made their application earlier will be left waiting.
“I understand that most of the families caught up in the pre-November 5th back log will not receive any payment at all before Christmas.
“Over 7,000 families with almost 16,000 children are caught up in this backlog. What are these families to do? What are they to do for Christmas? What are they to do with the growing arrears on their household bills?
“The average applicant who is waiting since June will by now be owed €3,500 in back payments. If they are left waiting until January, this will have risen to €4,700. Many families will have no option but to borrow these sums from money lenders and the cost of these loans will be many multiples of the money that the department owes them now.” ENDS