§ Mr. HumeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the processing of single payment claims, indicating the month in which the non-urgent claims now being processed in each social security office were made.
§ Mr. NeedhamAt 11 April 1988 there were approximately 80,000 single payment claims to be processed. This number had reduced to 18,446 by 24 June 1988, the latest date for which figures are available. Information is not collected on the urgency or otherwise of claims and information on the various dates of the claims now being processed could only be obtained at disproportionate cost and with consequent delays to their clearance.
§ Mr. HumeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland wht consideration has been or is being given to making special staffing arrangements to have the outstanding single payment claims processed as soon as possible.
§ Mr. NeedhamExtra staffing resources, including overtime and detached duty staff, have been allocated to social security offices as necessary to ensure that the outstanding single payment claims are processed as quickly as possible.
§ Mr. HumeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Department of Health and Social Services estimate that each social security office will have completed their processing of single payment claims.
§ Mr. NeedhamIt is estimated that all single payment claims will have been cleared in 26 offices by 30 June 1988, in a further six offices by the end of July and in the remaining two (Londonderry and Strabane) by the end of August.