The processing of JSA claims, a computer solution is possible.

Job Centre Plus (in the UK) is supposed to process claims with an average of 11.5 working days. In the current climate it's more in the region 25 days. The 11.5 day figure came from Digby Jones on Channel 4's Dispatches programme tonight. Also stating that the whole JSA system is under some severe strain.

I can relate to the 25 day figure, that's how long it took to process mine. I can understand that throwing more staff at the matter won't help, mainly because of training time. There is, I believe, a software solution to all of this, Business Rules.

Now then, granted, I can accept that someone needs to type all this stuff in (the form isn't short) but the domain rules don't change all that much from year to year, so business rules would speed up the main bulk of the process. Then human time could be used in something useful like helping claimants gain the skills to either find work or set up something on their own.

That could lead me on to another conversation about Invest Northern Ireland.....