Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
697. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection the current average waiting time and longest waiting time for social welfare claims, and separately, for claim appeals; the steps her Department is taking to reduce the backlog of appeals of social welfare claims and the waiting times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47261/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision-making functions.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that significant efforts and resources have been devoted to improvements in the appeal process in recent years. As a result, average appeal processing times have generally improved between 2018 and 2022 from 30.0 weeks for an oral hearing in 2018 to 26.0 weeks in 2022, and from 24.8 weeks for a summary decision in 2018 to 15.0 weeks in 2022. The average time for all appeals finalised in 2022 was 14.9 weeks.
The current processing times for appeals from 1st January 2023 to the 31st October 2023 are 29.5 weeks for an oral hearing and 17.5 weeks for a summary decision.
The desire to process appeals quickly has to be balanced with the competing demand to ensure that decisions are consistent and of high quality and made in accordance with the legislative provisions and the general principles of fair procedures and natural justice.
All claim decisions taken by the Department’s Deciding Officers and Designated Persons are appealable to the Chief Appeals Officer. In any year about 85% of all claims are awarded by the Department and approximately 1% of all decisions are appealed. The Department endeavours to ensure that these cases are dealt with as quickly as possible. There is active engagement between the Appeals Office and the Department to ensure that the appeals process operates efficiently and that where the Deciding Officer's decision is not revised in favour of the appellant that the appeal file papers are provided as quickly as possible to the Appeals Office for consideration by an Appeals Officer.
Further improvements in appeals processing times are a priority for the Chief Appeals Officer. An Appeals Modernisation Project is in progress to develop and implement a new appeals business process, including a new IT system. The overall aim is an enhanced and responsive appeals service for appellants. The first stage of the new appeals system will be in operation by November 2023.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
