Social Welfare Appeals Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 June 2013

Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Questions (123)

Róisín Shortall

Question:

123. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applicants awaiting payment following successful appeals to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office; if she will provide an indication of the number of such applications per payment; and the measures her Department is taking to ensure that this backlog is dealt with in view of the fact that the majority of applicants who have already waited up to 12 months for a decision on their appeal are now being forced to wait months for further assessments to be carried out. [28309/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

My Department aims to process and pay as appropriate all successful appeals returned by the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO). In general, across schemes, there is no issue with implementing successful appeals.

However, in the disability allowance and invalidity pension scheme areas, temporary delays are currently being experienced by successful appellants. These delays are arising due to the large number of backlogged new claims that have been processed over the last year, resulting in high levels of appeals. There are approximately 1,000 cases across the two schemes, awaiting payment at present following successful appeals. Additional staff resources have been assigned to clear these appeals and it is envisaged that all cases will be actioned within the next 4 weeks.