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Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 May 2014

Thursday, 8 May 2014

Questions (100, 102, 103)

Sandra McLellan

Question:

100. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current waiting times for carer's allowance appeals to be processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20637/14]

View answer

Sandra McLellan

Question:

102. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current waiting times for invalidity pension appeals to be processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20639/14]

View answer

Sandra McLellan

Question:

103. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current waiting times for supplementary welfare allowance appeals to be processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20643/14]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 100, 102 and 103 together.

I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the current average times taken to process carer's allowance appeals decided by summary decision is 32.7 weeks and 36 weeks for those requiring an oral hearing. The current average times taken to process invalidity pension appeals decided by summary decision is 31.2 weeks and 42.2 weeks for those requiring an oral hearing. The current average time taken to process supplementary allowance appeals decided by summary decision is 15.2 weeks and 21.3 weeks for those requiring an oral hearing.

The workload of the appeals office has increased dramatically in recent years. Up to 2009 the average number of appeals received was 15,000 per annum, whereas in 2012 the number of appeals received peaked at 35,484, reducing to 32,777 appeals in 2013. This has placed considerable pressure on the office.

Significant effort and resources have been devoted to reforming the appeals process to manage this increased workload, reduce backlogs and improve appeals processing times for appellants, while, at the same time, recognising the need to ensure that quality and fairness are not compromised. An additional 15 Appeals Officers have been assigned to the office over the past three years, in addition to 10 former Community Welfare Service Appeals Officers who joined the appeals office in 2011, bringing the total number to 41. In addition, a new operating model has been introduced in the appeals office.

These measures have achieved significant improvements. The number of appeals cases processed in 2013 increased by 18%, to over 38,400. The average processing time for appeals peaked in 2011 when the average time for an oral hearing was 52.5 weeks and for a summary decision was 25.1 weeks. In 2012 the average time for an oral hearing dropped to 39.5 weeks and the time for a summary decision increased slightly to 27.8 weeks. This overall improvement has continued in 2013 with the processing time reducing to 33.9 weeks for an oral hearing and 25.8 weeks for a summary decision, and in 2014 with the processing time reducing to 29.7 weeks for an oral hearing and 22.6 weeks for a summary decision.

Appeal processing times are calculated from the registration date of the appeal to the date of its finalisation and include all activities during this period including time spent awaiting clarification from the appellant, time in the Department for comments by the Deciding Officer and further investigation or medical examination, if deemed necessary.

In addition to improvements in processing times, the measures which have been introduced in the appeals office have also led to a significant increase in the number of appeals finalised in recent years from 17,787 in 2009 to 38,421 in 2013. An additional 5,863 appeals were finalised in 2013 compared to 2012. Good progress also continues to be made in reducing the number of appeals on hands from 20,414 at 1 January 2013 to 13,374 at 6 May 2014.

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