Social Welfare Appeals.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 October 2004

Wednesday, 6 October 2004

Ceisteanna (56, 57, 58)

Billy Timmins

Ceist:

160 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the measures which are in place to reduce the number of appeals on hand and to shorten the average time taken to process appeals. [23389/04]

Jim O'Keeffe

Ceist:

180 Mr. J. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of appeals which are on hand in respect of each category of social welfare payment; the average time it is taking to process and complete the appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23388/04]

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

191 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of social welfare appeals in 2003; the rate of success for those who appealed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23307/04]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mr. Brennan)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 160, 180 and 191 together.

The number of appeals received during 2003 was 15,224 and the total disposed of in that year was 16,049. Of these, the number of appellants who received favourable outcomes was 7,034 or 44%. This total includes cases where the deciding officer revised the original decision in the light of new information furnished in the statement of appeal. A total of 56% of appeals lodged were unsuccessful and were either disallowed by an appeals officer or withdrawn. The number of appeals on which work was in progress at 31 August 2004 was 5,031. Over the past three years the number of appeals on hand has been reduced by a third. A breakdown of these cases, by appeal category, is set out below:

	Cases
Old Age and Retirement	272
Sickness and Disability	2,123
Occupational Injuries Benefits	313
Unemployment	978
Widows and One-Parent Family Payment.	782
Child Benefit	84
Carer’s Benefit and Allowances	238
Farm Assist	45
Supplementary Welfare Allowances	58
Insurability of Employment	105
Miscellaneous	33

Of the 15,224 new appeals registered in the Social Welfare Appeals Office during 2003 only 360 or 3% remained to be finalised at 31 August2004.

The average processing time for appeals closed in 2004 is 20 weeks. If the slowest 10% of appeals are excluded the average falls to 15 weeks. This covers all phases of appeals, including, where appropriate, examination by medical assessors of the Department, and oral hearings which are now afforded in approximately 70% of the cases determined by appeals officers.

There will always be some appeals which take a particularly long time to process, generally for reasons which are outside the control of the appeals office. For example, delays can occur if the appellant furnishes new evidence which requires investigation at a late stage in the proceedings or where adjournments are sought by the appellant and his/her representative.

The social welfare appeals system is judicial in nature and the procedures involved are designed to ensure that every appellant's case gets full and satisfactory consideration. While the achievement of further improvement in processing times is a major objective of the office, at all times it is necessary to ensure that progress in this regard is achieved in a manner that is not in conflict with or at a cost to the demands of justice and the requirement that every appeal be fully investigated and examined on all its merits.