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Invalidity Pension Application Numbers

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 February 2014

Tuesday, 4 February 2014

Ceisteanna (324)

Patrick Nulty

Ceist:

324. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, the number of applications for invalidity pension received in her Department in 2009-2013, inclusive; the number of these applications that were refused; the number of these refusals that were subject to an appeal; the number of these appeals that were successful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5155/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Invalidity Pension claim intake has increased substantially from 2011. This resulted in initial claim processing backlogs which my Department have cleared over the last two years. An outcome of this level is claim clearance is the resulting higher than normal volume of reviews and appeals which have and are been processed by the Department.

Table 1 below shows the number of claims received, awarded and disallowed in the period requested. Unfortunately, it is not possible to identify, of the number awarded, how many were awarded in the first instance and how many were awarded following deciding officer review or appeal. Table 2 shows the data in respect of appeals received and decided in the same period, as reported by the Social Welfare Appeals Office.

Table 1. Invalidity Pension Claims Processed 2009 to 2013

Year

Received

Awarded

Disallowed

Total decided

2009

7475

4580

2933

7513

2010

8774

3445*

3411*

7614

2011

14621

2107#

4697#

12829

2012

11510

6352

11423

17775

2013

9640

9494

9298

18792

* Breakdown for period January 2010 - November 2010 inclusive

# Breakdown for period June 2011 - December 2011 inclusive

A breakdown of Invalidity claims awarded and disallowed is not available from December 2010-June 2011. A dual payments system was in operation from December 2010 until all claims were migrated onto a new computer platform in May 2011.

Invalidity Pension Appeals – 2009 -2012

Year

Opening Balance

Appeals Lodged

Revised Deciding Officer Decision(*)

Total Decided by Appeals Office

Appeals Allowed

Appeals Partly Allowed

Appeals Disallowed

Appeals Withdrawn

Closing Balance

2009

310

642

82

403

243

1

136

23

467

2010

467

1,024

185

694

341

6

314

33

612

2011

612

2,285

345

970

408

6

489

67

1,582

2012

1,582

4,765

474

1,517

1,031

4

430

52

4,356

2013

4,356

4,501

2,243

4,665

3,336

18

1,311

60

1,889

(*) Where a person has received a decision to disallow a payment, it is open to them to ask for a review by a deciding officer. These figures reflect those cases where a disallowed claim was revised on review by a deciding officer prior to determination by an Appeals Officer. Generally these cases arise where a person submits additional information, not already considered, in support of their claim following a decision to disallow.

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