Social Welfare Appeals Data

Tuesday, 20 February 2018

Ceisteanna (583)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

583. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of decisions in respect of various refusals for payments that have been overturned on appeal in the past four years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8819/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

I understand the Deputy’s question relates to the outcome of appeals made to the Social Welfare Appeals Office over the past four years.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

The tables below provide the details which have been requested by the Deputy from 2014 to 2017.

Overall, 60.1% of the 18,980 appeals which were finalised in 2017 had a favourable outcome for the appellant, i.e. were either allowed in full or in part, or resolved by way of a revised decision by a Deciding Officer/Designated Person. The equivalent figures for the previous years were 2016 (59.2%), 2015 (58.8%) and 2014 (56.5%).

There are a number of reasons why a decision which was refused at first instance might be successful on appeal and it is not necessarily the case that the first decision was wrong.

Where new evidence is provided with an appeal the original decision may be revised by the Deciding Officer or Designated Person as was the case in some 37 per cent of favourable appeal outcomes in both 2017 and 2016, some 35% in 2015 and some 30% in 2014. Where the decision was not revised in the Department in light of the appeal contentions, further evidence is often provided by the appellant as the appeal process proceeds and in addition, the Appeals Officer may gain insights when they meet the appellant in person at oral hearing which may influence the outcome of the appeal.

Decisions concerning entitlement to a social welfare payment or insurability of employment often require a high level of judgment and may involve complex legal questions. The Courts have found that decision makers are required to be free and unrestricted in discharging their functions.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Outcome of Appeals by Category 2014

	Revised DO Decision	Allowed	Partially Allowed	Disallowed	Withdrawn
State Pension (Non- Contributory)	64	64	23	162	19
State Pension (Contributory)	22	36	5	112	7
State Pension (Transition)	4	4	1	19	2
Survivor’s Pension (Contributory)	4	17	4	33	1
Bereavement Grant	12	2	-	71	1
Jobseeker’s Allowance – Payments	395	775	129	1,450	229
Jobseeker’s Allowance-Means	454	439	176	1,708	295
One Parent Family Payment	173	165	29	245	141
Survivor’s Pension (Non-Con)	8	6	4	8	5
Deserted Wife’s Allowance	1	-	-	1	-
Supplementary Welfare Allowance	462	852	128	1,496	295
Farm Assist	46	57	30	113	42
Pre-Retirement Allowance	1	-	-	1	-
Jobseeker’s Benefit	173	218	46	473	83
Deserted Wife’s Benefit	-	2	-	1	2
Maternity Benefit	6	5	-	16	-
Adoptive Benefit	-	-	-	1	-
Treatment Benefits	-	-	-	2	-
Partial Capacity Benefit	17	27	4	37	8
Disability Allowance	671	3,860	100	2,010	90
Blind Pension	3	7	1	15	-
Carer’s Allowance	463	1,240	177	1,451	55
Domiciliary Care Allowance	506	701	24	334	10
Carers Support Grant	21	61	1	64	9
Illness Benefit	596	247	20	311	385
Injury Benefit	1	4	-	9	1
Invalidity Pension	584	2,133	15	747	43
Disablement Benefit	59	111	19	212	6
Incapacity Supplement	8	10	1	6	3
Medical Care	2	2	-	-	1
Carer’s Benefit	42	37	4	43	8
Child Benefit	184	110	40	346	17
Family Income Supplement	289	94	15	141	13
Guardian’s Payment (Non-Contributory)	3	9	1	5	2
Guardian’s Payment (Contributory)	7	16	2	23	1
Widowed Parent Grant	-	3	-	11	-
Insurability	20	13	4	62	17
Liable Relative’s	5	-	-	12	33
TOTAL APPEALS: 31,211	5,306	11,327	1,003	11,751	1,824

table contd.

Outcome of Appeals by Category 2015

	Revised DO Decision	Allowed	Partially Allowed	Disallowed	Withdrawn
State Pension (Non- Contributory)	54	61	27	145	30
State Pension (Contributory)	48	36	5	113	10
State Pension (Transition)	-	-	2	6	-
Survivor’s Pension (Contributory)	1	7	1	21	1
Death Benefit	-	-	-	1	-
Bereavement Grant	3	1	-	19	-
Jobseeker’s Allowance – Payments	260	536	116	972	175
Jobseeker’s Transitional	8	1	1	5	6
Jobseeker’s Allowance-Means	299	284	108	1,336	229
One Parent Family Payment	84	112	18	138	57
Survivor’s Pension (Non-Con)	8	4	1	11	1
Deserted Wife’s Allowance	1	1	-	-	-
Supplementary Welfare Allowance	373	634	77	1,069	177
Farm Assist	29	30	15	89	22
Pre-Retirement Allowance	-	-	1	-	-
Jobseeker’s Benefit	120	160	38	317	53
Deserted Wife’s Benefit	1	7	7	2	1
Maternity Benefit	19	3	1	27	1
Homemakers	-	-	-	1	-
Treatment Benefits	-	-	-	1	-
Partial Capacity Benefit	7	13	-	13	5
Disability Allowance	1,443	3,384	85	1,751	77
Blind Pension	1	6	-	10	1
Carer’s Allowance	579	1,352	155	1,355	50
Domiciliary Care Allowance	313	571	40	226	8
Carers Support Grant	43	33	2	56	4
Illness Benefit	508	199	16	211	286
Injury Benefit	9	11	-	26	3
Invalidity Pension	511	1,135	17	421	37
Disablement Benefit	43	105	20	180	3
Incapacity Supplement	6	7	-	4	-
Medical Care	3	-	-	-	14
Carer’s Benefit	52	25	5	27	1
Child Benefit	172	83	35	331	11
Family Income Supplement	167	88	8	141	10
Back To Work Family Dividend	9	1	-	14	3
Guardian’s Payment (Non-Cont)	4	10	1	5	-
Guardian’s Payment (Contributory)	11	15	3	18	1
Widowed Parent Grant	-	-	-	7	-
Insurability	5	20	-	71	11
Liable Relative’s	4	-	-	22	5
Recoverable Benefits & Assistance	2	4	2	5	-
TOTAL APPEALS: 25,406	5,200	8,939	807	9,167	1,293

Outcome of Appeals by Category 2016

	Revised DO Decision	Allowed By AO	Partially Allowed By AO	Disallowed	Withdrawn
State Pension (Non- Contributory)	81	76	30	166	30
State Pension (Contributory)	56	33	13	201	9
State Pension (Transition)	-	1	1	2	1
Widow’s/Widower’s Pension (Contributory)	7	12	5	34	2
Death Benefit	-	-	-	1	-
Bereavement Grant	-	1	-	1	-
Jobseeker’s Allowance - Payments	324	525	98	945	141
Jobseeker’s Transitional	6	12	1	15	5
Jobseeker’s Allowance -Means	338	287	120	1,216	198
One Parent Family Payment	59	89	27	121	51
Widow’s/Widower’s Pension (Non-Contributory)	1	5	1	14	1
Supplementary Welfare Allowance	346	532	75	923	156
Farm Assist	45	31	29	94	16
Jobseeker’s Benefit	155	151	40	304	54
Deserted Wife’s Benefit	-	5	1	4	1
Maternity Benefit	12	17	1	60	1
Treatment Benefits	-	-	-	6	-
Partial Capacity Benefit	7	9	-	16	3
Disability Allowance	815	2,830	88	1,367	75
Blind Pension	2	5	1	11	-
Carer’s Allowance	815	1,375	145	1,237	52
Domiciliary Care Allowance	469	596	18	250	11
Respite Care Allowance	56	37	2	49	7
Illness Benefit	341	136	5	168	230
Injury Benefit	13	13	1	30	2
Invalidity Pension	642	682	10	302	18
Disablement Benefit	45	140	13	164	9
Incapacity Supplement	5	1	1	7	-
Medical Care	2	-	-	-	1
Carer’s Benefit	32	11	3	23	2
Child Benefit	190	68	29	295	19
Family Income Supplement	177	125	18	135	15
Back To Work Family Dividend	12	1	-	49	3
Guardian’s Payment (Non-Con)	3	10	1	5	1
Guardian’s Payment (Contributory)	4	16	1	20	1
Widowed Parent Grant	2	-	-	8	1
Insurability	20	30	4	72	13
Liable Relative’s	12	-	-	9	-
Recoverable Benefits & Assistance	6	9	1	12	1
TOTAL APPEALS: 23,220	5,100	7,871	783	8,336	1,130

Outcome of Appeals by Category 2017

	Revised DO Decision	Allowed	Partially Allowed	Disallowed	Withdrawn
State Pension (Non- Contributory)	78	75	34	128	28
State Pension (Contributory)	76	35	12	218	13
State Pension (Transition)	-	1	-	2	-
Survivor’s Pension (Contributory)	7	8	-	15	1
Death Benefit	-	-	-	1	-
Bereavement Grant	-	1	-	-	-
Jobseeker’s Allowance – Payments	309	349	66	665	184
Jobseeker’s Transitional	10	10	4	6	7
Jobseeker’s Allowance-Means	264	187	82	708	212
One Parent Family Payment	54	67	19	67	50
Survivor’s Pension (Non-Con)	3	7	4	9	0
Supplementary Welfare Allowance	229	304	34	602	180
Farm Assist	28	22	18	60	14
Pre-Retirement Allowance	1	-	-	-	-
Jobseeker’s Benefit	117	83	21	206	52
Deserted Wife’s Benefit	-	2	1	2	-
Maternity Benefit	8	10	3	49	1
Paternity Benefit	3	1	-	3	1
Adoptive Benefit	-	-	-	2	-
Treatment Benefits	-	-	-	1	-
Partial Capacity Benefit	11	15	1	14	4
Disability Allowance	563	2,975	70	1,211	115
Blind Pension	3	1	1	7	3
Carer’s Allowance	780	1,204	161	1,199	72
Domiciliary Care Allowance	343	297	10	135	16
Carers Support Grant	45	35	2	72	1
Illness Benefit	140	118	8	189	59
Injury Benefit	2	3	-	27	6
Invalidity Pension	691	365	7	262	23
Disablement Benefit	30	86	19	109	6
Incapacity Supplement	3	3	1	3	-
Medical Care	1	-	--	1	-
Carer’s Benefit	39	23	2	37	3
Child Benefit	154	68	23	178	15
Family Income Supplement	267	76	15	130	15
Back To Work Family Dividend	4	7	-	25	5
Guardian’s Payment (Non-Contributory)	2	5	1	7	-
Guardian’s Payment (Contributory)	4	13	2	14	-
Widowed Parent Grant	-	-	-	2	-
Insurability	11	34	4	37	53
Liable Relative’s	-	-	4	11	2
Recoverable Benefits & Assistance	3	3	-	20	-
TOTAL APPEALS: 18,980	4,283	6,493	629	6,434	1,141