Written answers

Thursday, 13 October 2011

Department of Social Protection

Social Welfare Appeals

2:00 pm

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 11: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the year on year increase in social welfare appeals from 2008, 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011; and the number of additional staff who have been transferred to the social welfare appeals office. [29136/11]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The year on year increase in social welfare appeals, requested by the Deputy are as set out in the table. Overall, appeals increased from 14,070 in 2007 to 32,432 in 2010. However, at 30 September 2011 the number of appeals received since the beginning of the year is 2,172 less than the numbers received in the same period in 2010. In April of this year the Department appointed 9 additional Appeals Officers who augmented the 3 appointments made to the Office in 2010 and brought the total number of appeals officers serving in the Office to 29. In addition, since July 2010, 8 retired appeals officers, equating to a further 3 full-time officers, have been assisting on a strictly part-time basis with the backlogs of appeals and it is intended that they will be employed until the end of the year.

I am assured by the Chief Appeals Officer that she is keeping the methods of operation by which the Social Welfare Appeals Office conducts its business under constant review, and that the processes are continuously being enhanced to reduce the backlogs in the Office and, overall, to reduce the processing times for dealing with appeals. In that regard some 3,000 cases, registered prior to 31/12/10, have been ring-fenced and a team of 10 of the Office's most experienced appeals officers have been freed from all other work in the Office and will concentrate on clearing this backlog. This project commenced on July 1st. Also, some 70% of appeals cases are now decided by way of summary decision which because of the logistics involved in organizing oral hearings, greatly reduces the overall processing times.

As a result of the various initiatives taken, 18,236 decisions were made by appeals officers in the first nine months of 2011, in comparison to 12,692 for the same period in 2010 and the backlog of cases awaiting determination has reduced from 20,274 at the beginning of the year to 17,651 at 30th September 2011.

Table:

Year on Year increase in appeals 2008 – September 2011

20083,733
20098,130
20106,469
2011*-2,172

*Figures as at 30 September 2011 as compared to the position at September 2010

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.