Written answers

Thursday, 20 February 2014

Department of Social Protection

Social Welfare Appeals Delays

Photo of Willie O'DeaWillie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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127. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason the file pertaining to a person (details supplied) on which an appeal was sought in September has not yet been provided to the appeals office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8627/14]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I confirm that the Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 16th July 2013 for two care recipients. Based upon all the evidence supplied in support of the application, a deciding officer decided that the care recipients in question were not medically eligible for carer’s allowance. A letter issued to the person in question on the 4th September 2013 notifying him of the decision to refuse the allowance and the reason(s) for it. The person concerned appealed this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office and submitted further medical evidence on two separate occasions, received in the department on the 29th October 2013 and the 20th November 2013 respectively. Where additional evidence not already seen by the deciding officer is submitted in conjunction with an appeal, it is customary that evidence is referred back to the deciding officer to see if it would have resulted in a different decision.

However, on this occasion, this information did not alter the opinion of the deciding officer and the decision remained unchanged. All the necessary papers were submitted to the Social Welfare Appeals Office for determination on the 18th February 2014. The Social Welfare Appeals Office will be in touch with the person directly regarding the progress of the appeal.

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