Written answers
Tuesday, 17 November 2015
Department of Social Protection
Invalidity Pension Appeals
Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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168. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection why a person (details supplied) in County Galway should be forced to await the processing of an appeal on an invalidity pension application since April 2015 and based on a conversation with the appeals section, it is quite feasible that this delay will extend to April 2016, which will leave the applicant in a state of uncertainly for a twelve month period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40569/15]
Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the Appeals Officer had referred the case back to a Social Welfare Inspector for further investigation and clarification of certain issues.
The average appeal processing time for 2014 and to date in 2015 broken down by all social welfare scheme types is outlined in the tables below.
Appeal processing times generally peaked in 2011 when the overall average time for an oral hearing was 52.5 weeks and 25.1 weeks for a summary decision. In 2014 average appeal processing times for an oral hearing had almost halved to 28.6 weeks and the average time taken to process appeals involving summary decisions had also significantly reduced to 21.1 weeks. This downward trend in overall appeal processing times has continued to date in 2015 to 25.9 weeks for an oral hearing and 18.3 weeks for a summary decision. Appeal processing times are closely monitored on an ongoing basis.
In the case of invalidity pension appeals the average appeal processing times for an oral hearing has more than halved from 58.9 weeks in 2011 to 28.3 weeks in 2015 and the average time taken to process invalidity pension appeals involving summary decisions has also reduced from 36.4 weeks in 2011 to 25.8 weeks in 2015.
The reduction in processing times reflects the significant resources which have been invested in the Social Welfare Appeals Office over the last number of years.
In addition the Department has undertaken a process of reform in many of its scheme areas aimed at reducing the time taken to respond to requests for submissions in relation to appeals. Appeal processing times are kept under continual review in the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
In addition to the improvement in processing times, these measures have also led to a significant reduction in the number of appeals on hand from 20,414 at 1 January 2013 to 9,454 at 9 November 2015.
Appeal processing times are calculated from the registration date of the appeal to the date of its finalisation. They include all activities during this period including time spent awaiting any clarification from the appellant, time in the Department for comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal put forward by the appellant, and any further investigation, examination or assessment by the Department’s Inspectors and Medical Assessors that is deemed necessary. The system is flexible and accessible and allows multiple reviews and submissions of fresh evidence at all stages.For logistical reasons the process takes longer when an oral hearing is required.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
Appeals processing times by scheme 01/01/2014 – 31/12/14
Scheme | Average processing times (weeks) Summary Decisions | Average processing times (weeks) Oral Hearings |
---|---|---|
Adoptive Benefit | 17.1 | - |
Blind Pension | 20.5 | 24.9 |
Carers Allowance | 30.1 | 34.4 |
Carers Benefit | 22.9 | 23.1 |
Child Benefit | 23.8 | 32.9 |
Disability Allowance | 20.8 | 26.7 |
Illness Benefit | 29.5 | 34.8 |
Domiciliary Care Allowance | 22.6 | 29.1 |
Deserted Wives Benefit | 64.7 | |
Deserted Wives Allowance | 41.8 | |
Farm Assist | 23.2 | 28.3 |
Bereavement Grant | 25.6 | 31.9 |
Family Income Supplement | 26.0 | 32.6 |
Invalidity Pension | 25.9 | 31.2 |
Liable Relatives | 21.5 | 33.2 |
One Parent Family Payment | 24.4 | 33.5 |
Maternity Benefit | 22.4 | 44.7 |
Partial Capacity Benefit | 48.5 | 48.5 |
State Pension (Contributory) | 25.2 | 41.9 |
State Pension (Non-Cont) | 20.3 | 29.4 |
State Pension (Transition) | 27.0 | 35.1 |
Occupational Injury Benefit | 33.6 | 33.7 |
Disablement Pension | 23.6 | 30.6 |
Occupational Injury Benefit (Medical) | 53.9 | |
Incapacity Supplement | 21.5 | 59.6 |
Guardian's Payment (Con) | 25.9 | 24.9 |
Guardian's Payment (Non-con) | 19.7 | 30.3 |
Pre Retirement Allowance | 17.3 | |
Jobseeker's Allowance (Means) | 18.1 | 27.5 |
Jobseeker's Allowance | 16.2 | 21.1 |
JA/JB Fraud Control | 12.1 | |
Jobseeker's Benefit | 16.7 | 21.1 |
Treatment Benefit | 20.8 | |
Respite Care Grant | 24.9 | 27.1 |
Insurability of Employment | 45.0 | 62.3 |
Supplementary Welfare Allowance | 14.4 | 22.1 |
Survivor's Pension (Con) | 20.2 | 32.5 |
Survivor's Pension (Non-Con) | 24.7 | 24.6 |
Widowed Parent Grant | 22.2 | |
All Appeals | 21.1 | 28.6 |
Appeals processing times by scheme 01/01/2015 – 31/10/2015
Scheme | Average processing times (weeks) Summary Decisions | Average processing times (weeks) Oral Hearings |
---|---|---|
Blind Pension | 21.1 | 35.2 |
Carers Allowance | 20.9 | 26.9 |
Carers Benefit | 20.0 | 22.4 |
Child Benefit | 24.9 | 35.5 |
Disability Allowance | 15.9 | 21.6 |
Illness Benefit | 25.9 | 33.6 |
Partial Capacity Benefit | 27.0 | 43.4 |
Domiciliary Care Allowance | 21.2 | 28.1 |
Deserted Wives Benefit | 19.7 | 24.9 |
Deserted Wives Allowance | 16.2 | |
Farm Assist | 19.3 | 29.7 |
Bereavement Grant | 65.7 | 26.0 |
Death Benefit (Pension) | 22.6 | |
Family Income Supplement | 20.3 | 27.3 |
Invalidity Pension | 25.8 | 28.3 |
Liable Relatives | 22.5 | 31.2 |
Maternity Benefit | 20.6 | 17.5 |
One Parent Family Payment | 23.5 | 34.8 |
State Pension (Contributory) | 25.9 | 48.2 |
State Pension (Non-Contributory) | 20.0 | 29.7 |
State Pension (Transition) | 80.1 | 53.4 |
Occupational Injury Benefit | 21.6 | 38.8 |
Disablement Pension | 23.8 | 33.2 |
Incapacity Supplement | 37.7 | 51.5 |
Guardian's Payment (Con) | 18.6 | 27.8 |
Guardian's Payment (Non-Con) | 18.9 | 31.0 |
Jobseeker's Allowance (Means) | 16.3 | 26.2 |
Jobseeker's Allowance | 15.6 | 21.7 |
JA/JB Fraud Control | 46.1 | |
BTW Family Dividend | 11.4 | |
Jobseeker's Transitional | 10.7 | - |
Recoverable Benefits & Assistance | 12.7 | - |
Jobseeker's Benefit | 14.8 | 21.9 |
Pre Retirement Allowance | 15.0 | |
Treatment Benefit | 17.9 | |
Respite Care Grant | 20.6 | 25.3 |
Insurability of Employment | 41.1 | 67.6 |
Supplementary Welfare Allowance | 13.2 | 24.2 |
Survivor's Pension (Con) | 29.9 | 25.9 |
Survivor's Pension (Non-con) | 23.7 | 38.3 |
Widows Parent Grant | 20.4 | |
All Appeals | 18.3 | 25.9 |
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