Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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288. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the current waiting time for processing carer's allowance appeals in the social protection appeals office; the assistance available to persons who are providing full time care without any social protection payment during this time; the efforts he will make to reduce the waiting times in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19099/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the current average processing time for carer’s allowance appeals determined following an oral hearing is 22.4 weeks and 18.2 weeks for carer’s allowance appeals determined summarily.

Where claimants have been refused a payment and are appealing the decision, if their means are insufficient to meet their needs pending the outcome of the appeal, it is open to them to apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance in the interim. If their application for Supplementary Welfare Allowance is not successful, they can also appeal that decision. Supplementary Welfare Allowance appeals are prioritised for attention within the Social Welfare Appeals Office as soon as the appeal file and submission are received from the Department.

The unprecedented increase in overall appeal receipts since 2009 placed considerable pressure on the appeals office and impacted adversely on processing times. The number of appeals received increased from an average of 15,000 per year up to 2009, to a peak of 35,500 in 2012, reducing annually thereafter to just below 25,000 in 2015.

Significant effort and resources have been devoted to reforming the appeals process in recent years:

- Additional appeals officers were appointed to the office

- An overhaul of the operating model was undertaken

- New technology to support appeals officers was introduced

- Work was undertaken with the Department to reduce delays in responding to requests from the appeals office for appeal submissions.

This resulted in a marked improvement in overall appeal processing times. The average time taken to determine an appeal requiring an oral hearing reduced from 52.5 weeks in 2011 to 25.5 weeks in 2015 and the average time taken to finalise an appeal decided by way of a summary decision dropped from 25.1 weeks in 2011 to 18.1 weeks in 2015. This downward trend in overall appeal processing times has continued to date in 2016 to 23.9 weeks for an oral hearing and 17.2 weeks for a summary decision.

The improvement is also reflected in processing times for carer’s allowance appeals where the average time taken to determine a carer’s allowance appeal requiring an oral hearing reduced from 57.9 weeks in 2011 to 25.5 weeks in 2015 and to 22.4 weeks to date in 2016. The average time taken to finalise a carer’s allowance appeal decided by way of a summary decision has reduced from 31.3 weeks in 2011 to 20.6 weeks in 2015 and to 18.2 weeks to date in 2016.

The quasi-judicial nature of the appeals system means that there are inevitable time-lags involved. The system is designed to be flexible and fair and allows for review and submission of further information up to and including the oral hearing. The time taken is proportionate to the complexity of many of the issues under appeal, which require a high level of judgement and often involve complex legal questions.

A number of elements within the process are time-consuming including the need to ensure due process, natural justice and compliance with the statutory obligation to obtain the Department’s appeal submission. If an oral hearing is requested by the appellant or is required to resolve conflicts, the processing time is prolonged

The Chief Appeals Officer assures me that appeals processing times are continuously monitored and that, although significant progress has been made in reducing appeal processing times in recent years, continued improvement in this area remains a priority.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.