John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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129. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the total number of applicants in 2016 for carer's allowance, disability allowance, domiciliary care allowance, invalidity pensions and illness benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6422/17]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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130. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the total number of applications refused in 2016 for carer's allowance, disability allowance, domiciliary care allowance, invalidity pensions and illness benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6423/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 130 together.

The table shows the number of applications received and the number of applications disallowed for carer's allowance (CA), disability allowance (DA), domiciliary care allowance (DCA), invalidity pensions (INVP) and illness benefit (IB) in 2016. The grounds for disallowing an application for one of these schemes include a failure to satisfy the statutory conditions regarding means, medical criteria, level of care provided or social insurance contributions (this latter only in the case of invalidity pension).

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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131. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the total number of applications appealed on refusal in 2016 for carer's allowance, disability allowance, domiciliary care allowance, invalidity pensions and illness benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6424/17]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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132. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the total number of applications successfully appealed in 2016 for carer's allowance, disability allowance, domiciliary care allowance, invalidity pensions and illness benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6425/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 132 together.

The table provides the details which have been requested by the Deputy in relation to appeal receipts and successful appeal outcomes during 2016 for carer's allowance, disability allowance, domiciliary care allowance, invalidity pension and illness benefit.

The number of carer’s allowance appeals received during 2016 (3,887) increased by 21.9% when compared with the equivalent figure for appeals relating to that scheme in 2015 (3,188). However, there was a downward trend in appeal receipts between 2015 and 2016 in all of the other schemes mentioned by the Deputy: 4,912 disability allowance appeals were received during 2016 compared with 6,435 received in 2015; 1,198 domiciliary care allowance appeals were received in 2016 (1,258 in 2015); 1,362 invalidity pension appeals were received in 2016 (1,857 in 2015); and 819 illness benefit appeals were received in 2016 (1,204 in 2015).

In terms of the outcome of the appeals in question which were determined during 2016, some 64.4% of Carer’s Allowance appeals had a favourable outcome i.e. were either allowed or partially allowed by an Appeals Officer, or revised in favour of the appellant by the Department’s Deciding Officer or Designated Person in light of the appeal contentions and evidence adduced in support of the appeal. Some 72.1% of disability allowance appeals determined during 2016 had a successful outcome; as had 80.5% of domiciliary care allowance appeals; 80.6% of invalidity pension appeals and 54.8% of illness benefit appeals determined during 2016.

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. This was the case in some 34.4% of the 8,967 appeals which had a favourable outcome in 2016 in respect of the above schemes. Where the decision is not revised in the Department in light of the appeal contentions, further evidence is often provided by the appellant as the appeal process proceeds. In addition, the Appeals Officer may gain insights when they meet the appellant in person at oral hearing which may also influence the outcome of the appeal.

Appeals Received and Finalised 1 January 2016 – 31 December 2016