Written answers
Wednesday, 29 November 2017
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Social Welfare Appeals Delays
Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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60. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to address the significant time delays for the appeals process in relation to social protection payments which can take six months to be completed. [50504/17]
Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Significant efforts and resources have been devoted to reforming the appeal process in recent years. As a result, appeal processing times improved between 2011 and 2016 from 52.5 weeks for an oral hearing in 2011 to 24.1 weeks in 2016 and from 25.1 weeks for a summary decision in 2011 to 17.6 weeks in 2016. I understand from the Chief Appeals Officer that there has been a slight increase in processing times in 2017 with oral hearings taking, on average, 26 weeks and summary decisions taking 20 weeks to finalise. A number of factors have contributed to the increase including the retirement of six experienced Appeals Officers during the first half of 2017. However, she is hopeful that processing times will improve as a number of newly appointed Officers gain experience in their roles.Specific actions taken to reduce processing times include: liaising with HR to ensure that vacancies are filled quickly; ensuring that training is given to new Appeals Officers as early as possible; working with the Department to reduce time in submitting appeal files; and a restructuring of the mechanism for recording appeal decisions.
It is open to an appellant to claim supplementary welfare allowance pending the outcome of their appeal if their means are insufficient to meet their needs.
The Chief Appeals Officer assures me that processing times are a priority. However, the drive for efficiency must be balanced with the competing demand to ensure that decisions are consistent and of high quality.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Appeal Processing Times by Scheme 01 January 2017- 31 October 2017
| Average processing times (weeks) Summary Decisions | Average processing times (weeks) Oral Hearings | |
|---|---|---|
| Adoptive Benefit | 13.4 | - |
| Blind Person’s Pension | 20.4 | 24.4 |
| Carers Allowance | 21.3 | 23.7 |
| Carers Benefit | 16.3 | 21.2 |
| Child Benefit | 22.3 | 32.1 |
| Disability Allowance | 18.4 | 23.4 |
| Illness Benefit | 27.3 | 30.3 |
| Partial Capacity Benefit | 35.1 | 28.1 |
| Domiciliary Care Allowance | 26.0 | 32.6 |
| Deserted Wifes Benefit | 13.1 | 15.7 |
| Farm Assist | 21.0 | 25.7 |
| Bereavement Grant | 15.1 | - |
| Death Benefit (Pension) | 102.10 | - |
| Family Income Supplement | 19.6 | 33.5 |
| Invalidity Pension | 16.1 | 23.8 |
| Liable Relatives | 18.8 | 24.1 |
| Maternity Benefit | 18.8 | 19.4 |
| Paternity Benefit | 22.7 | - |
| One Parent Family Payment | 25.2 | 34.8 |
| State Pension (Contributory) | 30.7 | 46.9 |
| State Pension (Non-Contributory) | 25.3 | 34.1 |
| State Pension (Transition) | 81.1 | - |
| Occupational Injury Benefit | 19.5 | 26.4 |
| Disablement Pension | 24.9 | 28.8 |
| Medical Care | - | 27.3 |
| Incapacity Supplement | 54.2 | 37.2 |
| Guardian's Payment (Con) | 25.3 | 25.1 |
| Guardian's Payment (Non-Con) | 15.2 | 23.4 |
| Jobseeker's Allowance (Means) | 19.1 | 26.8 |
| Jobseeker's Allowance | 17.4 | 24.7 |
| BTW Family Dividend | 19.9 | 27.5 |
| Jobseeker's Transitional | 22.5 | 24.7 |
| Recoverable Benefits & Assistance | 27.8 | - |
| Jobseeker's Benefit | 20.0 | 23.2 |
| Carer’s Support Grant * | 17.8 | 25.2 |
| Treatment Benefit | 14.0 | - |
| Insurability of Employment | 36.9 | 91.3 |
| Supplementary Welfare Allowance | 16.5 | 25.2 |
| Survivor's Pension (Con) | 22.9 | 34.1 |
| Survivor's Pension (Non-con) | 20.4 | 24.1 |
| Widowed Parent Grant | 14.1 | - |
| All Appeals | 20.0 | 26.0 |
* Previously called Respite Care Grant
Appeal Processing Times by Scheme 01/01/2016 – 31/12/2016
| Average processing times (weeks) Summary Decisions | Average processing times (weeks) Oral Hearings | |
|---|---|---|
| Blind Person’s Pension | 18.2 | 33.8 |
| Carers Allowance | 17.6 | 21.6 |
| Carers Benefit | 20.7 | 22.4 |
| Child Benefit | 22.1 | 38.2 |
| Disability Allowance | 14.6 | 20.1 |
| Illness Benefit | 27.2 | 34.3 |
| Partial Capacity Benefit | 27.3 | 33.6 |
| Domiciliary Care Allowance | 24.3 | 30.6 |
| Deserted Wives Benefit | 13.0 | 32.8 |
| Farm Assist | 21.9 | 26.0 |
| Bereavement Grant | 23.1 | - |
| Death Benefit (Pension) | 19.7 | - |
| Liable Relatives | 14.0 | 16.9 |
| Family Income Supplement | 20.4 | 25.5 |
| Invalidity Pension | 21.3 | 28.2 |
| Maternity Benefit | 18.9 | 21.7 |
| One Parent Family Payment | 21.7 | 31.9 |
| State Pension (Contributory) | 25.6 | 45.9 |
| State Pension (Non-Contributory) | 22.7 | 32.9 |
| State Pension (Transition) | 67.7 | 61.3 |
| Occupational Injury Benefit | 25.0 | 31.9 |
| Disablement Pension | 25.8 | 26.8 |
| Incapacity Supplement | 27.7 | 50.9 |
| Guardian's Payment (Con) | 15.8 | 24.5 |
| Guardian's Payment (Non-Con) | 18.4 | 23.3 |
| Jobseeker's Allowance (Means) | 16.7 | 25.5 |
| Jobseeker's Allowance | 16.0 | 20.9 |
| BTW Family Dividend | 21.0 | - |
| Jobseeker's Transitional | 19.0 | 22.3 |
| Recoverable Benefits & Assistance | 32.5 | 31.6 |
| Jobseeker's Benefit | 16.0 | 27.2 |
| Treatment Benefit | 17.1 | - |
| Carer’s Support Grant * | 18.1 | 23.3 |
| Insurability of Employment | 36.6 | 85.7 |
| Supplementary Welfare Allowance | 15.0 | 24.1 |
| Survivor's Pension (Con) | 16.6 | 28.8 |
| Survivor's Pension (Non-con) | 18.4 | 23.4 |
| Widows Parent Grant | 23.5 | 63.8 |
| All Appeals | 17.6 | 24.1 |
* Previously called Respite Care Grant
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