Written answers

Tuesday, 30 January 2018

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times

Photo of Fiona O'LoughlinFiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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585. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to set out the number of weeks persons are currently waiting for a decision to be made for an appeal to social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4087/18]

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The average appeal processing times for all appeals determined from 2015 to 2017 broken down by all social welfare scheme types is outlined in the following tables.

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, 26.4 weeks and summary decisions taking 19.8 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 and working with the Department to reduce time in submitting appeal files.

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.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Appeals Processing Times by Scheme 01/01/2015 – 31/12/2015

-Average processing times (weeks)

Summary Decisions
Average processing

times (weeks)

Oral Hearings
Blind Person’s Pension21.130.7
Carers Allowance20.625.9
Carers Benefit19.721.8
Child Benefit24.834.7
Disability Allowance15.821.4
Illness Benefit26.333.1
Partial Capacity Benefit25.743.4
Domiciliary Care Allowance21.728.7
Deserted Wives Benefit19.726.2
Deserted Wives Allowance-16.2
Farm Assist21.028.6
Bereavement Grant65.726.0
Death Benefit (Pension)-22.6
Family Income Supplement19.427.7
Invalidity Pension26.228.4
Liable Relatives22.831.2
Maternity Benefit22.617.5
One Parent Family Payment22.933.9
State Pension (Contributory)26.046.0
State Pension (Non-Contributory)20.430.8
State Pension (Transition)80.153.4
Occupational Injury Benefit20.335.0
Disablement Pension23.735.3
Incapacity Supplement41.251.5
Guardian's Payment (Con)18.227.5
Guardian's Payment (Non-Con)18.731.0
Jobseeker's Allowance (Means)15.826.0
Jobseeker's Allowance15.221.9
JA/JB Fraud Control -46.1
BTW Family Dividend14.1-
Jobseeker's Transitional12.921.3
Recoverable Benefits & Assistance21.030.3
Jobseeker's Benefit14.321.2
Pre-Retirement Allowance15.0-
Treatment Benefit17.9-
Carer’s Support Grant *21.223.6
Insurability of Employment47.669.4
Supplementary Welfare Allowance13.123.5
Survivor's Pension (Con)24.146.6
Survivor's Pension (Non-con)23.738.3
Widows Parent Grant18.4-
All Appeals18.125.5
* 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 Pension18.233.8
Carers Allowance17.621.6
Carers Benefit20.722.4
Child Benefit22.138.2
Disability Allowance14.620.1
Illness Benefit27.234.3
Partial Capacity Benefit27.333.6
Domiciliary Care Allowance24.330.6
Deserted Wives Benefit13.032.8
Farm Assist21.926.0
Bereavement Grant23.1-
Death Benefit (Pension)19.7-
Liable Relatives14.016.9
Family Income Supplement20.425.5
Invalidity Pension21.328.2
Maternity Benefit18.921.7
One Parent Family Payment21.731.9
State Pension (Contributory)25.645.9
State Pension (Non-Contributory)22.732.9
State Pension (Transition)67.761.3
Occupational Injury Benefit25.031.9
Disablement Pension25.826.8
Incapacity Supplement27.750.9
Guardian's Payment (Con)15.824.5
Guardian's Payment (Non-Con)18.423.3
Jobseeker's Allowance (Means)16.725.5
Jobseeker's Allowance16.020.9
BTW Family Dividend21.0-
Jobseeker's Transitional19.022.3
Recoverable Benefits & Assistance32.531.6
Jobseeker's Benefit16.027.2
Treatment Benefit17.1-
Carer’s Support Grant *18.123.3
Insurability of Employment36.685.7
Supplementary Welfare Allowance15.024.1
Survivor's Pension (Con)16.628.8
Survivor's Pension (Non-con)18.423.4
Widows Parent Grant23.563.8
All Appeals17.624.1
* Previously called Respite Care Grant

Appeal Processing Times by Scheme 01 January 2017- 31 December 2017

-Average processing times (weeks)

Summary Decisions
Average processing

times (weeks)

Oral Hearings
Adoptive Benefit13.4-
Blind Person’s Pension 20.124.4
Carers Allowance21.724.0
Carers Benefit17.821.3
Child Benefit22.832.4
Disability Allowance17.324.1
Illness Benefit28.030.6
Partial Capacity Benefit33.335.7
Domiciliary Care Allowance27.234.4
Deserted Wifes Benefit13.127.7
Farm Assist20.725.8
Bereavement Grant15.1-
Family Income Supplement22.934.6
Invalidity Pension16.923.7
Liable Relatives25.324.0
Maternity Benefit18.819.3
Paternity Benefit18.3-
One Parent Family Payment26.134.7
State Pension (Contributory)32.145.7
State Pension (Non-Contributory)25.935.3
State Pension (Transition)60.4-
Occupational Injury Benefit20.026.4
Disablement Pension25.028.3
OIB-Medical Care-27.3
Incapacity Supplement47.837.2
Guardian's Payment (Con)23.727.0
Guardian's Payment (Non-Con)16.023.1
Jobseeker's Allowance (Means)19.627.3
Jobseeker's Allowance18.324.8
BTW Family Dividend19.827.5
Jobseeker's Transitional22.123.2
Recoverable Benefits & Assistance27.4-
Jobseeker's Benefit20.624.2
Carer’s Support Grant *18.525.6
Treatment Benefit14.0-
Insurability of Employment42.890.4
Supplementary Welfare Allowance16.425.8
Survivor's Pension (Con)23.044.7
Survivor's Pension (Non-con)23.324.7
Widowed Parent Grant19.5-
All Appeals19.826.4
* Previously called Respite Care Grant

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