Written answers
Thursday, 10 May 2018
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times
Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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294. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the wait time for case files to be forwarded to the appeals office for each social welfare payment section, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20758/18]
Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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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.
Article 10 of the Social Welfare (Appeals) Regulations 1998, provides that the Minister shall furnish to the Chief Appeals Officer a statement from the Deciding Officer, or on his/her behalf, showing to what extent the facts and contentions advanced by the appellant are accepted or rejected. This is provided along with all other relevant papers so that the appeal may be processed.
In the period January to April 2018 the overall average time for receipt by the Social Welfare Appeals Office of a submission from the Department was 10.2 weeks. The equivalent figure for the full year 2017 was 13.6 weeks.
The average time, in respect of each social welfare payment, for receipt by the Social Welfare Appeals Office of a submission from the Department in the period 1 January 2018 to April 2018 is set in the following table.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Table: Average time, in respect of each social welfare payment, for receipt by the Social Welfare Appeals Office of a submission from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in the period 1 January 2018 to April 2018
| Scheme | 1Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection - number of weeks |
|---|---|
| Blind Person’s Pension | 8.3 |
| Carer’s Allowance | 6.3 |
| Carer’s Benefit | 9.7 |
| Child Benefit | 13.7 |
| Disability Allowance | 6.0 |
| Illness Benefit | 10.3 |
| Partial Capacity Benefit | 9.2 |
| Domiciliary Care Allowance | 17.4 |
| Deserted Wife’s Benefit | 9.8 |
| Farm Assist | 16.0 |
| Working Family Payment * | 12.7 |
| Invalidity Pension | 8.6 |
| Maternity Benefit | 3.3 |
| Paternity Benefit | 5.4 |
| One Parent Family Payment | 15.9 |
| State Pension (Contributory) | 20.6 |
| State Pension (Non-Contributory) | 10.5 |
| Occupational Injury Benefit | 11.2 |
| Disablement Pension | 9.4 |
| Guardian's Payment (Contributory) | 4.2 |
| Guardian's Payment (Non- Contributory) | 6.2 |
| Jobseeker's Allowance (Means) | 14.2 |
| Jobseeker's Allowance (Payments) | 9.0 |
| BTW Family Dividend | 15.0 |
| Jobseeker's Transitional | 2.8 |
| Pre-retirement Allowance | 6.8 |
| Jobseeker's Benefit | 5.0 |
| Carer’s Support Grant ** | 11.4 |
| Treatment Benefit | 11.3 |
| Incapacity Supplement | 12.5 |
| Supplementary Welfare Allowance | 16.4 |
| Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension | 15.7 |
| Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension | 6.2 |
| Widowed Parent Grant | 13.3 |
1 It is noted that the average weeks in the Department will include cases that the Department has referred back to the customer for more information/clarification (rather than awaiting action in the Department). A breakdown of that element of the waiting time is not available for report purposes.
* Previously called Family Income Supplement
** Previously called Respite Care Grant
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