Written answers
Tuesday, 15 January 2019
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Social Welfare Appeals Data
Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1113. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number and percentage of appeals that were upheld on re-examination by the social welfare appeals office in 2017 and 2018 for all payments and benefits under her remit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1535/19]
Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The following tables provide details of the outcome of all appeals by scheme for the years 2017 and 2018.
The figures provided for appeals which had a favourable outcome for the appellant relate to appeals which were either allowed in full or in part by an Appeals Officer, or were resolved by way of a revised decision in favour of the appellant by a Deciding Officer/Designated Person.
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.
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 incorrect. It is often the case that new evidence is provided with an appeal and that, as a result, the original decision may be revised by the Deciding Officer or Designated Person. This was the case in 37.6% of favourable appeal outcomes in 2017 and 31.5% of favourable appeal outcomes in 2018.
Where the decision was not revised by the Department in light of the appeal contentions, further evidence is often provided by the appellant as the appeal process proceeds and in addition, the Appeals Officer may gain insights when they meet the appellant in person at oral hearing which may influence the outcome of the appeal.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Outcome of Appeals by Category 2017
| AllowedBy Appeals Officers | Partially Allowed By Appeals Officers | Revised DO/DP Decision | Disallowed ByAppeals Officers | Withdrawn | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Pension (Non-Contributory) | 7521.9% | 349.9% | 7822.7% | 12837.3% | 288.2% | 343 |
| State Pension (Contributory) | 359.9% | 123.4% | 7621.5% | 21861.6% | 133.7% | 354 |
| State Pension (Transition) | 133.3% | - | - | 266.7% | - | 3 |
| Widow’s/Widower’s Pension (Contributory) | 825.8% | - | 722.6% | 15 48.4% | 13.2% | 31 |
| Death Benefit | - | - | - | 1100.0% | - | 1 |
| Bereavement Grant | 1100.0% | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Jobseeker’s Allowance - Payments | 34922.2% | 664.2% | 30919.6% | 66542.3% | 184 11.7% | 1,573 |
| Jobseeker’s Transitional | 1027.0% | 410.8% | 1027.0% | 616.2% | 718.9% | 37 |
| Jobseeker’s Allowance -Means | 18712.9% | 825.6% | 26418.2% | 70848.7% | 212 14.6% | 1,453 |
| One Parent Family Payment | 6726.1% | 197.4% | 5421.0% | 6726.1% | 5019.5% | 257 |
| Widow’s/Widower’s Pension (Non-Contributory) | 730.4% | 4 17.4% | 3 13.0% | 939.1% | - | 23 |
| Supplementary Welfare Allowance | 30422.5% | 342.5% | 22917.0% | 60244.6% | 18013.3% | 1,349 |
| Farm Assist | 2215.5% | 1812.7% | 2819.7% | 6042.3% | 14 9.9% | 142 |
| Pre-Retirement Allowance | - | - | 1100.0% | - | - | 1 |
| Jobseeker’s Benefit | 8317.3% | 214.4% | 11724.4% | 20643.0% | 5210.9% | 479 |
| Deserted Wife’s Benefit | 240.0% | 1 20.0% | - | 240.0% | - | 5 |
| Maternity Benefit | 1014.1% | 34.2% | 811.3% | 4969.0% | 11.4% | 71 |
| Paternity Benefit | 112.5% | - | 337.5% | 337.5% | 112.5% | 8 |
| Adoptive Benefit | - | - | - | 2100.0% | - | 2 |
| Treatment Benefits | - | - | - | 1100.0% | - | 1 |
| Partial Capacity Benefit | 1533.3% | 12.2% | 1124.4% | 1431.1% | 4 8.9% | 45 |
| Disability Allowance | 2,97560.3% | 701.4% | 56311.4% | 1,21124.5% | 1152.3% | 4,934 |
| Blind Pension | 16.7% | 16.7% | 320.0% | 746.7% | 320.0% | 15 |
| Carer’s Allowance | 1,20435.2% | 1614.7% | 78022.8% | 1,19935.1% | 722.1% | 3,416 |
| Domiciliary Care Allowance | 29737.1% | 101.2% | 34342.8% | 13516.9% | 162.0% | 801 |
| Carer’s Support Grant | 3522.6% | 21.3% | 4529.0% | 7246.5% | 10.6% | 155 |
| Illness Benefit | 11823.0% | 81.6% | 14027.2% | 18936.8% | 5911.5% | 514 |
| Injury Benefit | 37.9% | - | 25.3% | 2771.1% | 615.8% | 38 |
| Invalidity Pension | 36527.1% | 70.5% | 69151.3% | 26219.4% | 231.7% | 1,348 |
| Disablement Benefit | 8634.4% | 197.6% | 3012.0% | 10943.6% | 62.4% | 250 |
| Incapacity Supplement | 3 30.0% | 1 10.0% | 3 30.0% | 3 30.0% | - | 10 |
| Medical Care | - | - | 150.0% | 150.0% | - | 2 |
| Carer’s Benefit | 2322.1% | 21.9% | 3937.5% | 3735.6% | 32.9% | 104 |
| Child Benefit | 6815.5% | 235.3% | 15435.2% | 17840.6% | 153.4% | 438 |
| Family Income Supplement | 7615.1% | 153.0% | 26753.1% | 13025.8% | 153.0% | 503 |
| Back To Work Family Dividend | 7 17.1% | - | 49.8% | 2561.0% | 5 12.2% | 41 |
| Guardian’s Payment (Non-Contributory) | 533.3% | 16.7% | 213.3% | 746.7% | - | 15 |
| Guardian’s Payment (Contributory) | 1339.4% | 26.1% | 4 12.1% | 1442.4% | - | 33 |
| Widowed Parent Grant | - | - | - | 2 100.0% | - | 2 |
| Insurability | 3424.5% | 4 2.9% | 117.9% | 3726.6% | 53 38.1% | 139 |
| Liable Relatives | - | 423.5% | - | 1164.7% | 2 11.8% | 17 |
| Recoverable Benefits & Assistance | 311.5% | - | 311.5% | 2076.9% | - | 26 |
| TOTAL APPEALS | 6,49334.2% | 6293.3% | 4,28322.6% | 6,43433.9% | 1,1416.0% | 18,980 |
Outcome of Appeals by Category 2018
| AllowedBy Appeals Officers | Partially Allowed By Appeals Officers | Revised DO/DP Decision | Disallowed ByAppeals Officers | Withdrawn | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Pension (Non-Contributory) | 8523.4% | 298.0% | 7019.3% | 14439.7% | 359.6% | 363 |
| State Pension (Contributory) | 359.5% | 92.5% | 6417.4% | 24466.5% | 154.1% | 367 |
| Widow’s/Widower’s Pension (Contributory) | 1845.0% | - | 2 5.0% | 14 35.0% | 615.0% | 40 |
| Death Benefit | - | - | - | 1100.0% | - | 1 |
| Bereavement Grant | - | - | - | 1100.0% | - | 1 |
| Jobseeker’s Allowance - Payments | 28018.0% | 996.4% | 25116.1% | 78550.4% | 141 9.1% | 1,556 |
| Jobseeker’s Transitional | 919.1% | 510.6% | 919.1% | 1838.3% | 612.8% | 47 |
| Jobseeker’s Allowance -Means | 15010.4% | 835.8% | 19413.5% | 83658.1% | 176 12.2% | 1,439 |
| One Parent Family Payment | 4720.4% | 135.7% | 4620.0% | 8336.1% | 4117.8% | 230 |
| Widow’s/Widower’s Pension (Non-Contributory) | 423.5% | 2 11.8% | - | 1058.8% | 15.9% | 17 |
| Deserted Wife’s Allowance | 1100.0% | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Supplementary Welfare Allowance | 25824.6% | 292.8% | 17917.1% | 46744.6% | 11410.9% | 1,047 |
| Farm Assist | 1411.7% | 11 9.2% | 1815.0% | 6251.7% | 1512.5% | 120 |
| Pre-Retirement Allowance | 1 50.0% | 150.0% | - | - | - | 2 |
| Jobseeker’s Benefit | 10918.3% | 335.5% | 12921.6% | 27045.3% | 55 9.2% | 596 |
| Deserted Wife’s Benefit | 350.0% | - | - | 350.0% | - | 6 |
| Maternity Benefit | 611.1% | - | 1324.1% | 3463.0% | 11.9% | 54 |
| Paternity Benefit | 1 6.3% | 1 6.3% | - | 1487.5% | - | 16 |
| Treatment Benefits | - | - | - | 2100.0% | 2 | |
| Partial Capacity Benefit | 1650.0% | - | 2 6.3% | 1340.6% | 1 3.1% | 32 |
| Disability Allowance | 3,11262.2% | 992.0% | 462 9.2% | 1,25625.1% | 771.5% | 5,006 |
| Blind Pension | 214.3% | 214.3% | 321.4% | 642.9% | 1 7.1% | 14 |
| Carer’s Allowance | 1,04738.6% | 1445.3% | 44016.2% | 98936.5% | 903.3% | 2,710 |
| Domiciliary Care Allowance | 68643.6% | 130.8% | 59037.5% | 25816.4% | 251.6% | 1,572 |
| Carer’s Support Grant | 2820.0% | 53.6% | 3525.0% | 6848.6% | 42.9% | 140 |
| Illness Benefit | 11122.4% | 112.2% | 16433.1% | 18236.8% | 27 5.5% | 495 |
| Injury Benefit | 1021.3% | - | 612.8% | 2961.7% | 2 4.3% | 47 |
| Invalidity Pension | 45841.9% | 80.7% | 32229.4% | 27325.0% | 333.0% | 1,094 |
| Disablement Benefit | 11635.3% | 185.5% | 32 9.7% | 15848.0% | 51.5% | 329 |
| Incapacity Supplement | 4 80.0% | - | - | 1 20.0% | - | 5 |
| Medical Care | - | - | - | 1100.0% | - | 1 |
| Carer’s Benefit | 3223.4% | 42.9% | 5238.0% | 4633.6% | 32.2% | 137 |
| Child Benefit | 6214.6% | 184.2% | 14634.3% | 17942.0% | 214.9% | 426 |
| Working Family Payment* | 5915.3% | 184.7% | 17344.8% | 11630.1% | 205.2% | 386 |
| Back To Work Family Dividend | 4 8.5% | - | 1225.5% | 2655.3% | 5 10.6% | 47 |
| Guardian’s Payment (Non-Contributory) | 111.1% | 1 11.1% | 222.2% | 555.6% | - | 9 |
| Guardian’s Payment (Contributory) | 729.2% | 14.2% | 2 8.3% | 1458.3% | - | 24 |
| Widowed Parent Grant | - | - | 1 20.0% | 4 80.0% | - | 5 |
| Insurability | 2526.3% | 3 3.2% | 33.2% | 5153.7% | 13 13.7% | 95 |
| Liable Relatives | - | - | 1 20.0% | 240.0% | 2 40.0% | 5 |
| Recoverable Benefits & Assistance | 1 4.3% | 2 8.7% | 2 8.7% | 1878.3% | - | 23 |
| TOTAL APPEALS | 6,80236.8% | 6623.6% | 3,42518.5% | 6,68136.1% | 9375.1% | 18,507 |
* Previously known as Family Income Supplement
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