Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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412. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the progress to date in respect of an appeal for carer’s allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9927/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

I am advised that the carer's allowance application of the person concerned was disallowed by a Deciding Officer of the Department on 20 October 2022. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal against that decision was received in that Office on 10 January 2023.

In normal course, an appeal against the decision of a Deciding Officer must be made within 21 days of a decision being notified. Appeals received outside of this time limit may be accepted at the discretion of the Chief Appeals Officer. In light of the length of time which has elapsed since the notification of the decision and in the absence of any current explanation for the failure to submit an appeal within the prescribed timeframe, the Social Welfare Appeals Office wrote to the person concerned on 23 February 2023 advising them that their appeal had not been accepted but providing them with the opportunity to provide an explanation for the appeal being late. If an explanation is provided the matter will be re-considered and the person concerned will be advised of the outcome.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.