Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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99. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which the number of appeals against decisions made by her Department have increased or decreased in respect of means-tested payments; the number of applicants refused payment for whatever reason to date in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24622/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision-making functions.

The table below provides the number of appeals in respect of means tested payments received in the period January to April in each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Appeals Received in respect of Means Tested Payments

There is active engagement between the Appeals Office and the Department to ensure that the appeals process operates efficiently and that where the Deciding Officer's decision is not revised in favour of the appellant that the appeal file papers are provided as quickly as possible to the Appeals Office for consideration by an Appeals Officer.

The Department has advised that the number of applicants refused payment for whatever reason in the period January to April 2023 was 41,250.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent)
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100. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of appeals received by the social welfare appeals office per month since 2021; the current average processing time for an appeal with the social welfare appeals office; the efforts being made to reduce appeal processing times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24671/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.

The number of appeals received by the Social Welfare Appeals Office per month since the start of 2021 is set out in the table below.

The desire to process appeals quickly has to be balanced with the competing demand to ensure that decisions are consistent and of high quality and made in accordance with the legislative provisions and the general principles of fair procedures and natural justice.

The current average processing times for an appeal with the Social Welfare Appeals Office are 18.3 weeks for a summary decision and 31.6 weeks for a decision by way of oral hearing. These figures are based on appeals finalised from January to April 2023.

Significant efforts and resources have been devoted to improvements in the appeal process in recent years. As a result, average appeal processing times have generally improved between 2018 and 2022 from 30.0 weeks for an oral hearing in 2018 to 26.0 weeks in 2022, and from 24.8 weeks for a summary decision in 2018 to 15.0 weeks in 2022. The average time for all appeals finalised in 2022 was 14.9 weeks.

There is active engagement between the Appeals Office and the Department to ensure that the appeals process operates efficiently and that where the Deciding Officer's decision is not revised in favour of the appellant that the appeal file papers are provided as quickly as possible to the Appeals Office for consideration by an Appeals Officer.

Further improvements in appeals processing times are a priority for the Chief Appeals Officer.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.