Social Welfare Update: Length of Appeals 14th November 2012

To ask the Minister for Social Protection the steps that have been taken to shorten the waiting period for the determination of appeals in respect of each social welfare payment; the particular payments that have so far not achieved approvals in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

– Bernard J. Durkan.

Question No: 407 Ref No: 50135/12

*    For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 13th November, 2012.

R E P L Y: Minister for Social Protection (Joan Burton T.D.):

Significant resources and efforts have been put into reducing these backlogs and improving processing times for appellants, including the assignment of 15 additional Appeals Officers, retaining retired experienced officers for 18 months ending December 2011, improving business processes and implementing an new operating model. 

I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that as a result of these measures there has been a significant increase in the number of appeals finalised from an average of 13,500 in 2007 to 34,027 in 2011 and that the processing times reduced by an overall 10.2 weeks in the nine months to September 2012 as the oral hearing time is down 12.5 weeks and summary decision time is up by 2.3 weeks.

There are currently just under 21,000 appeals being processed and it is not possible to state the number of these which will be approved.

ENDS