Government figures in a response to a parliamentary question claimed that people can wait up to nine months for a decision on their social welfare appeals case. The figures also demonstrate that the situation did not improve last year and the Social Welfare Appeals Office commented that they were "unacceptably high." However an independent TD says that the real waiting period for social welfare appeals is closer to 16 months.
Geraldine Gleeson, Director and Chief Appeals Officer pointed out that the Social Welfare Appeals Office annual report for 2010 highlighted that turnaround times remained "unacceptably high" as there was a spike in processing times which rose from 24 weeks in 2009 to 28 weeks in 2010.
Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton commented that "nine additional appeals officers were appointed last year in an attempt to reduce delays." Independent TD Catherine Murphy, to whom figures of delays were released during a parliamentary question, commented: "I'm astonished that the minister came out with a figure of 39 weeks. I am routinely seeing cases taking in the region of 15 to 16 months where there is an oral hearing."
Saoirse Brady, Policy and Campaigns Officer at Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC) comments: "Given that a consistently high rate of social welfare appeals are upheld in favour of the appellant (almost 43 per cent in 2010) FLAC believes more resources should be put into monitoring and better quality controls of first instance decisions. This would not only reduce the delays in accessing payments, it would also reduce appeals and lead to less pressure on the Social Welfare Appeals Office. In a time of austerity, the Government should be looking at streamlining systems to make them more efficient while at the same time ensuring that the most vulnerable in our society who are in need of a social welfare payment can access their entitlements in a fair and timely fashion". FLAC is currently working on a report on the social welfare appeals system.
Click here to see an article in the Examiner.