The Social Welfare Appeals Office is taking more than three weeks longer on average to process cases before it, even though the volume of appeals it received fell last year. The 2017 annual report for the Social Welfare Appeals Office also shows that more than 60% of appeals finalised last year were in favour of the person who brought the appeal. It also showed last year the average processing time for all appeals finalised was 23.6 weeks — up from 20.5 weeks in 2016. “The reduction in the number of appeals received in 2017 relates primarily to appeals in the working age schemes, with significant reductions in relation to Supplementary Welfare Allowance and Jobseeker’s Allowance,” she said. There were a total of 84 staff working in the Social Welfare Appeals Office last year.

Source: Irish Examiner June 11, 2018 00:00 UTC