ADDITIONAL STAFF and resources are needed to clear the huge backlog of social welfare appeals, according to the Labour Party spokesperson on equality, Kathleen Lynch.
She called on the Minister for Social Protection, Éamon Ó Cuív, to deal with the issue as a matter of urgency.
“With the major increase in the number of people losing their jobs, there has been a corresponding increase in the number of applications for social welfare payments. This, in turn, has led to a massive increase in the number of appeals where applicants have been turned down,” said Ms Lynch.
She said the number of appeals taken against decisions of social welfare officers in 2009 amounted to 25,963, an increase of 48 per cent on the number for 2008.
“I understand that there are currently in the region of 22,000 appeals awaiting determination and that this is likely to increase to more than 30,000 by the end of the year,” she said.
Ms Lynch said she had one case on her files where a 90-year-old applicant had been waiting close to a year for the outcome of an appeal to determine whether or not he was entitled to a full contributory state pension.
“The fact that close to half of all appeals (48.2 per cent in 2009) are successful, clearly shows that many applicants are being turned down in the wrong.”
She said that many of those being turned down were effectively left penniless, creating real hardship.
“While they can apply for supplementary welfare from a Community Welfare Office (CWO), this system is, itself, under severe pressure and CWOs can refuse payment on the basis that a social welfare application has already been rejected.” Ms Lynch said that while some additional staff had been provided for the Social Welfare Appeals Office, it had been nothing like enough.
