WELFARE claimants in some health board areas have little hope of appealing successfully if they are refused assistance, according to Fianna Fail's social welfare spokesman.
People refused help under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme should be entitled to appeal to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office, writes Mr Joe Walsh TD in an article in the current newsletter of the Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC).
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides a basic income for people waiting for social welfare payments to come through and also provides help with mortgages, rent, fuel bills and other items.
It is administered by the health boards which have their own internal appeals procedures. Mr Walsh refers to a FLAC report showing that, in some health board areas, fewer than 10 per cent of appeals are successful.
The health boards appeals systems have led to "a range of problems including lack of independence, long delays in coming to a decision and very low success rates in some areas."
Mr Walsh recently introduced a Bill in the Dail which would entitle supplementary welfare claimants to appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
"Reform of this system has been recommended by many independent bodies and is now long overdue," he writes. "It is unacceptable that those who are in most need should have to rely on a second rate appeals system."