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Jobseekers appeals taking over 25 weeks to process

The Social Welfare Appeals Office is currently dealing with 13,444 appeals.

JOBSEEKERS WHO FEEL they have been wrongly refused Jobseeker’s Allowance payments or if a claimant wants to appeal a decision on their means test by a Deciding Officer from the Department of Social Welfare they have a right to appeal.

However, the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton said that this week that the average waiting times for appeals to be processed for Jobseekers is in excess of 25 weeks.

Improvement

In a reply to a parliamentary question, she said that appeals for Jobseeker’s allowance which is means tested appeals is down from 46.9 weeks in 2010 to 29.7 weeks in 2013 and appeals for Jobseeker’s allowance payment appeals is down from 43.0 weeks to 26.7 weeks in 2013.

She added that 13,444 appeals are currently registered with Social Welfare Appeals Office.

Of that figure, 2,751 are disability allowance appeals, 1,645 are carer’s allowance appeals, 1,422 are Jobseeker’s allowance (means) appeals and 1,101 are Jobseeker’s allowance (payments) appeals.

Details of average processing times for these schemes for 2010 to 2013 which are provided in the attached tables point to significant improvements in appeal processing times, particularly in cases where an oral hearing was required.

Disability allowance and carers

In the case of disability allowance appeals, the average processing time for an oral hearing reduced from 51.1 weeks in 2010 to 36.2 weeks in 2013. Carer’s allowance appeals which required an oral hearing took an average of 47.3 weeks in 2010 reducing to 33.5 weeks in 2013.

Minister Burton said the appeal processing times are calculated from the registration date of the appeal to the date of its finalisation.

She said:

A major programme of process redesign and modernisation is underway in the Department in relation to many of its scheme areas aimed at reducing backlogs and reducing the time taken by the Department to respond to requests from the appeals office for submissions in relation to appeals.

It is anticipated that with these improvements, the processing times for appeals will continue to improve throughout 2014.

The full break down of the appeals waiting times can be seen here:

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If you can’t view the table, click here>>>

Read: Dole cut for long-term unemployed who refuse to work in local authorities>

Read: Concern about ‘cherrypicking’ unemployed as government privatises job scheme>

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23 Comments
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    Mute mrmeade
    Favourite mrmeade
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    Jan 1st 2017, 4:40 PM

    The world is going to wait until it’s too late to tackle this maniac.

    69
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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Jan 1st 2017, 5:11 PM

    Something tells me that the international community doesn’t believe he is capable of what he says he is

    49
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    Mute B9xiRspG
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    Jan 1st 2017, 7:38 PM

    No oil so…..

    14
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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jan 1st 2017, 8:02 PM

    It has nothing to do with oil. America already sacrificed thousands of their own to protect South Korea. The issue is China and the fact that they’ve shown to be willing to fight to protect the North and their egomaniac leaders.

    10
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    Mute B9xiRspG
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    Jan 1st 2017, 8:27 PM

    @Jason Culligan: You are correct the North has China behind them but you still aren’t seeing the US doing much about the WOMD that the North has but it invaded Iraqi with obvious no proof of any WOMD but plenty of oil.

    17
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    Mute Hugh Mannatee
    Favourite Hugh Mannatee
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    Jan 1st 2017, 5:19 PM

    2nd lad in, first row from left. foot too low. Family shot.

    55
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    Mute David Thomas
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    Jan 1st 2017, 4:54 PM

    He’s obviously spent the army’s rifle money on nukes then.

    53
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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jan 1st 2017, 8:00 PM

    Under normal conditions I’d say that they’re parade rifles, much like the Americans who still use M1 and M14 rifles for marching. In North Korea though, where they have 1 million more soldiers than rifles, you’re probably spot on.

    11
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    Mute Samoa Snow
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    Jan 1st 2017, 4:17 PM

    Delighted, just the news we were waiting for

    31
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    Mute RJ.Fallon
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    Jan 1st 2017, 4:46 PM

    Look at all those robots dressed up as soldiers,wow.

    23
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    Mute O Swetenham
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    Jan 1st 2017, 5:23 PM

    I’d say they all blink in unison.

    15
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    Mute John Jones
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    Jan 1st 2017, 5:13 PM

    He’s only a mount like his auld fella

    18
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    Mute Paddy Lions
    Favourite Paddy Lions
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    Jan 1st 2017, 5:42 PM

    Another loony state supported by SF/IRA.

    13
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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
    Favourite Alois Irlmaier
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    Jan 1st 2017, 7:00 PM

    @Paddy Lions: Why do you stick SF and IRA into everything you don’t like? If you hated Guinness, do you put SF or IRA into that as well?

    15
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    Mute eastsmer #IRExit
    Favourite eastsmer #IRExit
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    Jan 1st 2017, 7:55 PM

    @Paddy Lions: It’s 2017, make a resolution to grow up, PLEASE

    9
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    Mute Paddy Lions
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    Jan 1st 2017, 8:53 PM

    In 1986, the Sinn Fein Foreign Affairs Bureau sent a message of solidarity to the North Korean regime. The message, signed by Sile ni Dhara, stated clearly: “We offer our support to the Workers’ Party of Korea in its fight for the establishment of the Democratic Confederated Republic of Korea.” (“Sinn Fein Letter to Korea,” Ireland’s War, issue 18 (June 1986) p.7). Also, during a visit to Scandinavian countries in 1987, Gerry Adams attended a reception at the embassy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on the occasion of the 75th birthday of Kim Il Sung. (“Gerry Adams visits Scandinavia”, Ireland’s War, issue 23 (July 1987), p.7) In 1989, an official Sinn Fein delegation including Gerry MacLochlainn, Sheena Campbell (later murdered in 1992 by loyalists) and John Doyle attended the World Youth Festival in Pyongyang (cfr “Sinn Fein Delegation at World Youth Festival”, An Phoblacht-Republican News, (vol.11 number 26), 29 June 1989 p.14).Alois Irlmaier:

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    Mute HOTBank
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    Jan 1st 2017, 4:49 PM

    DPRK is the perfect socialist state form which we can learn

    11
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    Mute Roibeard O Beachain
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    Jan 1st 2017, 5:42 PM

    Yep. Were the masses starve, are interned or executed while the leader gourges on cheese, meat and booze

    28
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    Mute Eamonn O'Regan
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    Jan 1st 2017, 5:29 PM

    Kim has nukes on the brain,the poor lad. That’s what must have caused the hair loss.

    11
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    Mute winston smith
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    Jan 1st 2017, 5:46 PM

    Why do I think the Yanks must have this guy covered?…Can China pull Kim’s chain in at any moment but use him as a counter against the yanks especially since Trump is sabre rattling over Taiwan.

    9
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    Mute Eamonn O'Regan
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    Jan 1st 2017, 5:31 PM

    Kim has nukes on the brain,the poor lad. I bet that’s what caused his catastrophic hair loss.

    7
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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jan 1st 2017, 6:58 PM

    Kim is storing his farts now to power it? That is why it is taking so long?

    4
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    Mute John Brendan Mullen
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    Jan 1st 2017, 7:01 PM

    No harm. The threat of mutual annihilation seems to be the best way to stop the deployment of nuclear weapons. Let’s hope Iran gets there too asap to negate the imbalance created by Israeli nuclear capability. Maybe then they will start to act like a civilised nation

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jan 1st 2017, 8:04 PM

    The problem is that North Korea seem incapable of understanding that point. They already picked a fight with the US once when America had nukes and their guardian angels the Chinese still hadn’t developed nuclear weapons of their own. North Korea is also constantly close to collapsing in on itself. The last thing you want is a civil war in a nuclear capable state.

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    Mute Marcus Bale
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    Jan 1st 2017, 8:04 PM

    Some jowls on him the little fooker . Destroyed with the gout at this stage . Him and Donald J Trump be arm and arm skipping down the yellow brick road shortly .. soon as Donald builds one

    1
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