The number of appeals lodged by people challenging social welfare decisions rose last year and of almost 13,000 appeals dealt with, half succeeded.
Successful appeals were most often in cases involving the sickness benefit schemes. Those most frequently lost related to the unemployment payments schemes.
The figures are revealed in the annual report of the Social Welfare Appeals Office, announced by the Minister of Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, yesterday.
Even though the number of appeals dealt with in 1997, at 12,835, was up by some 1,200 on the corresponding figure for 1996, at 11,613, at the end of the year 5,855 cases had still to be heard.
The report attributes the rising numbers to the introduction of the new scheme of disability allowance, where the Department took over administration of the disabled persons' maintenance allowance scheme, formerly operated by the health boards. Over 1,200 new appeals came via this scheme last year.
More appeals were also received against decisions on entitlement to unemployment payments, as distinct from means assessments. Towards the end of 1996, there was an increase in the number of such appeals, which the report states was caused by the increased anti-fraud measures and controls. This upward trend continued last year. In such appeals, the number increased by 67 per cent, from 1,340 in 1996, to 2,237 in 1997.
Almost half (6,268) of the appeals completed last year were won. Successful appeals were most frequently in challenges over the sickness benefit schemes, mainly arising from a finding of the medical assessor at the second examination leading to a revised deciding officer decision.
The category where the appellant most often lost was the application of the statutory conditions relating to being available for, and genuinely seeking, work in the unemployment payments schemes.
The report states that in recent years the phenomenon of young people, such as "New Age" travellers, coming from neighbouring countries to stay in the State in areas with low employment had manifested itself in appeals against refusal of claims to unemployment assistance. Entitlement conditions applicable to them were the same as for Irish nationals.
Recent years had also seen a growth in appeals from non-nationals against refusals of unemployment assistance.
The report states that 1998 will be a challenging year for the Social Welfare Appeals Office. By the end of the year, the office will be dealing with appeals arising from the extension of the appeals service to certain decisions made by health boards on supplementary welfare allowance.
New appeals will also arise from legislation enabling late claims from social welfare payments to be back-dated and from provisions which will make issues relating to liable relatives appealable to the office.
The number of staff serving in the office at the end of last year was 46, with one job-sharing officer - an increase of five on 1996. Four of the extra staff were appeals officers.