AQW 14235/17-22

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 08/02/2021
Answered On Date: 26/02/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities for an update on the Appeals Service backlog; and whether there will be any financial support for those who are waiting on an appeal decision due to the delays.

Answer:

My Department continues to list the benefit appeals for hearing despite the challenges faced as a result of the pandemic. In order to maximise listing capacity The Appeals Service (TAS) has introduced additional options for case listing. Appellants can now choose to have their appeal listed on the papers, by telephone, video link or face to face. Paper hearings and remote hearings are listed consistently in response to demand.

A number of venues have been identified and adapted to ensure they are COVID secure for all parties to attend a physical hearing while work is continuing to find additional venues to list benefit appeal hearings.

Hearings in these venues commenced in December 2020 and January 2021 but in response to the new restrictions announced, the President of the Appeals Service has postponed face to face hearing until the end of February 2021 when it will be reviewed in light of the advice available.

Customers receiving a Welfare Supplementary Payment who have an ongoing appeal following reassessment from DLA are not affected by the delay in appeal hearings as the Welfare Supplementary Payment regulations stipulate that this must remain in payment until the decision of the appeal tribunal is received by the Department.