Dublin South West TD, Se\u00e1n Crowe, has described the current application process for a Disability Allowance as a \u2018shambles\u2019.<\/p>\n
According to the Sinn F\u00e9in TD, figures recently provided by the Department of Social Protection reveal an underlying\u00a0contradiction in how the Department are dealing with applications for a Disability Allowance, as two in every three decisions are being overturned when appealed.<\/p>\n
Deputy Se\u00e1n Crowe stated:<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is something clearly wrong with the current application process for getting a Disability Allowance. Figures released by the Department of Social Protection show that 42% of applications for Disability Allowance were refused, but on appeal two-thirds of these were then accepted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are also a large number of applicants who don\u2019t appeal the original decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe current system is chaotic and the major problems that clearly exist in the application process need to be urgently addressed and rectified.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight across the Social Protection portfolio there are other payments with high refusal rates, and this demonstrates gaping flaws in the various application processes.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Crowe continued:<\/p>\n
“The high rate of decisions overturned by the Disability Appeals Office makes it clear that problems exist in the initial application process for a Disability Allowance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is an unnecessarily difficult and frustrating process for people, who in many cases have serious medical issues and are at a really low point in their lives. The majority of cases involve people in desperate need of welfare supports and the current process is cruel.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo make matters worse many are then forced to go through the extra procedure of a lengthy appeal when they clearly fit the criteria, as the figures on successful appeals confirm.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Minister needs to urgently act on this issue and the current shambles cannot be allowed to drift along. Everyday some poor unfortunate is caught up in a system that isn\u2019t responding in a timely manner to their needs and leaving them even more vulnerable.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
ENDS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dublin South West TD, Se\u00e1n Crowe, has described the current application process for a Disability Allowance as a \u2018shambles\u2019. According to the Sinn F\u00e9in TD, figures recently provided by the Department of Social Protection reveal an underlying\u00a0contradiction in how the Department are dealing with applications for a Disability Allowance, as two in every three decisions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[286,33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-disability-allowance","category-social-protection"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/seancrowe.ie\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/seancrowe.ie\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/seancrowe.ie\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/seancrowe.ie\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/seancrowe.ie\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2977"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/seancrowe.ie\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2978,"href":"http:\/\/seancrowe.ie\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2977\/revisions\/2978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/seancrowe.ie\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/seancrowe.ie\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/seancrowe.ie\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}