FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1990
APPEAL TO SOCIAL SECURITY BOARD INCREASED
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THE SOCIAL SECURITY APPEAL BOARD RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 93 APPEALS IN CONNECTION WITH SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS IN 1989/90, REPRESENTING A SHARP INCREASE OF 52 PER CENT AS COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING YEAR.
ACCORDING TO THE LATEST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOARD, THE INCREASE WAS MAINLY GENERATED FROM APPEALS IN SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE, WHICH JUMPED FROM 50 IN THE PRECEDING YEAR TO 87 CASES IN 1989/90.
THE REMAINING CASES INCLUDED FOUR ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND TWO ON TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE.
REGARDING THE SPECIAL
NEEDS ALLOWANCE APPEALS, 39 WERE ON NORMAL DISABILITY ALLOWANCE, 45 ON HIGHER DISABILITY ALLOWANCE, ON NORMAL OLD AGE ALLOWANCE AND ONE ON HIGHER OLD AGE ALLOWANCE.
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ALL APPEALS WILL BE HEARD BY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WHO ARE UNOFFICIALS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR.
THEY FORMED AN INDEPENDENT BODY TO PROVIDE A MEANS OF REDRESS FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE DECISION OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT (SWD) IN RESPECT OF ELIGIBILITY AND PAYMENT OF SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS.
IN 1989/90, THE BOARD HEARD A TOTAL OF 49 CASES, CASES BROUGHT FORWARD FROM THE PRECEDING YEAR.
INCLUDING 16
THE APPELLANTS AND
A TOTAL OF 13 CASES WERE WITHDRAWN BY ANOTHER 47 WERE CARRIED FORWARD TO THE YEAR 1990/91, PENDING HEARING.
THE BOARD HAS BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE HOSPITAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO SEEK ITS ASSISTANCE IN ARRANGING MEDICAL BOARDS FOR RE-ASSESSMENT IN APPEALS WHERE A MEDICAL OPINION WAS REQUIRED.
THE MAJORITY OF THESE CASES
RELATED ΤΟ DISABILITY
ALLOWANCE
APPEALS.
DURING THE YEAR, THE SOCIAL SECURITY APPEAL BOARD RECEIVED 126 COMPLAINTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
OF THE COMPLAINTS, MORE THAN 60 PER CENT WERE SETTLED BY BOARD STAFF, 34 PER CENT EVENTUALLY BECAME APPEALS AND FOUR PER CENT WERE REFERRED TO THE APPROPRIATE OFFICES FOR SETTLEMENT.
TO KEEP MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AWARE OF THE WORK OF THE BOARD, POSTERS ABOUT THE APPEAL BOARD WERE DISPLAYED AT THE RECEPTION AREA OF EACH SOCIAL SECURITY FIELD UNITS AND RECEPTION AREA OF THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE SECTION. EXPLANATORY LEAFLETS ARE ALSO MADE AVAILABLE AT THESE OFFICES.
IN ADDITION, WHENEVER A PERSON WAS NOTIFIED IN WRITING OF THE RESULT OF HIS APPLICATION FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS BY THE SWD, HE WAS ALSO INFORMED OF HIS RIGHT TO APPEAL TO THE BOARD IF HE WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE DEPARTMENT'S DECISION.
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