Benefit appeals rocket in city; most fail
ALMOST two thousand (1,820) Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) appeals were heard in Londonderry since the benefit was introduced in 2008 with the amount of appeals rocketing upwards over the past two years.
And of 1,337 appeals that have actually been heard here the majority (753) went against the appellant compared to 584 that turned out in their favour.
Benefits Minister Nelson McCausland provided details of ESA appeals heard in Londonderry between the introduction of the benefit in October 27, 2008 and December 31, 2012. He explained: “The Chairman of the Tribunal records whether the decision made on appeal was either more or less advantageous than a previous decision.
“A more advantageous decision may increase the allowance or direct that a new award be made. A less advantageous decision may reduce the allowance or make no change to the original determination.”