33% of disability refusals overturned after full appeals

One in three disability allowance refusals was overturned after lengthy, full appeals last year — despite 90% of early rechecks claiming the original decision was correct.

New Department of Social Protection figures provided after the Irish Examiner revealed a recession-era refusals surge, show these cases are increasingly overturned when brought to costly, year-long appeals.

The details have added further fuel to claims, denied by Social Protection Minister Joan Burton, that cost-cutting “stealth barriers” are in place to prevent people from accessing the support.