NI Standards Committee critical of Social Security Agency decisions

The Northern Ireland Standards Committee (NICSS) has criticised the standard of decision-making in the Social Security Agency.

While the NICSS, who provide independent assurance on the findings, approved the report on the Standard of Decision Making in the Social Security Agency, Committee Chairman Les Allamby said the overall performance on accuracy and decision-making standards had been “disappointing this year”.

He said: "The Social Security Agency is clearly committed to improving the quality of decision making. Over 7,500 decisions were monitored for accuracy, and almost 6,500 for the quality of decision making over the last financial year.

However, he added that the Committee “hoped to see progress being made over the next 12 months”.

The report provides an independent analysis on the quality of decisions in important areas of the Social Security Agency’s work including the standard of decision making in all social security benefits.

Commenting on the findings in the report, Chris Thompson, the Chief Executive of the Social Security Agency, said: "In our four major benefit areas an average of 92 per cent of our customers received the correct amounts of benefit. However, this year's monitoring results are not as positive as I had hoped. It is not acceptable that 8 per cent are paid an incorrect amount.

He said: "Social security legislation is already complex and the new decision making legislation and frequent changes to regulations have made our job more difficult. Despite this our customers deserve a first class service."

Pointing to the future, Mr Thompson said: "We are not complacent about this situation and have already taken steps to improve how we do our business. A customer services director for the Agency was appointed in June and the modernisation of systems and procedures, that will improve how we identify and correct mistakes, is ongoing."

The NICSS Committee, which includes independent members Eileen Evason (Professor in Social Administration and Policy, University of Ulster) and Barry McVeigh (Citizens Advice Bureaux), was established to provide independent assurance on the monitoring arrangements and findings, ensuring that the Report accurately reflects standards of decision-making and accuracy in the Agency.

Although this is the second annual report on the standard of decision-making, it is the first year that performance in relation to payment accuracy has been included.

The four largest benefits administered by the Social Security Agency are Disability Living Allowance, Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance and Incapacity Benefit. (SP)