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<p>The average waiting time<sup>1,2</sup> for Social Security and Child Support (SSCS)
appeals in the Kettering<sup>3</sup> constituency between January 2016 and December
2017 (the latest period for which figures are available) is 33<sup>4</sup> weeks.</p><p>
</p><p>In order to respond to a general increase in appeal receipts, HM Courts &
Tribunals Service has been working with the Tribunal’s judiciary both to appoint additional
judges and panel members and take forward initiatives with potential to increase the
capacity and performance of the Tribunal, including reviewing current listing practices
to increase the number of cases being listed on a Tribunal session, and introducing
case management “triage” sessions, with the aim of reducing the time taken for appeals
to reach final determination. All these measures will increase the capacity of the
Tribunal with the aim of reducing waiting times for appellants in all areas, not just
those which are beyond the current national average.</p><p> </p><p>Specifically, in
the Kettering constituency area we have introduced a new venue with increased capacity
to reduce waiting times. Additionally, appellants are also offered Northampton as
an alternative venue which is able to offer shorter hearing dates.</p><p> </p><ol><li>Waiting
time is interpreted as average Clearance Time – time taken for appeal receipt to outcome.</li><li>Includes
only appeals cleared at tribunal hearing and excludes those cleared without the need
of a tribunal hearing.</li><li>SSCS data are recorded by the office that dealt with
the case, and if the case went to oral hearing, the location of the Tribunal hearing,
normally the hearing venue nearest to the appellants home address. We cannot retrieve
data based on constituencies, but can produce reports detailing the numbers of cases
that were dealt with at one of our Regional centres or heard at a specific venue.
For the Kettering constituency this is the Wellingborough venue. Data include all
cases attributed to that venue. Prior to the Wellingborough venue being used cases
were heard in Kettering. In 15_16 only two cases were head in Wellingborough and as
such the data maybe skewed.</li><li>HMCTS data April to December 17 is provisional.</li></ol><p>
</p><p>Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the details
are subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale case management system and
are the best data that are available.</p>
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