Information Requested:
1. The average waiting time for applications to be processed from the date of submission to the date of decision for the past 12 months.
2. The longest and shortest waiting times experienced by applicants in the past 12 months.
3. The number of applications currently pending and the average waiting time for these pending applications.
4. Any measures or initiatives currently in place to reduce waiting times for applications.
5. The number of panel sessions that have taken place since January 2024, how does this compare with 2023?
6. The number of panel sessions that have been cancelled since January 2024.
7. Of the cancelled panel sessions, how many have been rescheduled and decisions subsequently given to survivors.
8. The process followed when panel sessions are cancelled, including how this impacts the processing of applications.
9. Whether the cancellation of panel sessions results in applications not being considered in the order they were received, and if so, how this affects the overall waiting times for applicants.
Redress Scotland’s Response:
1. The average waiting time for applications to be processed from date of submission to Redress Scotland to the date of decision over the last 12 months to end November 2024 was 93 working days (this equates to about 4.3 months).
2. The longest wait time experienced by applicants in the past 12 months to end November 2024 was 237 working days (this equates to about 11 months). The shortest wait time during the same period was 8 working days.
3. The number of applications that are currently pending is just under 740. The average waiting time for these is 73 working days (this equates to about 3.4 months). This excludes a small number of applications that have had their progress halted either at the request of the applicant, or because Redress Scotland have requested for further information but no response has been received for over 6 months, or because Redress Scotland have sought legal advice regarding the decision.
4. Redress Scotland is very aware of the time applicants are having to wait for their decisions and the impact that this can have on them. We review the waiting times for applications on a monthly basis and publish information about these on our website. We also write to each applicant when we receive their application and let them know their anticipated waiting time. In terms of measures to reduce waiting times we have recruited more panel members and support staff over the course of 2024 and have consequently been able to significantly increase the number of panel sitting days each month. Unfortunately we usually continue to receive more applications each month from the Scottish Government than we have capacity to make decisions on and we have not yet been able to consistently reduce waiting times.
We have also been working on ways of improving the efficiency of the process to enable more decisions to be made, for example by maximising the number of applications on each sitting day or reducing the number of applications where more information has to be requested. We also have specific timescales for some types of applications (those over 68 or who have a terminal illness, those seeking to review a decision, and those whose applications have to be reconsidered), and we prioritise these to ensure that the timescales are met.
5. Between the start of January 2024 to end of November 2024, Redress Scotland have held 297 initial panel session and 123 reconvened panel sessions (where the panel have had to request further information from applicants to reach a decision). By comparison in 2023 (January to December 2023), Redress Scotland held 258 initial and 99 reconvened panel sessions. Initial Panel sessions see an average of around 3.7 applications per panel session, whereas reconvened panel session typically only consider a single application.
6. Between the start of January 2024 to end of November 2024, Redress Scotland have had to cancel 5 panel sessions. This compares to 13 in all of 2023.
7. Where Redress Scotland have had to cancel a panel session due to one or more panel members being unexpectedly unable to attend (due to health issues, emergency appointments etc.), these have all
been rescheduled as quickly as possible. There are no outstanding decisions that have been cancelled for this reason.
Where
• Redress Scotland are notified that an applicant wishes to withdraw or pause their application, or
• Redress Scotland are notified that an applicant has died prior to their allocated panel sitting session, or
• other rare cases where information comes to light during the panel’s preparation for the panel session that would mean the panel would not be able to reasonably reach a decision on the application without requesting further information from the applicant or the Scottish Government, this would normally result in the application being removed from their allocated panel sitting session. Depending on circumstances and timing, it may be possible to replace the removed application with another application. The panel session would then proceed either without the removed application, or with the replacement application and the remaining applications allocated to the session. The number of cases where this has happened in 2024 to end of November is fewer than 5.
8. In the rare instances when panels are cancelled, we seek to reschedule the panels as quickly as possible. This occasionally adds a short delay to the consideration of applications.
9. As stated above, cancellation of panel sessions is very rare however it can lead to short delays in applications being dealt with, and applications being considered slightly out of the order in which they were originally received.
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