Let’s look at some facts regarding appeals. The average number of days of processing time required by the Appeals Commission from the date the appeal is received until the appeal is finalized (for standard appeals) has gone from 144 days in 2008, to 172 days in 2009, and back down to 153 days in 2010. This decrease in the average amount of days is insignificant when observing that this process still takes almost half a year, not including the time before the appeal is brought forth to the AC. Claimants are waiting for unreasonable lengths of times for their problems to be resolved and some of the time without compensation while waiting for their appeal.
Over the past several years initial appeals received at the AC have been increasing as are the number of issues received within these appeals. Over the last several years, appeals concluded and issues finalized are decreasing which tell us that although there are more appeals being submitted less is getting resolved within the year. Although the AC is very busy this is not helping workers get their issues resolved. Perhaps this decrease is due to a lack of employees within the system? Regardless less people are being helped in not a very timely manner. 2006 saw a higher number of appeals and thus a decrease in 2007 however let us remember that 2006 was a year of high economic success and employment so this high number makes sense. It is the increase in times of lower claims that piques the curiosity.
Now let’s discuss appeals. It was reported at the 2009 Annual General Meeting that there were 15% fewer appeals in 2008 than in 1999. The WCB argued that this decrease in appeals meant that fair and fairly communicated decisions were happening. However, perhaps it is that the system is more difficult to master and injured workers are not taking advantage of all entitlements available to them due to not understanding this system or what they are truly entitled to. These numbers do not include issues that were resolved at desk level with the case manager or supervisor nor does it include the issues resolved at the DRDRB level, if any. The AC has limited bookings and long timelines so the onus is on them to get appeals processed and hearings happening. Appeals Officers and representatives are backlogged with clients and they only have so much time and resources in getting each client to the AC. With more time and resources of workers advocates along with more stringent and effective processing times, I am sure appeals would be higher. Nor does it address the fact that unsatisfied claimants may just take what they can get and rely on other sources of compensation such as social services or spousal/ familial support unaware of appeal as an option. I would be curious to see the average number of days it takes for an Appeals Advisor to get a claimant through the process. Or how much fewer representatives are for hire to help injured workers or what their timeframes are for getting workers to the AC. Or above all how many workers know they can appeal and actually go ahead with taking action. It would be beneficial to the WCB to make sure there are not any extraneous factors affecting the results of these statistics. Regardless of these statistics, initial appeals received at the AC have been increasing over the past several years and the number of issues is also increasing. Claimants are having problems and concerns with the Alberta WCB and even though the numbers do not assuredly prove what has been stated, the WCB must address every possiblility that may affect the results before stating that this is black and white and objective.
Over the past several years initial appeals received at the AC have been increasing as are the number of issues received within these appeals. Over the last several years, appeals concluded and issues finalized are decreasing which tell us that although there are more appeals being submitted less is getting resolved within the year. Although the AC is very busy this is not helping workers get their issues resolved. Perhaps this decrease is due to a lack of employees within the system? Regardless less people are being helped in not a very timely manner. 2006 saw a higher number of appeals and thus a decrease in 2007 however let us remember that 2006 was a year of high economic success and employment so this high number makes sense. It is the increase in times of lower claims that piques the curiosity.
Now let’s discuss appeals. It was reported at the 2009 Annual General Meeting that there were 15% fewer appeals in 2008 than in 1999. The WCB argued that this decrease in appeals meant that fair and fairly communicated decisions were happening. However, perhaps it is that the system is more difficult to master and injured workers are not taking advantage of all entitlements available to them due to not understanding this system or what they are truly entitled to. These numbers do not include issues that were resolved at desk level with the case manager or supervisor nor does it include the issues resolved at the DRDRB level, if any. The AC has limited bookings and long timelines so the onus is on them to get appeals processed and hearings happening. Appeals Officers and representatives are backlogged with clients and they only have so much time and resources in getting each client to the AC. With more time and resources of workers advocates along with more stringent and effective processing times, I am sure appeals would be higher. Nor does it address the fact that unsatisfied claimants may just take what they can get and rely on other sources of compensation such as social services or spousal/ familial support unaware of appeal as an option. I would be curious to see the average number of days it takes for an Appeals Advisor to get a claimant through the process. Or how much fewer representatives are for hire to help injured workers or what their timeframes are for getting workers to the AC. Or above all how many workers know they can appeal and actually go ahead with taking action. It would be beneficial to the WCB to make sure there are not any extraneous factors affecting the results of these statistics. Regardless of these statistics, initial appeals received at the AC have been increasing over the past several years and the number of issues is also increasing. Claimants are having problems and concerns with the Alberta WCB and even though the numbers do not assuredly prove what has been stated, the WCB must address every possiblility that may affect the results before stating that this is black and white and objective.
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