The Law Centre NI has called on the Department for Communities to publish annual data on social security appeals.

Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request show 5,780 appeals were heard in Northern Ireland between April 2025 and March 2026.

This total rose from 5,641 the previous year. Personal Independence Payment appeals increased from 2,522 to 2,891.

At 1 April 2026, 4,821 appeals remained outstanding, up 11 percent from 4,342 a year earlier.

Success rates were higher for appellants who attended oral hearings. In-person appeals across all benefit types succeeded at 54.1 percent, compared with 49.3 percent for remote hearings.

Personal Independence Payment appeals succeeded at 65.1 percent when held in person and 56.6 percent when held remotely.

Appellants with a representative present recorded higher success rates, reaching 72.3 percent for PIP appeals and 61.4 percent for Universal Credit appeals.

The proportion of cases adjourned rose to 35.7 percent, up from 31.0 percent the year before. PIP appeals recorded a lower adjournment rate of 30.8 percent.