Kenney pledging to wipe out social security tribunal backlog by this summer

OTTAWA — Jason Kenney is vowing to eliminate by this summer the 11,000-case backlog plaguing the federal government's beleaguered social security tribunal.

In a letter to a parliamentary committee, obtained by The Canadian Press, the employment and social development minister calls the backlog unacceptable.

He says he's taking concrete steps to ensure thousands of ailing or injured Canadians are no longer waiting years to have their appeals heard after being denied Canada Pension Plan disability benefits.

A team of government lawyers began reviewing appeals applications in December and started making settlement offers, Kenney says in the letter. As a result, the government is on track to eliminate the backlog as early as this summer.

Kenney says he was not satisfied with the progress made to tackle the backlog prior to December, and so urged officials to get more proactive.

The government is also working to put service standards in place to prevent future backlogs, Kenney says, adding those initiatives will ensure Canadians have access to a fast and fair appeals process.