The number of appeals to benefit tribunals in Haverfordwest has soared by 130% in two years, local MP Simon Hart can reveal.

People living in South Pembrokeshire who want to appeal against a social security decision - such as a cut in the level of their benefits - have to make a submission to a Haverfordwest tribunal. Their case is then processed at an administrative office at Cardiff Tribunals Service Centre before coming back to the county for a hearing.

But increasingly long delays in the appeals process has led worried residents to contact their MP.

"This has become quite a big issue with a number of people calling me," said Mr Hart.

To investigate the problem he asked the Justice Department how many appeals were being heard within the target time of 14 weeks and how many cases were being handled.

The Government said that 40% of cases were not dealt with within the 14 week target time and there has been a 130% increase in appeals between April and September 2010 compared to the same period two years earlier.

"This is clearly a worrying situation as every case relates to a family or individual being left in uncertainty with the associated stress and money worries that brings," said Mr Hart.

Under Secretary of State for Justice Jonathan Djanogly did reassure Mr Hart that steps were being taken to cut the waiting list in Pembrokeshire.

"Cardiff Tribunals Service have been dealing with an unprecedented and unforecast increase in the levels of appeals," he said. "In response, there has been a significant increase in staffing levels at our Cardiff processing centre, together with a number of initiatives to improve capacity and throughput. The result has been that, between 1 April 2010 and 30 September 2010, the Cardiff Tribunals Service Centre ran over 75% more hearing sessions in the hearing venues it supports than during the same period two years ago.

"The number of hearing sessions (at Haverfordwest) have been increased by over 162%. Haverfordwest is a hearing venue and no processing staff are permanently based there. There has, however, been a suitable increase in the numbers of staff who are available to clerk hearings at Haverfordwest in order to support this increase in hearing sessions.

"In order to continue to increase hearing capacity in Cardiff, and Haverfordwest in particular, new medically qualified panel members have been recruited in that area and new legal members are currently being recruited."