ESA Appeal Stats: Massive Collapse
Many thanks Benefits And Work.
There has been a massive and unprecedented fall in the number of employment and support allowance (ESA) appeals according to official figures released todayl. ESA appeals lodged in the January to March 2014 quarter were down by 89% on the same period last year.
Overall, the number of benefits appeals is 59% lower this quarter than last quarter and 79% lower than the same quarter last year. It is the most dramatic drop in appeal numbers since records began to be kept.
The huge backlog of PIP and ESA assessments has undoubtedly played a apart in the fall in appeal numbers, as has the introduction of the mandatory revision before appeal system for ESA and other benefits on 28 October 2013.
The big question now is whether appeal numbers will begin to recover as mandatory reconsiderations by the DWP are completed and claimants who are not successful move on to lodging their appeal.
However, as yet the DWP have failed to undertake any sort of research into whether the new system effectively discourages claimants from going all the way to appeal. This is in spite of request from Judge Martin, the outgoing president of the tribunals service social welfare chamber, that they do so.
Discouraging claimants may work by, for example, telephoning them as part of the process and trying to persuade them that the DWP’s decision was correct and any challenge will fail. Other tactics, such as failing to register mandatory reconsideration requests, not making appeal forms available with the mandatory reconsideration decision letters and setting strict time limits both for asking for a reconsideration and then for lodging an appeal may also have helped to cut appeal numbers.
Same Difference 
when claimant is phoned up by the dm telling them they lost its a joke has a lot of people believe the dm at the dwp has they think they are truthfull but many are not going forward with the appeals because greyling took that help away from you jeff3
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Reblogged this on sdbast.
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The mandatory reconsideration period is responsible for the drop in number of appeals. Filled in new re-assessment ESA form in October, they haven’t even looked at it yet, so no new decision, and no need to appeal. Others that have been turned down are waiting for them to do their reconsideration.before they can launch an appeal. It’s a sick persons nightmare!
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All I get from Stratford handling centre in Wolverhampton is abuse, no – one knows what they are doing ,I put in for a mandatory re concidaration 22/2/2016,they say they will get in contact with u in 7 days, I rang them on the 12th day, the person I spoke to did say it was noted I foned but nothing on the system about a mandatory re concidaration! !!,then later that day I did get a fone call,she couldn’t tell me her name ad she was laughing to hard,,but managed to tell me “oh honey it’s so confusing we are going to have to start at the beginning once again,I was dionosed with c.o.p.d 2 yrs ago , I’m now on oxygen, p.i.p went thro not a problem, but I’ve had nothing but problems with my claim since this office took over
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