Senior Tribunal Judge Says DWP Keeps Wasting His Time With Pointless Benefit Appeals

Wouldn’t it be great if Judges had the right to penalise the DWP for decisions giving rise to appeals which are blatantly wrong and injust. It would be even better if the Judge could award interest to the claimant for the time they wait to get to appeal and, let’s go further, give them the power to award aggravated compensation for time, inconvenience and distress caused to claimants throughout the appeal process. The court costs should be passed on to the DWP and, where decisions were based on the Assessor’s flawed reports (and most are), deduct or charge such payments to the Assessor Organisations. I know its pie in the sky and it will never happen, but it should because the DWP have no disincentive to act otherwise and every incentive to refuse benefits based on lies and misinformation – indeed, their remit is to propagate such. Judges must be sick to the teeth with appeals that the DWP do not even deign to attend and have to do their job for them in awarding justified benefit to sick and disabled people. They must feel frustrated that they do not have the power to penalise the DWP and the costs to the courts at a time when their own costs have been cut. Well done to the Judges who highlight this.