Justice written question – answered at on 27 January 2014.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice
(1) what proportion of appeals to the Tribunals Service from appellants in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England regarding (i) disability living allowance, (ii) employment and support allowance, (iii) income support, (iv) jobseeker's allowance and (v) tax credits were successful in (A) each quarter in 2013 and (B) the latest period for which figures are available;
(2) what the average length of time was for the Tribunals Service to administer a First-tier Tribunal-Social Security and Child Support appeal in respect of employment and support allowance in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England in (i) each quarter in 2013 and (ii) the latest period for which figures are available.
The First-tier Tribunal–Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) decisions on a range of benefits.
Table 1 shows the proportion of appeals which were decided in favour of the appellant in (a) Coventry (b) the West Midlands and (c) England and Wales regarding (i) disability living allowance, (ii) employment and support allowance (ESA), (iii) income support, (iv) jobseeker’s allowance, and (v) tax credits in the first three quarters of 2013, the latest period for which figures are available.
Table 2 shows the average length of time to administer appeals in respect of ESA in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England and Wales in the first three quarters of 2013, the latest period for which figures are available.
Table 1: Percentage of appeals decided in favour of the appellant in the first three quarters of 2013 | ||||
2013 | ||||
Appeal type | January to March | April to June | July to September | |
Coventry | DLA | 49 | 44 | 45 |
ESA | 45 | 48 | 40 | |
IS | 38 | 36 | 15 | |
JSA | 26 | 29 | 21 | |
Tax credit | 50 | 22 | 29 | |
West Midlands | DLA | 37 | 37 | 36 |
ESA | 42 | 39 | 39 | |
IS | 33 | 29 | 36 | |
JSA | 23 | 22 | 20 | |
Tax credit | 0 | 0 | 17 | |
England and Wales | DLA | 41 | 40 | 40 |
ESA | 42 | 41 | 43 | |
IS | 27 | 24 | 27 | |
JSA | 21 | 19 | 18 |
Tax credit | 25 | 20 | 17 | |
Note: The very small number of tax credit appeals at Coventry venues means that the percentage appears as 0 in some instances. Similarly, due to the small number of appeals, a single case can make a significant difference to the percentages. |
Table 2: Average length of time to administer ESA appeals in the first three quarters of 2013 | |||
weeks | |||
2013 | |||
January to March | April to June | July to September | |
Coventry | 30.8 | 28.3 | 28.5 |
West Midlands1 | 24.9 | 24.8 | 27 |
England and Wales | 18.8 | 19.1 | 21.5 |
1 West Midlands includes appeals heard at Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford, Kidderminster, Leamington Spa, Nuneaton, Shrewsbury, Solihull, Stoke, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Worcester venues. Note: The above data are taken from management information in line with published statistics. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the details are subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale reporting system and is the best data available. |
The increase in waiting times for appeals reflects the significant increase in ESA appeals received by the tribunal. To meet this increased demand, HMCTS has increased the capacity of the tribunal; for example, from June 2013 the number of hearing rooms in Coventry has doubled.
Yes1 person thinks so
No0 people think not
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