Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Department for Work and Pensions written question – answered at on 23 October 2017.

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Photo of Grahame Morris Grahame Morris Labour, Easington

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number of decisions that individual decision-makers have overturned at tribunal in each of the last five years.

Photo of Penny Mordaunt Penny Mordaunt The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

The Department does not hold data on the number of decisions that individual Decision Makers (DMs) have overturned at an appeal tribunal. If an appeal is heard by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service then an independent legally qualified judge (supported by other panel members) will uphold or overturn the original decision.

However the Department does hold data on the total number of lapsed decisions. Regulations allow DMs to review an appeal prior to submission to the tribunal. If the DM makes a revised decision wholly in the claimants favour this is classed as a lapsed appeal and negates the need for consideration by the tribunal. See yearly volumes of lapsed decisions in the table below;

1 April 2014 – 31 March 2015

1 April 2015 – 31 March 2016

1 April 2016 – 31 March 2017

1 April 2017 – 30 June 2017

4,275

9,620

12,760

4,542

Notes:

Data is only available from 1 April 2014. This is due to a change in the Mandatory Reconsideration and Appeals process in October 2013 as part of Appeals Reform. Pre October 2013 data is not comparable to current volumes. Volumes from October 2013 – April 2014 (initial Appeals Reform roll-out) were small volumes and therefore not reflective of normal trend.

Universal Credit data is only available from September 2014

Source:

Personal Independence Payment Computer System (PIPCS)

Disability Living Allowance Computer System (DLACS)

Pensions Computer System for Pension Age.

Decision Making and Appeals Case Recorder (DMACR) for Working Age benefits.

Appeals Tracking System for Child Maintenance Group

The above data sources are Departmental performance management, data capture and reporting tools. This type of internal management information does not form part of the official statistics outputs that are released by the Department in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice.

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