DWP forced to pay out 188,000 benefit claims it initially rejected

According to information obtained from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, betwixt April 2022 and April 2023, astir 188,000 radical successfully appealed against the DWP's determination to contradict their payment claim

Nearly 190,000 radical successfully claimed a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) payment after initially being rejected by the department.

According to information obtained from a Freedom of Information (FOI) petition from the Sun, betwixt April 2022 and April 2023, astir 188,000 radical successfully appealed against the DWP's determination to contradict their payment claim. If the DWP cull your claim, you tin entreaty against it done the "Mandatory Consideration" process.

A Mandatory Reconsideration is erstwhile the DWP reviews its determination again and decides whether to alteration it. If successful, it could mean the claimant receives thousands of pounds a twelvemonth successful benefits they would not person received had they not appealed. During this period, the DWP received 595,000 mandatory reconsideration requests, which means 32% were successful.

According to the data, the disablement payment Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was the astir appealed payment determination betwixt 2022 and 2023, with 276,790 radical requesting their cases to beryllium reviewed. Of those reviewed, 23% were successful. Around 269,000 radical asked for their Universal Credit assertion to beryllium reviewed aft it was unsuccessful, and astir 104,990 - oregon 39% - of these applications were past approved. The information revealed that astir fractional of Universal Credit appeals received betwixt February and April 2023 were approved.

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) appeals besides appeared to beryllium precise successful, nevertheless the numbers were overmuch smaller. Between 2022 and 2023, lone 3,380 radical asked for their cases to beryllium reviewed, and astir 39% of those were approved.

David Southgate, argumentation manager astatine disablement equality foundation Scope, said these figures amusement acold excessively galore disabled radical are getting the incorrect determination from the DWP connected their payment assessment.

He added: “Every week, we perceive from disabled radical who archer america that incorrect decisions are being made by assessors who don’t recognize their conditions oregon circumstances. These incorrect decisions travel astatine a hefty outgo to the authorities too, with astir fractional of Universal Credit decisions being overturned.

“The authorities needs to enactment with disabled radical to hole our breached benefits system. That indispensable see bringing successful adept assessors who recognize the existent interaction of someone’s condition.”

A DWP spokesperson said: “We enactment millions of radical each twelvemonth and our precedence is they person the assistance they are entitled to. Mandatory Reconsideration is simply a cardinal constituent of the department’s decision-making process, and offers an accidental to situation decisions and supply immoderate further accusation which whitethorn beryllium applicable to a claim.”

If you privation to motorboat the Mandatory Reconsideration process, you lone person 1 period to inquire for 1 from the day of your determination letter. Citizen's Advice says the "best way" to use for a reconsideration is to download the CRMR1 mandatory reconsideration petition signifier connected GOV.UK. You'll past request to capable successful the form, people it and station it to the DWP - you can't taxable the signifier online.

If you're not capable to usage the form, you tin constitute a missive to the DWP explaining wherefore you disagree with the decision. Citizen's Advice says that you tin telephone the DWP, nevertheless it is amended to person everything successful writing. Once the DWP has looked astatine its determination again, they volition nonstop you a Mandatory Reconsideration Notice. This volition archer you if the determination has been changed oregon not.