The state benefits system mega-thread.

[Taf]

Originally Posted by Chris

What an absolute minefield. You must have to approach this like some military strategist to stay on top of it all.

I am ex-military and ex-civil service, so I have got the habit of keeping perfect records, or as best as the situation allows.

Failure to do so can open you to comebacks, even years later.

The DWP has the habit of asking "On what date did you first become a Carer?" or something equally memory-blasting.

[RichardCoulter]

From the benefits and work website:

TRIBUNALS SERVICE OVERWHELMED BY PIP APPEALS

A report by the Tribunals Service admits that they can’t keep pace with the number of PIP appeals.

The ‘Senior President of Tribunals’ Annual Report’ admits that “the rapid rise in appeal numbers has outstripped our ability to recruit and train sufficient numbers of panel members to keep pace”.

Appeal numbers plummeted in 2013, from a high of over half a million, after the DWP introduced its cynical mandatory reconsideration hurdle.

However, numbers are on the rise again, more than doubling from 112,000 in 2014 to 238,000 in 2018.

To try to cope, the Tribunals Service appointed 130 new judges, 225 medically qualified members and 125 disability qualified members last year.

They are also trying other methods to reduce the backlog, including cramming more PIP appeals into each session and trying to resolve more cases before they reach a hearing.

But the one thing that would really cut their workload - the DWP getting more decisions right - is unlikely to happen any time soon.

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

From the benefits and work website:

TRIBUNALS SERVICE OVERWHELMED BY PIP APPEALS

A report by the Tribunals Service admits that they can’t keep pace with the number of PIP appeals.

The ‘Senior President of Tribunals’ Annual Report’ admits that “the rapid rise in appeal numbers has outstripped our ability to recruit and train sufficient numbers of panel members to keep pace”.

Appeal numbers plummeted in 2013, from a high of over half a million, after the DWP introduced its cynical mandatory reconsideration hurdle.

However, numbers are on the rise again, more than doubling from 112,000 in 2014 to 238,000 in 2018.

To try to cope, the Tribunals Service appointed 130 new judges, 225 medically qualified members and 125 disability qualified members last year.

They are also trying other methods to reduce the backlog, including cramming more PIP appeals into each session and trying to resolve more cases before they reach a hearing.

But the one thing that would really cut their workload - the DWP getting more decisions right - is unlikely to happen any time soon.

More appeals doesn't necessarily mean more wrong decisions taking place.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by nomadking

More appeals doesn't necessarily mean more wrong decisions taking place.

This would tell you otherwise...

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.co...-in-two-years/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42862904

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/ne...-back-payments

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by denphone

This would tell you otherwise...

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.co...-in-two-years/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42862904

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/ne...-back-payments

That's all due to changes made to the rules and law. Not really "wrong" has such. Mainly down to interpretation of a few words/terms. Same sort of thing happens with other newly introduced benefits.



Still nothing to do with new demand for Tribunals.

[Taf]

The DWP announced ages ago that it wanted to move all Tribunals online "to save money".

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Taf

I dropped in and gave them the docs to copy. The guy who dealt with it said the DWP have often failed to send a form to them when a case is resolved by both claimant and DWP. Their giving maximum points was a ploy to ensure the case could not be contested further.

But I showed him a copy of the letter we sent stating that they had been over-generous. He suggested I should keep proof of them receiving that letter (Post Office Signed-for) in case they ever decided to claim over-payment. The Tribunals deal with that scenario a lot.

When I got home, my daughter said that someone from that office had called asking for a "reference number". She did not understand what that meant, so I hope they'll call again. I suspect they want the P.O. receipt number, to put on her records in case the DWP decides to play silly buggers.

Similar to what happened to me last year. PIP denied after missing out by 1 point. Skipped firsts steps and deaf blind Scotland rep that helped me requested tribunal right away. After a few months I got a call offering standard rate of living and mobility. I was only looking for living. Accepted the for and 4 months later I got the letter of invite to tribunal as DWP had not bothered yo contact them to advise it was settled. I had to call DWP to prompt them to send info to say it was settled.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Similar to what happened to me last year. PIP denied after missing out by 1 point. Skipped firsts steps and deaf blind Scotland rep that helped me requested tribunal right away. After a few months I got a call offering standard rate of living and mobility. I was only looking for living. Accepted the for and 4 months later I got the letter of invite to tribunal as DWP had not bothered yo contact them to advise it was settled. I had to call DWP to prompt them to send info to say it was settled.

The social security system has never been in such a mess in this country.

Some good news for those with severely disabled partners. The supreme court has unanimously ruled that applying the bedroom tax on 'spare' rooms that are used to store medical equipment is a breach of human rights:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/...er-bedroom-tax

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

The social security system has never been in such a mess in this country.

Some good news for those with severely disabled partners. The supreme court has unanimously ruled that applying the bedroom tax on 'spare' rooms that are used to store medical equipment is a breach of human rights:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/...er-bedroom-tax

Just as well we don't tax bedrooms, then.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Just as well we don't tax bedrooms, then.

It only affects those on Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.

[pip08456]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

It only affects those on Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.

So its not a tax then is it.

[Taf]

Four in five appeals processed in Wales against UK government decisions to deny people disability benefits succeeded, new data shows.

Success of appeals in Cardiff, covering Wales and south-west England, rose from 51% in 2013-14, to 80% between April and December 2018.

Charities said the success rate of appeals showed benefits assessments were beset by "poor decision-making" and "obvious inaccuracies".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-50378036

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by pip08456

So its not a tax then is it.

It's a shame that you're more interested in nit picking over terminology than the plight of severely disabled people who have wrongly had their benefits reduced.

In any case, this has been covered before if you check further back in this thread.

---------- Post added at 15:25 ---------- Previous post was at 15:22 ----------

Originally Posted by Taf

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-50378036

Yes, I saw this on the 1pm BBC news. It featured a lady who was bi polar who has had the extra stress and worry to obtain her entitlement, which won't have done her state of mental health any good.

At the end, she said something poignant as in "this could all be sorted out if they began to care".

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

It's a shame that you're more interested in nit picking over terminology than the plight of severely disabled people who have wrongly had their benefits reduced.

In any case, this has been covered before if you check further back in this thread.

---------- Post added at 15:25 ---------- Previous post was at 15:22 ----------



Yes, I saw this on the 1pm BBC news. It featured a lady who was bi polar who has had the extra stress and worry to obtain her entitlement, which won't have done her state of mental health any good.

At the end, she said something poignant as in "this could all be sorted out if they began to care".

It's a shame you're more interested in using a negatively emotive term which wrongly describes something than being accurate - you would be very upset (rightly) if someone described severely disabled people as "burdens on the taxpayers"; words have power, especially if used negatively and incorrectly.

[RichardCoulter]

I suggest that you take it up with the newspaper then.

This issue has already been covered recently in this thread, I see no point in going over old ground again, particularly when I suspect it's being done in order to deflect from the real issue under discussion.