DWP 'surrenders' more benefit appeals as number of hearings drop but waits grow

The latest DWP stats show a mixed picture for benefit claimants, with many still waiting for their claim to be heard and others seeing a drop in the amount of successful appeals

Benefit claimants challenging their awarded sums from the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) are more frequently winning their cases without the need for a hearing, recent government figures indicate. However, the situation remains complex for many, as over 79,000 individuals are still awaiting their appeals to be heard.

In the last quarter reported by the DWP, April to June, there was a notable drop in the percentage of cases where benefits officials contested a claim at a tribunal, dropping from 70 per cent to 61 per cent. Consequently, this shift has increased the likelihood of claimants having their benefits revised upwards without facing opposition.

Yet those who do attend a hearing seem to encounter a contrasting reality. The Benefits and Work forum, scrutinising the data, pointed out that the 9 per cent decline indicates "the DWP is surrendering before the appeal date in an increasing number of cases."

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This trend may suggest that the department is selectively concentrating on appeals it believes it can win, as evidenced by the hearings process now resulting in 40 per cent of claims being dismissed, up three per cent.

Despite enduring criticism over the lengthy waiting times, individuals seeking a decision from the DWP and an increase in their income are now facing an additional eight-week wait for their hearing. Even though the total number of benefit appeals has decreased year-on-year, DWP data shows that the wait time to have a case heard at a tribunal is now a staggering 35 weeks, reports the Manchester Evening News.

During this period, benefit claimants must make do with the amount initially awarded to them. The majority (64%) of appeals are for Personal Independence Payment, which means that disabled and ill Brits are waiting nearly nine months to have their case heard - even though a massive 69 per cent eventually win their appeal.

These prolonged waits for benefit claimants taken to an appeals hearing are likely to persist as, by the end of June, the backlog of appeals reported by the DWP had increased by 12 per cent to 79,000.

Between April and June, at benefit appeals hearings, PIP claimants were successful in 69 per cent of cases, while people on DLA won in 59 per cent, a four per cent decrease compared to the same period last year. Similarly, successful appeals for ESA awards fell by eight per cent, with only 44 per cent of claimants succeeding at a hearing.

For Universal Credit, which accounted for a fifth of all appeals, claimants also faced more difficulties, with just under half (49%) winning their case, a drop of five per cent.