Thousands of people with disabilities or health conditions whose personal independence payment (PIP) claims were rejected by the Department for Work and Pensions are winning their appeals.
According to research carried out by The Independent, nearly 80,000 PIP decisions were reversed at an initial review last year.
PIP is the primary disability benefit, and is intended to provide financial assistance to people who have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and who have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of their condition.
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Executive Director of Strategy, Impact and Social Change at disability equality charity Scope James Taylor said: "These wrong decisions throw a person’s life into turmoil.
"Having to fight for financial support puts a huge toll on disabled people’s mental and physical health and can plunge families into poverty."
How you can appeal a benefit decision
If you do not agree with the outcome of a benefit claim, you are given one month starting from the date on your decision letter to lodge and appeal with the DWP.
As reported by the Liverpool ECHO, this is referred to as a mandatory reconsideration.
Those who appeal their decision could see their award either go up or down, and are able to speak with a benefits advisor before appealing.
Both components of your claim will be reconsidered, even if you only have a complaint about one component.
If the decision is not overturned at this stage, you can take the appeal step further, initially at a tribunal hearing — where an independent panel will look at the case — and then at an upper tribunal if you can show the first tribunal did not follow the law.
Those who win their appeal will have their PIP payments start from the date of the original decision,
A DWP spokesperson said: “For the majority of PIP claims, we get decisions right and all assessments are carried out by healthcare professionals trained to consider the impact of someone’s health condition or disability, but we are exploring what more we can do so the welfare system better meets the needs of disabled people through our health and disability green paper.”
