Major PIP update as thousands of claimants lodge appeals

Latest Government data on benefit complaints has been released

Fuming benefit claimants are becoming more likely to win complaints against the DWP, latest stats have shown. The department is giving in more often when challenged.

Government tribunal data from April to June 2024 indicates that the DWP is more likely to make a decision before a hearing, although this has led to longer waiting times for those who need to go to tribunal after lodging an appeal. Meanwhile, the number of appeals lodged by claimants dropped by 8 per cent compared to the same period last year, with a total of 32,000 appeals being made, the Express reports.

PIP appeals now account for 64 per cent of all appeal cases, while Universal Credit accounts for 21 per cent, the Benefits and Work website reports. Despite this, there was an 11 per cent decrease in PIP appeals and a 34 per cent decrease in DLA appeals. While 29,000 cases were resolved, 61 per cent of them went to the hearing stage, compared to 70 per cent last year.

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This suggests that the DWP is resolving more appeals before they reach the hearing stage. That theory is further supported by the drop in successful appeals from 63 per cent last year to 60 per cent this year, suggesting that the DWP may be choosing to contest cases where it has a better chance of winning.

The success rate of appeal tribunals is as follows:

• PIP 69%
• DLA 59%
• UC 49%
• ESA 44%

On average, it now takes an average of 35 weeks for an appeal case to reach tribunal from the date the claimant logged it. This is an increase of eight weeks during the same period last year.

Furthermore, there was a 12 per cent increase in open cases by the end of June, with a total of 79,000 open cases. The DWP has been approached for comment.

Meanwhile, PIP recipients in one area of the UK are seeing a significant change to how it operates. Up in Scotland, the devolved benefits agency has taken control of more than 200,000 cases of disabled people from the UK Government.