According to data obtained from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, between April 2022 and April 2023, around 188,000 people successfully appealed against the DWP’s decision to deny their benefit claim
Nearly 190,000 people successfully claimed a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit after initially being rejected by the department.
According to data obtained from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from the Sun, between April 2022 and April 2023, around 188,000 people successfully appealed against the DWP’s decision to deny their benefit claim. If the DWP reject your claim, you can appeal against it through the “Mandatory Consideration” process.
A Mandatory Reconsideration is when the DWP reviews its decision again and decides whether to change it. If successful, it could mean the claimant receives thousands of pounds a year in benefits they would not have 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 disability benefit Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was the most appealed benefit decision between 2022 and 2023, with 276,790 people requesting their cases to be reviewed. Of those reviewed, 23% were successful. Around 269,000 people asked for their Universal Credit claim to be reviewed after it was unsuccessful, and around 104,990 – or 39% – of these applications were then approved. The data revealed that nearly half of Universal Credit appeals received between February and April 2023 were approved.
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) appeals also appeared to be very successful, however the numbers were much smaller. Between 2022 and 2023, only 3,380 people asked for their cases to be reviewed, and around 39% of those were approved.
David Southgate, policy manager at disability equality charity Scope, said these figures show far too many disabled people are getting the wrong decision from the DWP on their benefit assessment.
He added: “Every week, we hear from disabled people who tell us that wrong decisions are being made by assessors who don’t understand their conditions or circumstances. These wrong decisions come at a hefty cost to the government too, with around half of Universal Credit decisions being overturned.
“The government needs to work with disabled people to fix our broken benefits system. That must include bringing in expert assessors who understand the true impact of someone’s condition.”
A DWP spokesperson said: “We support millions of people every year and our priority is they receive the help they are entitled to. Mandatory Reconsideration is a key element of the department’s decision-making process, and offers an opportunity to challenge decisions and provide any additional information which may be relevant to a claim.”
If you want to launch the Mandatory Reconsideration process, you only have one month to ask for one from the date of your decision letter. Citizen’s Advice says the “best way” to apply for a reconsideration is to download the CRMR1 mandatory reconsideration request form on GOV.UK. You’ll then need to fill in the form, print it and post it to the DWP – you can’t submit the form online.
If you’re not able to use the form, you can write a letter to the DWP explaining why you disagree with the decision. Citizen’s Advice says that you can call the DWP, however it is better to have everything in writing. Once the DWP has looked at its decision again, they will send you a Mandatory Reconsideration Notice. This will tell you if the decision has been changed or not.