The DWP have as good as admitted that mandatory reconsiderations are a sham.
Geoark
Member, Scope Volunteer Posts: 1,373 Disability Gamechanger
In response to a recent Freedom of Information query, the DWP revealed that they have a target of upholding the original decision in 80% of all mandatory reconsideration requests.
Worse still, they managed to exceed that target in the year to March 2017 by turning down 87.5% of all applications.
The DWP have since claimed that PIP is not included in the 80% target.
However, it remains the case that over 80% of PIP mandatory reconsideration requests also fail to get the decision changed – however coincidental the DWP might claim that figure is.
63% of claimants who have their mandatory reconsideration request turned down and who then go on to appeal to an independent tribunal, win their case.
The sad thing is that the FOI reveal not that the mandatory reviews are a shamble, but they have been very effective in what they were designed to do, which was to cut down the number of appeals, even if the success rate has remained high.
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As part of a community I helped to create change!