The DWP have as good as admitted that mandatory reconsiderations are a sham.

Geoark

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.

Continue reading: https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/3632-24-may-2017-update?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Benefits and Work&utm_content=v2+May+24+2017+newsletter

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.