Page 91 - Reforming Benefits Decision-Making

online application process has been a particular issue during the pandemic due
249
to problems viewing and printing paperwork.
3.34 The appeal form asks appellants to fill in their personal details: name; address;
date of birth; national insurance number; which benefit they are appealing;
and details of their representative if they have one. There is then a ‘grounds of
appeal section’, which asks appellants to provide their reasons for appeal –
what they disagree with from the mandatory reconsideration notice and why.
The online version asks the appellant if they want to upload any evidence to
support their appeal. Both the online and paper-based version state that
evidence “is any information that supports your appeal such as a letter, written
statement or medical report. Useful evidence helps the Tribunal understand
the facts of your appeal. For example, a letter from your doctor, carer or
someone who knows about your condition.”

3.35 Currently the appeal application process involves a significant amount of re-
entry, or ‘re-keying’ of information that claimants have already previously
provided to the DWP, including their personal details. The online application
process may also result in appellants uploading evidence that they have
already provided to the DWP at either the initial, or mandatory
reconsideration, stage. Given the automation and digitisation programmes that
the DWP and HMCTS have embarked upon we believe that these
technologies could be harnessed to make it easier for claimants to appeal
benefits decisions.

3.36 The Traffic Penalty Tribunal has already had great success working with local
authorities across England and Wales in developing digital case files and
digital pins. When a motorist challenges a local authority issued traffic
penalty notice, something akin to an internal review is offered by the local
authority. Should the charging authority reject the person’s representations,
they issue a Notice of Rejection of Representations, which features a weblink
250
and digital pin code to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal’s digital appeal system.

249 Administrative Justice Council and JUSTICE, Welfare benefit advice provision during the pandemic
(March 2020), p.10; Child Poverty Action Group, ‘Coronavirus and tribunals for benefit and tax credit
appeals’ (July 2020).
250 Traffic Penalty Tribunal, Accessibility Statement (2020).

82