Page 24 - Reforming Benefits Decision-Making -(updated - August 2021)

and DfC decision making.
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2.3 Getting benefits decisions right first time is imperative to prevent individuals
from suffering the often severe, detrimental impacts of being wrongly denied,
or stopped, benefits to which they are entitled. In the longer term it will save
the DWP and DfC money as they spend fewer resources dealing with
challenges to decisions. Furthermore, it will likely result in significant
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public sector savings beyond the DWP, including improved health outcomes
for claimants and therefore savings to health and social care and fewer
resources spent by councils on temporary accommodation and homelessness
prevention. This will be explored further in a forthcoming report by the
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Administrative Justice Council and Pro Bono Economics Unit due to be
published in September.

Health and disability assessments

2.4 For claimants with a disability or health condition, health and disability
assessments are a fundamental part of the benefits application process. There
are two types of assessments, PIP assessments and Work Capability
Assessments (WCA). The former is used to determine eligibility for PIP and

37 We have been told by some advisors that recently they have been seeing fewer health and disability
benefits decisions that appear to be wrongly made. It is unclear why this is, although it may be due to
the lower volume of decisions being made during the pandemic – there was a large drop in new PIP
claims at the start of the pandemic, claimants have been given up to three months to complete their PIP
forms rather than one month and there was also a suspension of award reviews and reassessments
(DWP, ‘PIP Statistics to January 2021’ (see n. 2 above). There have also been considerably fewer ESA
WCA assessments and reassessments (DWP, ‘ESA: outcomes of Work Capability Assessments
including mandatory reconsiderations and appeals: March 2021’ (March 2021). As part of the
implementation work for this report we will keep these changes under review. If it does indicate
improvements to DWP decision-making, then we welcome the changes.
38 In 2018/19 PIP mandatory reconsiderations and appeals cost the DWP £19.7m and £23.5m
respectively in direct staff costs. ESA mandatory reconsiderations and appeals cost it £8.7m and £8.8m
respectively in direct staff costs (Response to a Freedom of Information Act Request made by May
Bulman to the DWP, received on 4 May 2020).
39 The Low Commission, Follow up report (see n. 3 above) p.23; G. McKeever, M. Simpson and C.
Fitzpatrick, Destitution and Paths to Justice (see n. 3 above). See also Administrative Justice Council,
Health Innovation Ecosystem and University of Westminster, Access to social welfare advice in a
hospital setting: integration of services (June 2021).

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