Page 75 - Reforming Benefits Decision-Making -(updated - August 2021)

lack of awareness among DWP staff and contractors about what reasonable
adjustments may be offered or available for people with different
impairments. The NAO has also stated that work coaches lack confidence
making reasonable adjustments.
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2.103 We therefore recommend that there should be specific training for
assessment providers, work coaches and anyone who comes into contact
with claimants (including on phone lines) on reasonable adjustments as
well as a clear policy and guidelines on how to identify where a
reasonable adjustment may be required and the types of reasonable
adjustments that could be offered to claimants. Similarly, specific
information on reasonable adjustments that may be available at each
stage of the process should be provided to claimants.

Feedback from tribunal decisions

2.104 Even without an independent regulator, there is already an independent body
which is routinely identifying issues with DWP decision-making – the FFT
(SCCS). As set out in paragraph 2.2 above the success rates on appeal to the
Tribunal for PIP, ESA and UC remain high. This suggests that the same
failures in decision-making recur without sufficient steps being taken to
prevent them. This is unacceptable, both for the detrimental impact on
claimants’ lives and for the resources expended on the appeal system.
Understanding why appeals are so often successful and what recurring issues
there are would assist the DWP in improving its decision-making.

2.105 The Tribunal issues a decision notice which states the outcome of the appeal
and provides a brief summary of the reasons. If either party to the appeal
wants fuller reasons, they can request a statement of reasons. We were told by
the DWP that the decision notices often lack sufficient information for them
to understand why an appeal was successful and therefore they cannot
currently collect any meaningful feedback from them. Whilst decision notices
do vary in terms of the level of detail they contain, we consider that they
provide valuable information that, when analysed and collated could provide a

207 National Audit Office, Supporting disabled people to work (see n. 129 above) p. 63.

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