Page 126 - JUSTICE and AJC Report - Reforming Benefits Decision-Making

example, choosing an appropriate place to be for the hearing and
ensuring devices are charged and what will happen during the hearing
including video call etiquette, for example remaining on mute when not
speaking. The page also contains a video guide on ‘Preparing for your
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video hearing’.
c) ‘HMCTS who’s who: Social Security and Child Support Tribunal’ – this
contains an explanation of the people who may be present in a benefits
appeal. It provides helpful, clear and concise explanations.
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d) Coming to a social security and child support tribunal video – this is a
video of a poster showing where everyone in the room will sit (with
369
illustrations of people) and the text explaining what each person does.
We could not find a still image of the poster online.
e) ‘How to appeal against a decision by the Department for Work and
370
Pensions on PIP, ESA or UC’ (SSCS1A). This contains a lot of helpful
information about completing the online application process or appeal
form and what happens after it is submitted, how to prepare for the
hearing and what will happen at the hearing. We are pleased that it has
recently been updated and now includes information on remote hearings,
including how appellants should prepare for video hearings.

4.62 Although there is good, clear information on appealing a benefits decision
already available, it is not always easy to find and is fragmented across many
webpages. In addition, the jurisdiction specific guide on how to appeal a PIP,
ESA or UC decision is very dense, and at 28 pages long, some appellants may
struggle to read and digest it.

4.63 Understanding Courts recommended the establishment of a ‘HMCTS
Online’ site that provides comprehensive, simple, accessible and
jurisdiction specific information on the process of going to a court or
tribunal, as well as curated links to independent advice providers for

367 HMCTS, ‘What to expect when joining a telephone or video hearing’ (March 2021).
368 HMCTS, ‘HMCTS who's who: Social Security and Child Support Tribunal’ (June 2020).
369 HMCTSgovuk, ‘Coming to a social security and child support tribunal’ (2018)
370 HMCTS, ‘How to appeal against a decision by the Department for Work and Pensions on PIP, ESA
or UC’ (SSCS1A PIP/ESA/UC, 2020).

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