Drastic changes to ESA and PIP appeals planned.

[crookedspire]

At present you can appeal an ESA and PIP decision by going to an tribunal in person which more often that not helps to get the DWP makers decision overturned their and then.

 

At an tribunal panel at present their should be an judge and doctor or an disability adviser. Under the new plans appeals will be done as paper appeals which have a lower success rate than going in person another idea is to do appeals over the phone or online their will be no panel just one person looking at the case . When an person goes in person to an tribunal its possible for the panel to see the person and ask direct questions which helps both parties to understand the issues involved .

 

The President of the tribunal service has already warned that this idea will not work and could see appeals lasting weeks or even months making it very stressful for the person appealing. This has cone about as many ESA and PIP decisions have a high success rate of been overturned by an in person tribunal which does not sit well with an government who have shown to be very anti disabled.

 

The plans are been debated until the 27th October and more than likely be rubber stamped as official policy. I'm quite concerned by these new plans it denies the person the right to an fair hearing puts more strain on an already ill person going to an tribunal in person is very stressful already let alone one lasting weeks. Government should be looking at why the system fails instead of finding ways to send someone over the edge . Their short slightness on having a system that works is the reason why it costs so much on tribunals if the system was fair their would be no need for tribunals and could save money.

 

Their is a wider issue to this proposal I believe this system could be expended to Jobseeker Allowance appeals when a person accused of failing to fulfill their JSA contract has their money stopped often months at a time . Which could lead to someone been made homeless and no money to buy food or other basics. The JSA regime is butal as it is.

 

I believe this country is slowly but surly becoming an dictatorship that will see yet more people pushed into poverty unnecessarily and the basic human rights granted under UN conventions and British Common law removed we have entered a very dark era indeed.