Category: Latest news
Created: Friday,
11 September 2015 12:48
The latest statistics from the Ministry of Justice show that, for the
first time, more personal independence payment (PIP) appeals are being lodged
than employment and support allowance (ESA) appeals. The success rates for
claimants appealing a PIP decision have also increased dramatically.
Appeal numbers begin to climb.
In the first quarter of 2015/16 the number of ESA appeals lodged was 13,502. But in the same quarter 14,751 PIP appeals were lodged, making PIP the most appealed benefit for the first time.
ESA appeals have fallen from a high of 111,795 in the first quarter of
2013/14 to a low of 8,703 in the first quarter of 2014/15 and have since begun
rising slowly again to their current level.
The massive drop is primarily due to the introduction of the mandatory
revision before appeal system, which makes it much harder to get to the stage
of lodging an appeal.
Overall, tribunal numbers are on the rise again, however, after a
massive slump following the introduction of mandatory reconsideration before
appeal.
They fell from a high of 160,077 lodged in the first quarter of 2013/14,
down to 22,687 in the first quarter of 2014/15. In the first quarter of 2015/16
they had risen to 38,828.
This is still less than a quarter of the previous level and what is
still not clear is how many mandatory reconsiderations are taking place and
what proportion of those are successful.
More
claimants win their appeals
Disability living allowance (DLA) appeal success rates for claimants have risen over time, although the number of appeals decided has fallen dramatically.
Disability living allowance (DLA) appeal success rates for claimants have risen over time, although the number of appeals decided has fallen dramatically.
In the first quarter of 2013/14, the success rate for DLA claimants was
40% of 16,229 appeals. This has risen to 56% of claimants winning 2,435 appeals
in the first quarter of 2015/16.
The picture for ESA is very similar.
ESA success rates have risen from 42% of 77,289 appeals in the first
quarter of 2013/14up to 58% of 12,101 appeals in the first quarter of 2015/16.
PIP success rates for claimants have risen from 26% of 81 appeals in
quarter 4 of 2013/14 – the first time there were any PIP appeals - to 57% of
7,931 appeals in the first quarter of 2015/16.
The proportion of claimants who have won their PIP appeal has risen
every quarter until they are now on a par with DLA and ESA appeals.
This is puzzling.
Mandatory reconsideration mystery
Mandatory reconsideration before appeal was introduced for PIP in April 2013 and for DLA and ESA in October 2013.
Mandatory reconsideration before appeal was introduced for PIP in April 2013 and for DLA and ESA in October 2013.
This should mean
that all the most obvious wrong decisions by the DWP are overturned before they
ever get to appeal. This should mainly leave the less likely to succeed and
hardest to judge appeals going forward to tribunal.
In those
circumstances you would expect the DWP’s success rate to increase. It is
undoubtedly what the DWP expected to happen. Instead it has fallen
considerably.
It is clear we
need to know a lot more about what is happening at the mandatory
reconsideration and appeal stage. But, as ever, the DWP are trying to keep
those figures as vague and inaccessible as possible.
Benefits and Work
is now attempting to obtain more information about mandatory reconsiderations.
Meanwhile, the message is clear: appealing is very definitely not a waste of
time.
You can download the latest
tribunal statistics from this page.
Just to let you know that this report is written by my very close friend and partner Tim Hodge. 13.9.2015
I know it’s sad
guys but I think you should read this man’s story to see how bad things are
getting with the benefit system but more so on vulnerable peoples’ health.
Just to let you know that this report is written by my very close friend and partner Tim Hodge. 13.9.2015
Awareness of benefit cuts, disabilities,
health problems and stress.
I am not saying it
will be everyone’s’ cases but to how times are getting harder for people who
are going through things such as the benefit cuts. Some people may find ways of
accessing drugs and alcohol by going through other people if they feel very
down in themselves due to their depression. This could cause risk of debt as
well as health if it’s possible that others are accessing drugs and alcohol for
them.
As now services can give people very little or no help people's’ lives are at risk of getting worse. Sorry to raise such a negative subject but the truth is how it is.
Due to the cuts there's very little help or not any to Mental Health services as well as Disability services this is now causing people with whom need the help and support to suffer in silence because it get's to the point everywhere they try they don't get the help they need, this is very worrying and something needs to be done about it because a lot vulnerable lives are in risk of being lost. This needs to be taken seriously mainly for those who can't afford to pay for living their home paying bills, eat and etc. A lot of people are in risk of going homeless.
As now services can give people very little or no help people's’ lives are at risk of getting worse. Sorry to raise such a negative subject but the truth is how it is.
Due to the cuts there's very little help or not any to Mental Health services as well as Disability services this is now causing people with whom need the help and support to suffer in silence because it get's to the point everywhere they try they don't get the help they need, this is very worrying and something needs to be done about it because a lot vulnerable lives are in risk of being lost. This needs to be taken seriously mainly for those who can't afford to pay for living their home paying bills, eat and etc. A lot of people are in risk of going homeless.
Just bear in mind
people who suffer from for eg; Anxiety, Depression, Epilepsy, possibly Diabetes
and etc are as twice as much sensitive to stress and negative situations more so than
other people. In the time to a crisis the mind doesn't always think straight in when people reacting can be in most cases uncontrollable. More people turn to talent, others turn drugs, alcohol and etc others turn both in many cases all.
I have written this small paragraph. Sara Jane Gorman 13.9.2015
I have written this small paragraph. Sara Jane Gorman 13.9.2015
Here are four things you
should know about consuming alcohol if you have epilepsy:
All of us can benefit from being moderate
about how much alcohol we drink, but the stakes are higher when you have
epilepsy. Maybe you’re wondering, “How much alcohol is safe for me to drink
without triggering a seizure?”
There’s good news for you, according to
Andrey Stojic, MD, Director of Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute at
Lakewood Hospital. “Studies don’t suggest that rare or moderate alcohol use
causes any problems for people with epilepsy,” he says.
How much alcohol is “moderate”? Experts
define “moderate use” as one or two drinks a day, according to a 2001 study
published in the medical journal Epilepsia.
When you should worry
“The biggest risk is with people who binge
drink or use alcohol excessively. This can lower seizure thresholds,” Dr.
Stojic says.
This is because excessive alcohol can impact
the “excitability” of your brain’s nerve cells, Dr. Stojic says. This, in turn,
can spur abnormal electrical brain activity that causes a seizure.
Binge or excessive drinking of #alcohol can increase your
risk for seizure #epilepsy
Click to Tweet
4 things you need to know
Here are four things you should know about
consuming alcohol if you have epilepsy:
1. Seizures and alcohol withdrawal are
associated. “If you’ve been using alcohol to
excess, don’t suddenly stop,” Dr. Stojic says. According to the Epilepsy
Foundation, most seizures do not occur while a person is drinking. Instead,
they are typically tied to alcohol withdrawal and can occur between 6 and 72
hours after you stop drinking. These are most common in people with a history
of alcohol abuse who stop use suddenly.
2. Alcohol can reduce your medication’s
effectiveness. “Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
can affect your liver’s metabolism, altering how you process anti-epileptic
drugs (AEDs),” Dr. Stojic says.
These effects reduce your medication’s
effectiveness in protecting you against seizures. Also, excessive alcohol can
affect a person’s compliance with their AEDs, likewise diminishing their
potency. Alcohol can even ratchet up some of the side effects of AEDs and make
you drowsy.
3. Disturbed sleep patterns can trigger
seizures. Nights out partying can significantly
disrupt normal sleep habits, and for people with epilepsy, sleep deprivation is
a common cause of seizures.
4. Watch for connections between alcohol and
seizure frequency. “If you notice an association between
any amount of alcohol and seizure frequency, then you should avoid alcohol,”
Dr. Stojic says. This means paying attention to your body and the way it reacts
to alcohol in your system, which can vary for different people.
“It’s really about doing things in
moderation,” says Dr. Stojic. “Each case is individual, but many people can
have an occasional drink and do just fine.”
Written by Tim Hodge 13.9.2015.
Written by Tim Hodge 13.9.2015.
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