[Image: Black Triangle Campaign]

The law requires DWP representatives at benefit appeal tribunals to provide new information in the appellant’s favour – but it seems clear that their bosses are requiring them not to do so, in order to rig the verdict against awarding PIP or ESA.

The revelation shows the contempt in which the Tories and their servants in the DWP hold not only people who are sick and disabled, but also the courts.

It’s part of Stage Three of the ten stages of genocide: Discrimination – denying a group their civil rights, ensuring they cannot participate fully in society.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service ought to have something to say about this.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) officers who attend benefit appeal tribunals are being asked by their bosses how many high-level awards to disabled people they have been able to prevent.

DWP has finally released information that shows that the presenting officers (POs) it sends to personal independence payment (PIP) appeals must report back to their bosses afterwards on whether they persuaded the tribunal not to grant an enhanced PIP award.

The same applies for those sent to employment and support allowance (ESA) appeals, with POs having to tell their managers whether they persuaded the tribunal not to award the claimant eligibility for the ESA support group.

Information published by DWP states that the role of a PO is both to present the department’s case, but also to “draw the [first tier tribunal’s]attention to new points in the appellant’s favour”.

Instead of providing balanced information that is fair to the claimant, the department’s freedom of information response appears to show that POs are being told to prevent as many enhanced awards as they can for PIP and ESA.

A DWP spokeswoman declined to say whether [minister for disabled people Sarah] Newton was aware that her department appeared to be breaching both the spirit and the letter of the law on ESA and PIP; what action Newton would take; and how she responded to the comments from one of her own civil servants.

Source: ‘Truly appalling’ revelations ‘show DWP is subverting justice’ at appeal tribunals

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