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Wednesday 5 October 2016

Deadline 21.10.2016 for Ministry of Justice 'consultation' on scrapping of disability benefit tribunals

Sorry for earlier typo on this deadline. The actual deadline is Thursday 27 October.

Deadline 27.10.2016 for Ministry of Justice 'consultation' on scrapping of disability benefit tribunals

Q: When is a 'public consultation' not a public consultation?

A: When the consulting organisation does not notify those most affected by the proposed changes that the 'consultation' is happening — while parasitic companies that profit from the proposed changes have paid up departments to respond to and drive government policy.

Benefits and Work Publishing report: 
Virtual abolition of PIP, DLA and ESA appeal tribunals as we know them (1)
The government is poised to bring an end to the shaming success rates at benefits appeals, but they will do so by nobbling the appeals system rather than by improving decision making.
In the future many more appeals will be “on the papers” where success rates are drastically lower, hearings that do take place will be on the phone or via Skype type links and most appeals will be decided by a solicitor (often retired) sitting alone, without a medical wing member or a disability wing member....
ConsultationThe whole plan is open to consultation until 27 October 2016. However, judging by other recent consultations, the outcome – regardless of the evidence submitted – is a foregone conclusion.
You can read more about the plans and give your views on the Justice website. (2)

Officious authority demands that claimants notify them of any changes to the claimants' circumstances. So why don’t the Government write benefit claimants directly to notify us of such proposed changes?

I am reminded of the time that I was at a ‘Manpower Services Commission’-run ‘Employment Rehabilitation Centre’ in 1978. We were told that the ‘vocational assessment’ reports made about us there were “too confidential” for us to ever have home access to them outside the presence of a ‘Disablement Resettlement Officer’ or their Assistant. Further, the medical reports made on us there were deemed, “Too confidential for you to ever have access to,” for fear that our knowledge of what was in could be detrimental to our health.
By contrast, I believe that sick and disabled people knowing of this ‘consultation’ and getting support in responding to it can result in better outcomes for us than our being kept entirely in the dark about it.
The deadline is 27 October, further info at Ministry of Justice website and give them your views here.(3)

By Dude Swheatie of Kwug

Link addresses

  1. http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/3553-virtual-abolition-of-pip-dla-and-esa-appeal-tribunals-as-we-know-them
  2. https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/transforming-our-courts-and-tribunals
  3. https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/transforming-our-courts-and-tribunals/consultation

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