Twice over the past quarter it has been publicly announced by 2
different ministers that the huge reduction in the appeal intake was due
to more accurate ESA decisions, first by Mike Penning, the Minister for
Disabled People on the Daily Politics Show on April the 13th and then
by Steve Webb, the Minister of State for Pensions, during the debate about DWP chaos.
It is essential to put the record straight as DWP continues taking
credit for what it describes as an improvement of the WCA process,
leading to more disabled people being entitled to ESA. Far from being
improved, the WCA process has become unmanageable and is described by
Judge Martin, the recently retired President of the Social Entitlement
Chamber, dealing with benefits tribunals, as being in a state of virtual
collapse. This state of virtual collapse has led to the publishing of
astonishing figures.
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