Social Security Benefits: Appeals

(asked on 11th December 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department uses key performance measures which set a benchmark of 80 per cent of original decisions being upheld at the Mandatory Reconsideration stage.


Answered by
Sarah Newton Portrait
Sarah Newton
This question was answered on 14th December 2017

There has never been a Mandatory Reconsideration target for upholding original decisions.

The 80 per cent figure, which was used in the answer to a recent Freedom of Information request, was an internal measurement only used to indicate areas where the quality of initial decisions may not be meeting our expected high standards, therefore enabling us to investigate and address if required.

Mandatory Reconsideration is a critical element our process and it is essential that claimants have confidence in it. Given the anxiety and confusion the 80 per cent figure has caused, we will therefore be using different ways of assuring quality going forwards.

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