By Natalie Bloomer in politics.co.uk.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has set staff a target of upholding 80% of the benefit decisions that they are asked to reassess, it has been revealed.
In response to a Freedom of Information request, the department stated that a key measure used to monitor the performance of Mandatory Reconsiderations (the first step in the benefits appeals process) is that 80% of the original decisions are to be upheld.
It went on to confirm that between April 2016 – March 2017 staff exceeded that target with 87.5% of original decisions being maintained.
Henry Brooke, a former judge and member of the Access to Justice Commission, wrote in a blog post yesterday that the revelations appeared to be an “absolutely outrageous interference” with the rule of law.
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