Post by Admin on Jun 7, 2021 15:56:02 GMT
People before process
www.z2k.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/FINAL.pdf
Z2K’s vision is that no-one in the UK should be living in poverty. We believe that adequate income
and secure housing are key to creating a more equal society where everyone has the chance to lead
a stable and dignified life. We work with people in London to solve their social welfare legal issues,
with a focus on social security and housing matters, and we use the evidence from our casework to
campaign to change policy and practice that drives injustice. Embedded at the heart of Z2K is our
client-centred approach and our work to ensure the voices and views of people with lived
experience are heard by decision-makers.
In 2020, we supported 1,085 people with 1,233 cases, securing financial benefits of over £6.5 million
for our clients. This included helping over 250 disabled people appeal against decisions by the
Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) to refuse their claim for disability benefits – Employment
Support Allowance (ESA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit (UC) - at the
First Tier Tribunal. Before the Covid pandemic and temporary suspension of all re-assessments and
most face-to-face assessments, the figure was almost double. Over 90 per cent of the people we
help to appeal end up winning their case.
Survey summary
In April 2021, Z2K surveyed 1,420 people who have been through the assessment process for
disability benefits – 1,220 had been assessed for PIP, 885 for ESA, and 166 for the Limited Capability
for Work (LCW) elements of UC.
We asked people to share their insights on the assessment process – including the Mandatory
Reconsideration (MR) and appeals process – as well as the changes that they would like to see made
to the current assessment regime. We also asked their opinion on whether the Government’s
upcoming Health & Disability Green Paper will deliver on generating desired reform.
The top findings include:
70 per cent of people feel like the assessor DWP contracted to carry out their assessment
did not understand their condition
66 per cent of people feel like the assessment report they got after the decision did not
reflect what they’d told the assessor in the assessment
49 per cent of those respondents who challenged a decision to refuse their claim at DWP’s
internal MR stage saw that decision overturned.
By contrast, 87 per cent of the remaining respondents who went on to appeal to the
independent First Tier Tribunal had DWP’s decision overturned
89 per cent of respondents are either “not at all confident” (69 per cent) or “not so
confident” (20 per cent) that the changes they would like to see made to the assessment
process will be included in DWP’s upcoming Health & Disability Green Paper
Similarly, 88 per cent of people are either “not at all confident” (67 per cent) or “not so
confident” (21 per cent) that the Government will use the feedback they receive during
this Green Paper consultation to make changes to the assessment process for benefits
74 per cent of respondents think the Government won’t even bother to listen to the
experiences of those who have been through the assessment process themselves.
www.z2k.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/FINAL.pdf
Z2K’s vision is that no-one in the UK should be living in poverty. We believe that adequate income
and secure housing are key to creating a more equal society where everyone has the chance to lead
a stable and dignified life. We work with people in London to solve their social welfare legal issues,
with a focus on social security and housing matters, and we use the evidence from our casework to
campaign to change policy and practice that drives injustice. Embedded at the heart of Z2K is our
client-centred approach and our work to ensure the voices and views of people with lived
experience are heard by decision-makers.
In 2020, we supported 1,085 people with 1,233 cases, securing financial benefits of over £6.5 million
for our clients. This included helping over 250 disabled people appeal against decisions by the
Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) to refuse their claim for disability benefits – Employment
Support Allowance (ESA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit (UC) - at the
First Tier Tribunal. Before the Covid pandemic and temporary suspension of all re-assessments and
most face-to-face assessments, the figure was almost double. Over 90 per cent of the people we
help to appeal end up winning their case.
Survey summary
In April 2021, Z2K surveyed 1,420 people who have been through the assessment process for
disability benefits – 1,220 had been assessed for PIP, 885 for ESA, and 166 for the Limited Capability
for Work (LCW) elements of UC.
We asked people to share their insights on the assessment process – including the Mandatory
Reconsideration (MR) and appeals process – as well as the changes that they would like to see made
to the current assessment regime. We also asked their opinion on whether the Government’s
upcoming Health & Disability Green Paper will deliver on generating desired reform.
The top findings include:
70 per cent of people feel like the assessor DWP contracted to carry out their assessment
did not understand their condition
66 per cent of people feel like the assessment report they got after the decision did not
reflect what they’d told the assessor in the assessment
49 per cent of those respondents who challenged a decision to refuse their claim at DWP’s
internal MR stage saw that decision overturned.
By contrast, 87 per cent of the remaining respondents who went on to appeal to the
independent First Tier Tribunal had DWP’s decision overturned
89 per cent of respondents are either “not at all confident” (69 per cent) or “not so
confident” (20 per cent) that the changes they would like to see made to the assessment
process will be included in DWP’s upcoming Health & Disability Green Paper
Similarly, 88 per cent of people are either “not at all confident” (67 per cent) or “not so
confident” (21 per cent) that the Government will use the feedback they receive during
this Green Paper consultation to make changes to the assessment process for benefits
74 per cent of respondents think the Government won’t even bother to listen to the
experiences of those who have been through the assessment process themselves.