Oral Answers to Questions

Marcus Jones Excerpts

Monday 1st July 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Marcus Jones (Nuneaton) (Con)]

15. What progress his Department has made on improving feedback from social security tribunal decisions.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Esther McVey)]

From 10 June, judges in four social security and child support tribunals are providing the Department for Work and Pensions with more in-depth information on why they overturn employment and support allowance decisions. That builds on the drop-down list of primary reasons for overturning decisions that was introduced last July.

[Mr Jones]

I congratulate the Minister on the work that she has done with Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service to secure this new approach. Does she agree that the information from the tribunals will allow the Department greatly to improve its decision-making process?

[Esther McVey]

My hon. Friend is correct, and that information is key, because decisions are overturned for many reasons. Most of the time, it is because new information comes into play at the appeal. We need to find out why decisions are overturned, not just for the claimant but for the DWP and everybody involved.