Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average cost to his Department was of a Personal Independence Payment tribunal appeal in each year since 2021.

The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The department holds information relating to the initial appeals process and that can be provided for financial years 2021/22 to 2023/24 but would only include Direct Operating costs and not any wider DWP overheads. The costs of processing the Appeals would include the costs of DWP Presenting Officer who attend some Tribunals.

The full cost of a tribunal cannot be ascertained. This is because appeals are a joint process between DWP and HM Courts and Tribunals Service. DWP do not handle tribunals for appeals; the cost of handling appeal tribunals sits with HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS), and we do not hold their cost information. If this information were required, we would suggest that this element of your request be submitted to HMCTS.