Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for how many appeals against decisions for (a) Employment Support Allowance, (b) Universal Credit and (c) Personal Independence Payment did her Department lapse or concede on the day of the Tribunal.

The department does not lapse appeals on the day of a tribunal hearing. Where new evidence has become available after an appeal has been lodged but before it has been heard at a tribunal such that DWP can change the decision and lapse the appeal, this will always take place in advance of a hearing.

Where new evidence becomes available on the day of the hearing and a Presenting Officer from the Department is in attendance, they are able to make concessions in light of the new evidence. The tribunal will then take the concessions into account during their decision-making process. The department does not hold information on the number of cases in which concessions were made.