DWP Central Freedom of
Information Team
Caxton House
6-12 Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9NA
David Jameson
freedom-of-information-
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
xxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx
DWP Website
Our Ref: FOI2023/53992
02 August 2023
Dear David Jameson,
Thank you for your Freedom of Information (FoI) request received on 12 July. You wrote:
“How much money has the government spent between 2011 to 2023 on:
PIP Mandatory Reconsideration
ESA Mandatory Reconsideration
LCWRA / LCW Mandatory Reconsideration
ESA Mandatory Reconsideration
DLA Mandatory Reconsideration
PIP Appeals
ESA Appeals
LCWRA / LCW appeals
ESA appeals
DLA appeals
For all of those benefits what percent are overturned in the claimants favour and what
percent of cases has the DWP settled before going to tribunal
If you don’t have certain years for certain benefits or are missing data for whatever
reason give the years you have for when those benefits started and a total figure”
DWP Response
We confirm that we do hold some of the information you have requested.
Details of Mandatory Reconsideration and Appeals costs by benefit are shown below.
We cannot split out Limited Capability for Work Related Activity (LCWRA) and Limited
Capability for Work (LCW) costs specifically, so have provided total costs for Universal
Credit.
1
ESA
2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
Mandatory Reconsiderations
£0.0
£5.8
£20.4
£12.9
£12.6
£16.9
Appeals
£28.0
£41.6
£10.3
£7.2
£8.6
£15.7
ESA
2018-19 2019-20 2020-21. 2021-22. 2022-23.
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
Mandatory Reconsiderations
£9.0
£6.6
£1.6
£1.6
£2.3
Appeals
£9.2
£6.8
£1.4
£1.6
£1.5
UC
2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
Mandatory Reconsiderations
£0.0
£0.0
£0.2
£0.8
£1.1
£4.1
Appeals
£0.0
£0.0
£0.0
£0.1
£0.2
£1.1
UC
2018-19 2019-20 2020-21. 2021-22. 2022-23.
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
Mandatory Reconsiderations
£4.4
£9.3
£11.5
£14.1
£21.2
Appeals
£1.7
£5.7
£5.6
£5.4
£6.2
PIP
2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
Mandatory Reconsiderations
£0.0
£0.5
£4.7
£8.9
£9.7
£15.4
Appeals
£0.0
£0.2
£3.7
£11.0
£23.5
£35.0
PIP
2018-19 2019-20 2020-21. 2021-22. 2022-23.
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
Mandatory Reconsiderations
£20.1
£23.7
£24.8
£28.5
£22.8
Appeals
£24.4
£27.4
£23.9
£19.6
£24.5
DLA
2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
Mandatory Reconsiderations
£6.3
£5.0
£5.8
£2.6
£2.5
£2.4
Appeals
£20.0
£10.0
£2.7
£1.7
£1.6
£1.5
DLA
2018-19 2019-20 2020-21. 2021-22. 2022-23.
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
(£m)
Mandatory Reconsiderations
£2.2
£2.4
£2.1
£2.6
£2.4
Appeals
£1.6
£1.6
£1.4
£1.3
£1.8
Cost figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1m
Data Source: ABM
The Department reports cost information broken down into financial years, so the information
covers the period April 2012 to March 2023. Information for 2011 has not been provided as
this predates the introduction of the Mandatory Reconsideration process.
The cost figures quoted are estimated DWP level 1 operating costs, including both direct
delivery staff and non-staff costs. Non-staff costs are only those costs incurred in local cost
centres, relating to direct delivery staff.
Please note that the data supplied is from the Departmental Activity Based Models (ABM).
This data is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for
internal Departmental use only, and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or
Official Statistics publication standards. It should therefore be treated with caution. The
2022/23 model is still in draft and these are not the final figures.
2
The Departmental Activity Based staffing models are a snapshot of how many people were
identified as undertaking specified activities as assigned by line managers.
The data is frequently revised and changes to definitions / benefits / DWP structure effect
comparisons over time. It should therefore be treated with caution and must be seen as an
indication of cost, rather than the actual cost.
DLA figures for 2021/22 and 2022/23 excludes DLA Working Age cases as costs are too low
to be split.
The Appeals figures provided are just DWP costs. The full cost of a tribunal cannot be
ascertained as this would also need to include costs of HM Courts and Tribunal Service
(HMCTS - part of Ministry of Justice).
DWP captures data regarding Mandatory Reconsiderations overturned. However, we cannot
split this into whether it was overturned in favour of the customer or the department.
As mentioned above Appeals are a joint process between DWP and HMCTS. DWP do not
handle tribunals for appeals; the management information regarding appeal tribunals sits with
HMCTS and we are provided information for internal viewing only. If this information was
required, we would suggest that this element of your request be submitted to HMCTS.
Yours sincerely,
DWP Central Freedom of Information Team
Department for Work and Pensions
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Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act
If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by e-mailing
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx or by writing to: DWP Central FoI Team, Caxton
House, 6-12 Tothill Street, London, SW1H 9NA.
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If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you may apply directly to the
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a decision unless you have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information
Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Website:
ICO FOI and EIR complaints or telephone 0303 123 1113
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