Had #benefits stopped ... sanctioned ? @Number10gov is to charge people to #appeal #benefit #decision @DWPgovuk A leaked Department for Work and Pensions - DWP document obtained by The Guardian said the “introduction of a charge for people making appeals against decisions to #SocialSecurity tribunals” would be one possibility of raising money. The newspaper cited figures showing that nearly 900,000 people had their benefits #terminated in the last year, the highest figure for any 12 month period since jobseekers allowance was brought in 18 years ago. Rachel Reeves, the shadow work and pensions secretary, accused the government of presiding over a “broken” benefits system. She said that 58 per cent of appeals against #DWP decisions to withdraw jobseekers allowance are upheld. Figures from the DWP show that one in five recommendations by Atos Origin suggest benefit recipients are fit for work are overturned at appeal. The Citizens Advice believes this will result in thousands of people being wrongly forced to survive on no income at all. The proposals would hit the poor hardest and would greatly reduce the number of appeal tribunals. A group of 27 bishops Church of England attacked David Camerons government on Wednesday for cuts to the welfare system. Failures in the benefits system and a “punitive” set of Government cutbacks to welfare have left Britain with a food poverty “national crisis”, according to the group of church leaders.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Feb 2014 13:08:13 +0000