8 July 2020
What: ‘Reforming Benefits Decision-Making’ is a detailed report published by the Justice Department, identifying urgent improvements in benefit decision-making, which were disregarded by the Attorney General representing the UK government. The report says that:
‘The benefits decision-making system forms a huge part of the administrative justice landscape. But the UK system has been performing poorly. Claimants are incorrectly denied benefits too often and there have been concerns about systemic problems in decision-making by the Department for Work and Pensions. Many give up when faced with a long fight for their entitlement, appeals that remedy wrong decisions take too long and it is ultimately many of the most vulnerable in society that suffer. ’
Why significant: The Justice Department doesn’t usually involve themselves in social policy without due cause yet it seems, regardless of the stature of the authors who were past and present judges, the UK government disregards their findings.