The latest statistics from Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), which cover January through to March 2020 show a continuing very high success rate for claimants, but a dramatic drop in the number of appeals being lodged.
There has been a 96% rise in UC appeals but a 77% drop in ESA appeals, as claims for ESA are replaced by claims for UC.
However, there has also been a 38% drop in the number of PIP appeals being lodged, compared to the same period last year, down from 27,000 last year to 16,700 this year. The fall may be associated with the effects of the pandemic and the lockdown, although this did not occur until near the end of the quarter.
PIP appeals made up 51% of all appeals lodged in this period. It also accounted for 61% of the decisions made.
Success rates for claimants remain very high:
76% of PIP claimants won their appeal
75% of ESA claimants won their appeal
69% of DLA claimants won their appeal
64% of UC claimants won their appeal
There were a total of 86,000 social security appeals waiting to be heard at the end of March 2020, down 27% compared to the same period last year.
