A claimant who was called a ‘lying bitch’ in a DWP submission to a PIP tribunal has been awarded £5,000 in compensation.
Back in March we reported that two pages from an appeal submission have been posted by a professional welfare rights worker on the Rightsnet website, with the claimant’s permission.
The extract included the following statement by the DWP:
“Although Miss [redacted] has identified a high level of personal restriction, she is entitled to Carer’s. To be entitled to Carer’s Allowance a person must provide at least 35 hours of care to another disabled person each week. In this lying bitches case she is receiving the middle rate carers allowance component for providing day-time supervision to another disabled person. The tribunal may wish to explore this further.”
Initially the DWP reversed its decision to refuse the claimant PIP and also offered her a consolatory payment of £250.
However, the claimant declined the payment and sued the DWP for discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.
The DWP offered an out of court payment of £3,000 which the claimant also refused, before settling for £5,000 plus legal costs
The claimant told the Guardian: “I just want to put it all to bed now. I didn’t get any answers from the DWP about why it happened or how it would prevent it happening again. I have done what I have done to prove a point.”
The abandoned tribunal was the third time in five years the claimant had been obliged to appeal an incorrect PIP decision.
A civil servant has been dismissed in connection with the incident.
You can read the full story in the Guardian.
