4 February 2009
A Disability Alliance guide to benefits aimed at claimants with learning difficulties has been reissued with information about appeals following pressure from Benefits and Work.
Last month we carried a story explaining that the guide, published jointly by Disability Alliance, Mencap and the National Autistic Society, failed to warn readers that the DWP ever make mistakes or that they can be challenged. (See ’New guide threatens disabled benefits’)
At the time Disability Alliance failed to respond to our requests for a statement about why they hadn’t told claimants about their right to appeal. However, writing on another forum, one of the authors did admit that ‘with hindsight’ this was information that should have been included.
The new edition of the guide includes a page entitled ‘If you think there has been a mistake’ which briefly sets out claimant’s rights to ask for a decision to be looked at again and to appeal.
Other aspects of the guide about which we had concerns, such as voluntary work being seen just as a step on the way to paid work, have not been addressed.
You can download a copy of the Easy Read guide from this link.
