The latest quarterly tribunal statistics for April to June 2013 reveal an astonishing 86% increase in ESA appeals compared to the same period last year. The 93,000 ESA appeals in the last quarter make up 70% of all social security appeals, compared to just 11% for DLA. An average of 41% of DLA appeals and 42% of ESA appeals were won by the claimant.{jcomments on}
However, there are huge regional variations in the success rate for ESA appeals, as revealed by another government document.
The highest success rates are in the south east of England and in London, where a massive 47% and 45% of appeals, respectively, are successful. In the West Midlands and North West England, this drops to just 31%. This means that claimants in London and the South East are 50% more likely to win their appeal than claimants in the West midlands and North West.
No attempt is made to explain these huge variations, though the quality of decision making and differing attitudes towards claimants in different regions may play an important role.
The full figures for ESA appeal success are as follows:
East Midlands 39%
Eastern 36%
London 45%
North East 37%
North West 31%
Scotland 40%
South East 47%
South West 41%
Wales 36%
West Midlands 31%
Yorks & Humber 33%
The success rate for appeals relating to different conditions also varies dramatically, as follows:
Certain Infectious and Parasitic Diseases 42%
Neoplasms 45%
Diseases of the Blood and Blood forming organs and certain diseases involving the immune mechanism 40%
Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases 36%
Mental and Behavioural Disorders 41%
Diseases of the Nervous System 48%
Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa 36%
Diseases of the Ear and Mastoid Process 43%
Diseases of the Circulatory System 40%
Diseases of the Respiratory System 38%
Diseases of the Digestive System 37%
Diseases of the Skin and Subcutaneous System 36%
Diseases of the Musculoskeletal system and Connective Tissue 35%
Diseases of the Genitourinary System 35%
Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium 25%
Congenital Malformations, Deformations and Chromosomal Abnormalities 49%
Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified 34%
Injury, Poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes 30%
Factors influencing health status and contact with health services 35%
Not Recorded 16%
