28 April 2010
Benefits and Work has received a response to a Freedom of Information Act request for details of the result of DLA supersessions for the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available.
They reveal that in 53% of cases a claimant is better off as a result of a supersession and in 38% of cases the award is left unchanged. In just 3% of cases was an award of DLA stopped altogether.
A supersession occurs when an award that is in payment is looked at again because of a possible change of circumstances. The supersession may be started by a claimant who, for example considers that their condition has worsened, or by the DWP where, perhaps, they consider that a claimant’s condition has improved.
One striking statistic is that of 162, 455 supersessions the commonest result was no change, which occurred in over 62,000 cases.
The next commonest was an increase in the amount of DLA the claimant receives, which was what happened in over 54,000 cases.
The third most common category is that of award ‘allowed’, which occurred in more than 32,000 cases. The definitions (below the table) are slightly unclear on this point, but it appears to mean that where a decision had been made to reduce or stop a claimant’s DLA, the supersession results in the award being increased again.
In over 4,000 cases the award was simply varied, so that the claimant was switched from lower rate care to lower rate mobility or vice versa.
The full figures are set out below.
Outcome of DLA Supersessions from March 2009 to February 2010
| Total | |
| 1 Withdrawn | 50 |
| 2 Award reduced | 2,580 |
| 3 Award reduced - care to lower rate | 485 |
| 4 Award reduced - mobility to lower rate | 92 |
| 5 Award reduced - care and mobility to lower rate | 80 |
| 6 Award maintained | 62,338 |
| 7 Award varied | 4,692 |
| 8 Award increased | 54,317 |
| 9 Allowed | 32,629 |
| 10 No grounds | 272 |
| 11 Disallowed | 4,920 |
| Supersession total | 162,455 |
Definitions:
1. Withdrawn – when a customer requests their Supersession to be withdrawn
2. Award reduced – the decision is disadvantageous to the customer, i.e. the period of the award is shorter
3. Award reduced - care to lower rate – the care component is reduced to the lower rate
4. Award reduced - mobility to lower rate – the mobility component is reduced to the lower rate
5. Award reduced – care and mobility to lower rate – both components are reduced to the lower rates
6. Award maintained – entitlement to benefit remains at the same level as the previous award
7. Award varied – the award changes from lower rate care to lower rate mobility or vice versa
8. Award increased – the decision is advantageous to the customer, i.e. the overall amount of benefit is increased
9. Allowed – a disadvantageous decision of one or both components becomes an award of benefit
10. No grounds – there are no grounds to look at the decision again
11. Disallowed – an award of DLA becomes a disallowance
