help with appeals

What to do if your benefit application is refused, ceases or you are not awarded the level of benefit you expected.

 

We can help you through this complex process BUT you must contact us as soon as you get your award outcome letter from the DWP

• you need to let us have a copy of the DWP decision paperwork and one of our Senior Advisors trained in this work will then discuss it with you .  We do not need to see you in person at this initial stage.
• at times of high demand we may need to prioritise clients we helped with the original application
• we must submit a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) WITHIN 28 days of the date on the award outcome letter you received. In this MR we will state why you think the award is incorrect.

 

If the DWP do not change your award at this stage we progress to the next stage:

• you will need an appointment with one of our Senior Advisors, trained in this work. We always try to keep the same advisor that submitted your MR, so you know them and do not have to repeat so much of your situation.
• we need to lodge an appeal, this is done on-line, in which we outline every single detail of your situation in relationship to each descriptor (question).
• It is important we have some supporting documentation at this stage eg consultant of physio report etc
• we must lodge the appeal within 28 days of the award outcome letter regarding your MR.

 

If the DWP do not change your award at this stage:

• we now wait for a date for the Tribunal Hearing – this can be many months
• during this time a lot of preparation work will take place so you are ready (with support from us in some cases) to present your case at the Tribunal Hearing.
• we will help you to draft your Grounds for Appeal
• at all times it is very important to keep your caseworker up to date of any changes in your situation or communication from the DWP.