Welfare Reform Bill

I admit to being slightly unsure of where we are procedurally. I think that I am speaking in favour of Clause 18 standing part of the Bill, and I shall say a few things that I would have said in response to an earlier amendment which was not moved. Noble Lords are absolutely right that the appeals process is a cornerstone of any effective benefit system. The noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, highlighted the questions surrounding the success rate of appeals. The department takes the success rating of appeals very seriously. We talked yesterday about it having issued new guidelines to decision-makers to improve the preparation of information for the appeals process. They specifically ask decision-makers to be more careful, and perhaps more effective, in gathering information from customers and identifying those who should be going through a reconsideration process because information about their claim has come to light which the decision-maker had not been aware of. They also improve the process of requesting further information from medical services and generally ensure that the communication of decisions to customers is more effective, making it clear that if there is any information that they feel should have been taken into account but was not, it should be passed to the decision-maker as quickly as possible. There has been an active process of advising decision-makers so that the concerns voiced about the appeals rates can be tackled.