What future for disabled folk?

Catherine wrote:

It is bad enough being put in a position where you have to appeal in the first place when the medical evidence is already in place, but it particularly upsets me when I hear of cases where people are being discouraged from appealing by JCP staff.

Best wishes

This practice is illegal and anyone who finds themselves in this position should write to the Customer Services Manager in the first instance, and inform him/her that this is tantamount to maladministration and that redress for such maladministration will be sought, on the grounds of misdirection.

As the DWP are a party to the proceedings they have no right to discourage an appellant to forgo their statutory right of appeal, even if in their eyes the appeal has no prospect of success. This is a matter for the Tribunals Service to decide and not the DWP.