Grasping at straws here.

You would think in this day and age especially when the DWP are encouraging claims to be made online or by telephone, each office would have an email facility?

In the area where I live, the local authority have email facilities for communicating just about anything and everything to do with HB and CTB claims, so why should the DWP be any different?

Ask the DWP to accept a late appeal?

Yes I was quite surprised to hear they wouldn't accept scans via email as well. I asked the bloke twice and he said they definitely only accepted faxed documents.

I suppose I could ask but somehow I don't think I'll get anywhere as I'm sure they'd say you had more then ample time to sort out getting papers in. It's only been through my own dithering and stupidity that I missed the deadline.