Submitting Additional Evidence

I have discovered on several occasions over the past year even although I send mail to my benefits office by recorded delivery or special delivery they do not appear to look at it until weeks later, on one occasion it was two months later. Although it is tracked and received and shown as signed for on Royal Mail website it appears mail is held somewhere in benefits office until staff get round to dealing with it. Benefits office staff have confirmed they have mail sitting which has still to be dealt with and assure me it will be dealt with when they reach it. Problem for me is that is not much good when the decision has already been made and they have not viewed the additional evidence which I sent to them

Due to above should I send additional evidence at reconsideration stage to DWP or should I hold it until it reaches commencement of appeal stage when evidence would go to Court/Tribunal? Does it make any difference to Tribunal, for example do they look for new evidence to be considered after the reconsideration stage?

del wrote: I have discovered on several occasions over the past year even although I send mail to my benefits office by recorded delivery or special delivery they do not appear to look at it until weeks later, on one occasion it was two months later. Although it is tracked and received and shown as signed for on Royal Mail website it appears mail is held somewhere in benefits office until staff get round to dealing with it. Benefits office staff have confirmed they have mail sitting which has still to be dealt with and assure me it will be dealt with when they reach it. Problem for me is that is not much good when the decision has already been made and they have not viewed the additional evidence which I sent to them

Due to above should I send additional evidence at reconsideration stage to DWP or should I hold it until it reaches commencement of appeal stage when evidence would go to Court/Tribunal? Does it make any difference to Tribunal, for example do they look for new evidence to be considered after the reconsideration stage?

Hi d,

Yes. I should imagine there are many desks in DWP offices with "Pending" trays full to tipping.

I would always advise that claimants who are appealing send all available evidence ASAP to The DWP so that it can be taken into account by a reviewing DM.

There is no advantage whatsoever in holding evidence back until your appeal has been sent forward to the TS.

The intention is to be successful at the reconsideration stage, therefore avoiding a lengthy wait for a tribunal hearing, which in some cases can be up to a year.

bro58

bro58 wrote:

del wrote: I have discovered on several occasions over the past year even although I send mail to my benefits office by recorded delivery or special delivery they do not appear to look at it until weeks later, on one occasion it was two months later. Although it is tracked and received and shown as signed for on Royal Mail website it appears mail is held somewhere in benefits office until staff get round to dealing with it. Benefits office staff have confirmed they have mail sitting which has still to be dealt with and assure me it will be dealt with when they reach it. Problem for me is that is not much good when the decision has already been made and they have not viewed the additional evidence which I sent to them

Due to above should I send additional evidence at reconsideration stage to DWP or should I hold it until it reaches commencement of appeal stage when evidence would go to Court/Tribunal? Does it make any difference to Tribunal, for example do they look for new evidence to be considered after the reconsideration stage?

Hi d,

Yes. I should imagine there are many desks in DWP offices with "Pending" trays full to tipping.

I would always advise that claimants who are appealing send all available evidence ASAP to The DWP so that it can be taken into account by a reviewing DM.

There is no advantage whatsoever in holding evidence back until your appeal has been sent forward to the TS.

The intention is to be successful at the reconsideration stage, therefore avoiding a lengthy wait for a tribunal hearing, which in some cases can be up to a year.

bro58

Thanks bro58. I have no idea how long the reconsideration will take and have no idea how long my additional evidence will lie in the pile of pending mail. If the reconsideration is decided prior to DM reading additional evidence do you know if they will automatically pass it to the Appeals Tribunal?