Law students have delivered a righteous spanking to Iain Duncan Smith by exposing how dozens of people were wrongly identified as fit for work by the Department of Work and Pensions.
Over the last two years, the 48 volunteers from ULaw's Bristol branch and the University of the West of England represented over 200 people who had lost their benefits as a result of the last government's £17 billion in welfare cuts. Eschewing nights at Bunker to interview those affected about their illnesses and obtain medical reports from GPs, the students appeared before a judge and a doctor at Bristol's Social Security and Child Support Tribunal to argue their clients' cases. And with considerable success: they overturned 95% of the DWP's decisions to withdrew benefit entitlements, compared to a national success rate of 59%, and won an average of £5,000 for each of their clients. In total they have won over £1 million in welfare benefits.
The students volunteered at the Avon & Bristol Law Centre, which provides free legal advice to those who otherwise could not afford it. It said it only accepts the "brightest" law students onto the scheme (all the UWE volunteers who graduated this year received first class degrees), and that they were helping fill the void left by the withdrawal of legal aid. Second year UWE student Kinga Burzynska said the project had improved her legal knowledge and reminded her "what difficulties people have to go through to get their rights", adding that, "Making a difference to them is highly rewarding".
A spokesman for IDS said, “Our reforms are helping people into work while making sure sick and disabled people get the support they need. Decisions for eligibility to ESA are based on a [sic] assessment of the impact of an individual’s disability or health condition, that takes into account all of the evidence provided and someone who disagrees with a decision can appeal” (if they can find a clever law student to help them).
Tip Off ROF
Over the last two years, the 48 volunteers from ULaw's Bristol branch and the University of the West of England represented over 200 people who had lost their benefits as a result of the last government's £17 billion in welfare cuts. Eschewing nights at Bunker to interview those affected about their illnesses and obtain medical reports from GPs, the students appeared before a judge and a doctor at Bristol's Social Security and Child Support Tribunal to argue their clients' cases. And with considerable success: they overturned 95% of the DWP's decisions to withdrew benefit entitlements, compared to a national success rate of 59%, and won an average of £5,000 for each of their clients. In total they have won over £1 million in welfare benefits.
And so according to the assessment she was fine to be a personal trainer |
The students volunteered at the Avon & Bristol Law Centre, which provides free legal advice to those who otherwise could not afford it. It said it only accepts the "brightest" law students onto the scheme (all the UWE volunteers who graduated this year received first class degrees), and that they were helping fill the void left by the withdrawal of legal aid. Second year UWE student Kinga Burzynska said the project had improved her legal knowledge and reminded her "what difficulties people have to go through to get their rights", adding that, "Making a difference to them is highly rewarding".
A spokesman for IDS said, “Our reforms are helping people into work while making sure sick and disabled people get the support they need. Decisions for eligibility to ESA are based on a [sic] assessment of the impact of an individual’s disability or health condition, that takes into account all of the evidence provided and someone who disagrees with a decision can appeal” (if they can find a clever law student to help them).
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