HC Deb 22 October 1987 vol 120 c884W
Mr. Andrew Smith

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of social security tribunals are determined in favour of the claimant and what is the claimant success rate at social security appeal tribunals where the claimant (a) has a representative and (b) has no representative.

Mr. Portillo

Of the 125,838 appeals heard during 1986, 31,675 (25.2 per cent.) were decided in the claimant's favour; a representative attended at 27,282 hearings where the success rate for the claimant was 47.8 per cent.; the success rate of unrepresented appeals was 18.9 per cent., although this figure includes 41,539 hearings where the claimant attended (with a success rate of 32 per cent.) and 57,017 hearings where neither the claimant nor a representative was present (with a success rate of 9.4 per cent.).