Tribunal Procedures and Medical Evidence
Following recent Tribunal User Forum events in Belfast and Omagh, the President of the Tribunal asked us to highlight some essential resources that all representatives should be aware of.
The President reiterated previous guidance relating to medical evidence in light of the ongoing pilot for Personal Independence Payment cases. Central to this is the requirement to limit submissions of medical evidence to information that would be relevant to the client’s case, and to always be mindful of the observations of Upper Tribunal Judge Wikeley in a 2016 PIP case involving a serious confidentiality breach. Basic procedures for representatives are outlined in the Appeals Service’s Code of Practice for Representatives, while the Law Centre NI’s Adviser Practice Guide covers the process of appeals from initial dispute to post-hearing procedures.
If representatives are encountering barriers to the effective management of appeal cases they should not hesitate to get in touch with the Policy & Information team for assistance.