Info re tribunals service...

The Birmingham appeals office is moving on 29/9 to another office in the City. I don't know what procedures are in place to deal with the work during the move but it's something to be aware of.

Also, I spoke to an official who said that staffing situation is not too good at the moment and it sounds as though they are struggling to keep up. Some venues, like ours, do not have dedicated clerks and work is passing around to other offices, or staff from other offices drafted in for temp periods.

We haven't noticed any significant deterioration in service although it is taking a little longer to list appeal than say a year ago - when they were coming through a bit too quickly IMO. The more worrying aspect is the impact of ESA and the WCA which is expected to create a significant increase in the numbers of appeals. Since it's a new benefit, there will also be more post-appeal work for clerks and chairs.