Rising delays in the UK's court system are causing people to wait nearly nine months for a decision on their benefit appeals, according to new official data. The Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) tribunal, which handles appeals on welfare benefits, has seen its caseload increase by 60% to 129,000 cases in the year ending June 2026, as reported by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). This trend has been growing steadily over the past four quarters, with the department noting that the number of cases continues to rise. The SSCS tribunal deals with appeals related to benefits such as the Personal Independence Payment (Pip), Universal Credit, and Disability Living Allowance (DLA). These appeals are the next step for individuals whose benefit claims have been denied by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Unlike the DWP, where appeals are handled by caseworkers, the SSCS is presided over by independent judges, making these appeals more likely to be successful. The overturn rate at the SSCS is around 60%, compared to only 20 to 25% at the DWP stage. The surge in caseloads has significantly increased the time people must wait for a decision. The average waiting time is now 37 weeks, up by three weeks from the same period last year. Appeals related to Pip claims account for nearly two-thirds (65%) of the SSCS caseload. Abdi Mohamed, head of policy at disability equality charity Scope, expressed concern over the delays, stating that disabled people are increasingly being let down by the benefits system. He emphasized that Pip is a vital lifeline for many, especially as the cost of living remains high and disabled individuals are more likely to live in poverty. Delays in receiving benefits, he said, can lead to serious financial crises. Pip is the UK’s most-claimed health- and disability-related benefit, with around four million claimants. It is currently undergoing a review by Social Security Minister Stephen Timms, with the final report expected in the autumn. Preliminary recommendations from the review suggest changes to the process for challenging decisions and improving the consistency of assessment outcomes. The increase in the SSCS caseload is also mirrored in other tribunals, with the asylum tribunal seeing a 48% rise, employment tribunal a 51% increase, and the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) tribunal a 31% rise. The government has not yet commented on these developments.