The current system has a very legalistic approach to allowing people to access the appeal division. It's one that many appellants and stakeholders criticized for being extremely legalistic, requiring representatives to have legal support, and so on. It's based on error of law, and so on.
Having the appeal division open up to de novo cases reduces that legalistic barrier yet allows evolving evidence to be placed in front of the hearing. It's more client-centric from that perspective.
A number of other changes have been made. For example, the Social Security Tribunal has regularly reduced its delivery standard or number of days to get through hearings. There have been a number of other ways in which the tribunal has become more efficient.