Can't see any unfairness in one person making the decision, that's what judges and single member tribunals do all the time. If it had gone in front of a tribunal, one person would have made the decision on the appeal. The absence of a hearing to determine the late appeal issue might not meet the requirements of Article 6, but since the decision can be challenged by judicial review, that probably meets the need for a right to a hearing.
If TAS refuse to admit a late appeal the only challenge is judicial review. I can't see how they can have concluded that a cohab appeal had no reasonable prospect, unless the claimant had made a clear statement admitting that she was part of a couple. Most of the cohab submissions I've seen from DWP have very little evidence, and certainly nothing that couldn't be explained away by the claimant's oral evidence.
Try threatening JR and they might reconsider.
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