PIP claim

emre43

Feel really upset at PIP claim.

I have a chronic mental health condition that means I’m in my mid-30’s and still living with my parents. I have trouble making and maintaining relationships and difficulty holding down jobs.

DWP responded to my claim saying that ‘I do not suffer significant psychological distress’. Despite suffering from panic attacks my entire life. 

My appeal reaches tribunal and I am told that whilst they recognise I have a ‘medical condition, it is not serious enough to meet the threshold’. I despair. It has had a major impact on my life and been with me since birth, but apparently it is not serious enough. 

poppy123456

Were you still refused at Tribunal stage? If so did you either appear in person or have a telephone/video hearing?

emre43

I didn’t attend the hearing. I explained to the tribunal that I suffer from social anxiety disorder and I would not have coped with the setting and scenario. 

poppy123456

Then that explains why you were refused. Paper based hearings have a very low success rate of between 5-8%. You'd need to have extremely good supporting evidence to win a paper based hearing.

You didn't need to actually appear in person, you could have requested a telephone hearing, as advised above. HMCTS will always prefer you to tell them in your own words how your conditions affect you.

I can't tell you whether you could score enough of points needed for an award because i don't know anything about your conditions and how you're affected. Not everyone with a disability will be entitled to PIP, as it's not awarded based on any diagnosis. You can have a disability but not qualify for PIP because if you don't meet the descriptors you won't score the points needed for an award. (i'm not saying you're not entitled because again, i don't know anything about how your conditions affect you)

If the decision was made within the past month you can request the Statement of Reasons and Record of Proceedings from HMCTS. Once you receive those you'll need to find someone to take a look to see if they can find the error in law. If they can't then you won't be able to take it any further.