PIP Tribunal ? confused and stressed

EasilyConfused123

Just wondered if anyone else was in a similar situation or can advise, this might be long beacuse im not really the best at making a long story short or explaining sorry!

But I applied for pip last year based on DWP work coach advising me to as i explained i suffer with my mental health - anxiety and depression and recently put in for a referral for diagnosis in regard to living with undiagnosed ADHD.

So I applied for pip nov 23, i failed to fill in the form they send as we lost a famlily member which was a struggle upon struggle and my only support was grieving too. so i just left it as i wasnt in a good place and i struggle to complete forms especially complex ones and saying about the behaviours and struggles i tend to mask. the pip continued anyway with the phone assessment in feb 24 and i was unable to get support for this and was unsure on it all as it was unexpected. I hate face to face but i also hate phone calls so lose lose in this situaton.

I got my reply in april 24 telling me 0 points on it all. I then got support for a MR in May 24. The assesor scored me 0 again on the MR. I cant belive it i genuinly struggle daily with my mental health and motivation for doing everything i have to be reminded or supported to cook, wash, eat, take medication and i prefer to spend every minute of every hour in bed i struggle socially and cant budget at all. i have to get taxis to do school run for my child but only when there is noone to do it for me and becasue i have to.

ive took the self assesmet online and i get score of 27 points daily and 12 mobility but how can they differ so much? i dont really understand it all i get so easily confused but i was advised by a work coach to do this and now i just feel 10x worse!!! ive had to discuss all my personal stuff i prefer to hide to be told 0 on everything and the assessor report was just disreagrded my daily struggles completyl both times.

do you think i stand a chance with tribunal because im distressed with waiting a year for a diagnosis for adhd plus this hanging in the balance i just cant see light at the end its draining the life out of me more and more each day. will it be more distress doing a tribunal because at this point i dont know if i can handle the stress. i also did the lwrca application an only got award lwc so i dont recieve payment but didnt have the energy to fight with this either.

sorry its long or if ive waffled on :(

Noidea19

hi

Sorry you’re feeling stressed.

Sadly most people without mental health issues find this process difficult and stressful so I totally understand.

I would definitely try via tribunal as at this point as you have nothing to lose. Waiting a year for the tribunal or in the long term just not having any help at all.

Maybe contact citizens advice or get a friend/ family member to help you with this.
Good luck I hope you get a good result going forward.

poppy123456

Please don't be put off by the Tribunal because you received zero points. Many people receive zero and go onto be awarded at Tribunal stage.

There's much more chance at this stage providing you request either a telephone/video hearing or appear in person as there's around a 70% success rate. Paper based hearings have a much less success rate at around 5-8%. The only downside to Tribunals is the waiting times.

I don't think it would have helped your case that you didn't fill in the form. The most important part of a PIP application is the form you fill in.

Please don't rely on the PIP self test because it's not reliable at all unless you fully understand the PIP descriptors and what they mean. It's very easy to underscore and even over score yourself.

For the mobility part you said you scored 12 points in the PIP self test. However, if on the majority of days (at least 50% of the days over a 12 month period) you're unable to undertake any journey outside due to overwhelming psychological distress then you won't score 12 points, it would be 10 points for activity 1E.

For the Tribunal I'd advise you to write a submission letter and give a couple of real world examples of exactly what happened the last time you attempted each descriptor that applies to you.

Include detailed information such as where you were, what exactly happened, did anyone see it and what the consequences were.

EasilyConfused123

thank you both.

I have support now but with the loss in the family at the beginning nov 23-feb24 it was hard and i didnt expect much i wanted it to go away to be honest but they proceeded anyway.

Yeah i get that about the form, i just was unable to complete it myself was grieving and didnt have any help at the time but it was explained at the phone assessment and again on the MR we sent in the equivlent of the paper part with every little detail of how i'm affected and what happens daily as at this point is when i had support but i doubt this will help. i dont think the assessor read it as nothing in her reply indicated she had. And dates were added into the assesment that were before i even applied which made no sense it looked like it was copy and paste from someone elses.

on the mobilty part - i do get distressed it puts me out for the day but then the dread of doing it again at home time can be hell but mostly i can get help with pick up, but 1F applies more to me - i can not follow a familiar journey without someone with me, being my daughter or another family member, i dont like to be alone in the taxi but i dont drive and im a single parent with working family so i have no choice on the return home but i know back of my mind that its 5 mins and i return to my safe space. but i do get distressed and try and use distractions but medication or distractions do not help still.

im worried about the tribunal i said i dont want to attend but its because the level of stress it will cause me i get ill with stress it presents in sickness so i just dont think i could face it even with support i hate being judged on who i am an how i struggle especially because of my mental health is low so i know for days after i will just want to stay in bed i get bad RSD and if they reject me again i will just feel horrible ive been so angry over it when i just wish i never started the whole thing when the woman told me to do it i had no idea how bad it would make me.

thanks for the reply

poppy123456

If on the majority of days you're unable to go out, then it will be 1E that applies, even if you still can't manage familiar journey's.

I would still advise you to request a telephone hearing, you don't have to actually appear In person. The Tribunal will always prefer to hear from you in your own words exactly how your conditions affect you.

Please have a read of this link and it will help you understand the descriptors more.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria#daily-living-activities

EasilyConfused123

Oh see, thanks i think i just wont ever really understand it all. Its just so confusing and conflicting.

I will try and request it to be on the phone but not sure how, the problem is i just break down and cry when im trying to explain and so get distressed its highly embarrassing and i try to avoid people seeing/hearing me have meltdowns because i often cant calm down out of it. My Lwrca assesment took two hours and is 2 tapes long of me in a shocking state and i only got LWC award i didnt fight it because i wasnt strong enough at that point. Im still not now but i have someone who knows me best doing it for me because they know how bad daily living is for me.

I have read that link before today and gone over it all but all i can take from it is i need prompting/someone supporting me or doing for me on all activities except the toilet and incontinence one, but my scoring isnt theirs so if they dont think i score anything again after explaining everything in depth i dont know what i can do.

My anxietys shot through the roof since starting this post because ive put it off for so long and just read others posts i dont really like talking about all this stuff i just know im wired different and struggle and my close friends an family understand me and thats all that matters but i am struggling massively in my life now ive never been this bad i just dont know where to turn i feel like the process has took its toll and if they dont believe me after being this open i dont know what to do im already stressed and depressed i will probably never try anythig like this again its horrid.

thanks for your help and replying i appriciate it.

grapetangerine17

Do you have medical evidence to back all this up, such as psychiatric and therapy letters, which will back up what you say? PIP is a very stressful process and I totally understand, I know a lot of what they go on is the information that backs up your interventions from healthcare providers, as well as the information you provide. If you do not have any input or evidence of this, I know that they can score harder. A lot of people who have been denied it do get it awarded at tribunal so I’d go for it and send all your evidence with it. Good luck