Tribunal This Week

thelakes2020

Hi Everyone,

I have been a long-time lurker and have finally joined in a last minute bid for advice in preparation for my son's PIP Tribunal, which is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

My son is 26 years old and has a diagnosis of ADHD, anxiety, IBS and is currently awaiting an assessment for autism. He has significant difficulties with executive functioning, concentration/attention, eating & drinking (both preparing food and taking nutrition - he will simply starve), sensory processing difficulties, rigidity of thinking, hyperfixations on special interests, mental health issues, inability to manage finances and social communication difficulties.

He scored 0 points on the PIP assessment, to which the assessor's report was riddled with inaccuracies and some outright lies (which I have seen many times on this forum is unfortunately not at all uncommon).

I am confident with all of the professional evidence that we have that he has as good a chance as any for the tribunal, though at the same time I'm not holding my breath as I know it's very much dependent on the individual tribunal judge/panel. He requires significant support from us as his parents to function, which has been outlined in supporting statements we've provided along with evidence from his GP (who knows him well), his ADHD Specialist Practitioner and also his Consultant Psychiatrist. He is completely unable to manage his own medication and care - for example, in the past he has missed appointments and been discharged from an ADHD service, which meant he went almost 6 months without medication and his mental health was significantly impacted. He has attempted to take his own life on several occasions and has low self-esteem along with his social communication difficulties.

The combination of his executive functioning difficulties, struggles with concentration and his social communication difficulties mean he would not be able to appropriately represent himself at the Tribunal. I was therefore planning to attend with him. The records all demonstrate that I completed the PIP application on his behalf, and also gave information as part of the assessment phone call (after he confirmed his name, DOB and address & gave consent for me to make representations for him). I have also provided supporting statements outlining the support provided to him.

My question is this: does my son have to attend the hearing? Does he need to attend to confirm his details, and then would he be given permission to leave? Am I able to attend the hearing on his behalf to make representations for him?

There is simply no way just as a result of his ADHD symptoms alone that he could sit down and concentrate/focus during the hearing; never mind coupled with his anxiety and social communication difficulties. He does not communicate well with others, especially healthcare professionals/new people; he becomes easily frustrated and is short-tempered, he also doesn't engage well and typically answers with grunts and yes or no answers. These behaviours have been noted by professionals whose evidence has been submitted to the Tribunal as part of the appeal. (Just to note, he's not purposefully non-cooperative, he simply cannot engage due to his disabilities).

Also to add, due to his mental health conditions (including anxiety and previous depression, low-mood and low self-esteem) I am really worried about him sitting down and listening to us discussing his needs in this way. I am concerned on how this is going to further impact on his self-esteem. He's spent most of his childhood and his entire adult life listening to professionals discuss his needs, particularly his challenging behaviours, and I am so concerned that sitting through the tribunal and hearing us discuss how much support he requires (which he would interpret as him being a burden) will further negatively impact his mental health.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

durhamjaide2001

hi and welcome to the forum unfortunately I can't give you that advice because I'm not an expert on it. All l can say is good luck for your Sons hearing on Tuesday afternoon.

while you wait why don't you have a look at the coffee lounge for a distraction technique or the games room for some fun.

dannistar

My daughter is similar but she’s 14 so I’ll probs have this fight like you, good luck!

Rosie_Scope

Hi @thelakes2020, As far as I'm aware, your son will need to be at least some of his tribunal unless you are registered as his appointee. You should be able to help him answer questions though, and this helps show he requires support.

I can understand how difficult it might be for him to listen to people talking about his needs. Does he have any mental health support available for afterwards?

I know it won't make much of a difference, but even just planning some comforting things for him for afterwards might help a little. Favourite foods, TV shows, distractions, anything that can help him feel more in control and loved.

Best of luck at the tribunal, I really hope your son gets the result he's hoping for.

durhamjaide2001

thank you for popping in and clarifying @Rosie_Scope

dannistar

@thelakes2020 I hope your son got on ok on Tuesday.