PIP Appeal Saga

BooMaiden

Hi all,

Sorry in advance, it's a long post.

I had my PIP assessment in Sept 2024 and it was decided that I went from Enhanced Living and basic mobility payments, to nothing at all. Even though my conditions were worse than they had been when they took my payments from standard living to enhanced and standard mobility.

At the time of my assessment I was being threatened with job loss by my boss, should I take 1 single sick day from work. So I was fighting on multiple fronts and both mentally and physically exhausted and struggling in an extremely dark place.

I know that the official line is that on PIP you are not punished for working, but I honestly feel that because I pushed myself to keep my job I was punished for not taking sick days and ending up unemployed and down to 1 income. As the assessor kept asking me how many days work I had missed in the last 3/6/9/12 months and I said 0 in 3/6/9 months, but 2 in 12 months. Just 1 day after my assessment my boss turned the screws even tighter and I broke down and got signed off, I'm still off work now as my diagnoses have gotten much worse.

I did my MRN as soon as the decision came back, as I've heard that all cases are declined. I wanted to get the process of appeal started ASAP.

Beginning of Jan 2025 I called and asked how long the MRN would take. I was told the MRN had been decided 1 month beforehand! I asked them to please send the paperwork, so I could start the appeal process. The paperwork arrived mid March!

I gathered the energy and evidence together, filled out the appeal paperwork and sent it off Mid April after facing issues with getting access to medical letter and diagnoses. I saw on the gov.uk website that the wait could be up to 9 months once processed.

So I waited, and waited, until mid November. I had a feeling of dread in my gut and decided to contact DWP to ask if there was any update. I got told it had not been received and that I had until Jan 2026 to file it again.

I was devastated. I got everything together as I had newer documentation to provide them, I sent it recorded delivery beginning of December.

I received a letter on 30th December telling me I needed to provide evidence as to why it had take me 12 months to file my appeal and had 2 weeks to reply.. The catch was I only had until 2nd Jan because of Christmas post schedules! I got the letter sorted thanks to my husband's help and posted it tracked on 31st Dec.

It took 4 months to hear that my appeal had indeed been accepted and I would get an information package in the post within 28 days when the DWP sent the info to the HMCTS.. That was now 2 months ago, I've called twice, once 3 weeks ago and again today and both times they have not received the information requested.

Help! What can / do I do now?

Any help / advice welcome.

Holly_Scope

Oh @BooMaiden that's awful. I really feel for you going through all this, and the time it's taking! Sorry if I've not understood, but is this off the back of a tribunal win or MR win?