PIP date 37 weeks to appeal!

issiem58

Hi
I  am appealing to the Tribunal for a PIP claim as I recieved 0 points, primarily due to the lies of a ATOS worker (I refuse to refer to her as a care professional as there was nothing caring or professional about her!).  I was informed that my appeal would be within 26 weeks, then 28 weeks.  I have prepared a comprehensive submission that will be complete next week and rang the Tribunal Offices this week to check the address to submit to.  Whilst on the phone, I asked if they knew approximately when my appeal might be heard.  I was really upset to discover that the waiting time has increased from 28 weeks to 37 weeks.  Now, whilst this is not an issue on its own, it will happen when it happens, we are all in the same position, those of us who are appealing, I am moving back home to Scotland at the end of February.  This will mean that my case and paperwork will have to be transferred to the Scottish Appeal System.  I had expected, with the time scale originally provided to me to see my appeal taking place at the end of January.  It seems, with the new timescale this could be as late as the end of March or early April.    I explained my situation to the court clerk, who said that I could email the court and ask for an urgent appeal given my circumstances, and it would then be at the Judge's Discretion to agree to this.  I wondered if anyone here has had any experience of asking for an urgent appeal and this being agreed!.  My health is deteriorating, although I have no intention of declaring this at the appeal, but my energy levels are very low, I am quite a positive person, so luckily I have been able to adopt strategies to keep my mood stable, but I feel like just giving up!  I don't want to start the process all over again because I will lose my entitlement to any backdated payment. Any feedback on the best way forward would be very much appreciated!! 

Many thanks

Izzie

Sam_Alumni

37 weeks seems like such a long time! I hope the @BenefitsTrainingCo can come and offer some support and information soon.

BenefitsTrainingCo

Hi issiem58,

When you submitted your appeal did you use the approved SSCS1 form, as on there it gives you an option of accepting a short notice hearing which could reduce your waiting time if ticked. If you sent in your appeal on a normal sheet of paper you probably didn't think to mention a short notice hearing, so you could phone the tribunals service and advise them that you would accept a short notice hearing. Apart from that, asking for an urgent hearing as you've been advised is the only way forward. I would say a judge would be quite strict in this situation and you may have to wait your turn.

Lee