Tribunal waiting time in my area is 36 weeks

[Deleted User]

Hello, I would just like to say that I’m waiting for my Tribunal date, I had a letter from the tribunal clerk to say that I have only been waiting for 30 weeks and the normal in my area which is the South of England is 36 weeks. I applied for PIP 02/02/2017 absolutely disgusting after being given high rate Mobility for life when I was on DLA.   Happy Days 

JennysDad

Hello @derrick, and welcome to the community. Glad to have you with us.
It is scarcely credible, is it? For what it is worth, if anything, you are not alone. Many of our members will read this and identify with it.
Perhaps you could tell us a little more about yourself? You have found a safe place here and are among friends, so please don't be shy of telling us about yourself or of asking any questions. The better we get to know each other, the easier we may find ways to be of use to you.
Warmest best wishes to you,
Richard

[Deleted User]

Hello Richard and all that read this,
I am a 65 year old with Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis. I was diagnosed with Osteoarthritis in the 70s and Rheumatoid arthritis approximately in 2007.
25years ago I was assessed by the DLA and was awarded high rate mobility for LIFE, in 02/02/2017 I was forced to move over to PIP, as you are aware the individual doesn’t have a choice so I applied for PIP, I was sent for an assessment, my daughter came with me, ‘she has been in the care community over 20years’ . My assessment only took 20 minutes and I never got out of the chair in the assessment office. I waited for the brown envelope to arrive, it came 3 weeks later, to my absolute disgust I couldn’t believe what I was reading, for a few minutes I thought I had been sent someone else’s letter. I was wrong it was mine, without going into too much detail the contents of the letter were mostly lies, the asseser said I laid on the bed and was able to lift my legs up and so on , in fact I never moved from the chair, so now your getting the picture.
I lost my higher rate mobility consequently loosing my car, in the past year of not knowing my outcome I have become very anxious confined to my home. Because of the medication I’m on I haven’t got an immune system, I have been on our local bus but it’s not ideal, I’ve had 3 nasty colds since Christmas and the last one was so severe I burst my eardrum. As you can read from my previous message I’m still waiting for my Tribunal date. I have sent no end of doctors and specialist letters to the Tribunal team, also when my time to go to court comes my daughter has 3 folders of questions for the team.
As you are aware the people doing these assessments don’t really have a clue as to the day to day suffering we endure.

Salamka101

Sadly derrick you fall into the trap deliberately built into PiP at the outset. If you have even limited walking ability - 20 metres (or 20 steps for an average person) you no longer qualify for the higher rate mobility component of PiP UNLESS you also have some mental impairment as well. This applies even if, like me, you are unable to stand or walk without aids. In my case calipers on both legs.The distance they stated I could walk is not sufficient for me to get to either end of the street I live in, let alone the nearest bus stop so even no access to public transport makes any difference.

When PiP was introduced the aim was to reduce the number of long-term awards under DLA by 20%. That they have achieved BUT the introduction of a mental component to the higher rate mobility under PiP has caused the Government all kinds of difficulties, especially since the Courts ruled some of the exclusions they tried to rush in illegal.

Sorry to be negative but so many of us have been caught in this trap and have no choice but to suffer the consequences.

Salamka101

JennysDad

Hello @derrick and thank you for getting back to me. I notice that Admin have already moved your post to the Talk about PIP/DLA forum where it will attract the attention of people who understand the process far better than I do. Frankly, I'm still trying to get my head around what has happened to my country. As you say, a great many of these 'assessors' have no clue of the consequences of their actions.
Okay, so others will talk to you about what can be done, and that leaves me sitting here, listening. If it helps to talk, please don't hold back. Anxiety and depression I am very familiar with.
Very warmest best wishes to you,
Richard

CockneyRebel

Hi derrick

To meet the criteria for a descriptor you have to be able to be able to complete it
Safely
Repeatedly
To an acceptable standard
and take at least twice as long as an able bodied person

these reliability factors are often overlooked by HCP's and the DWP but you should make good use of  them and apply them to each descriptor in your submission to the tribunal

CR