Help with PIP appeal!

Yadnad

Username_removed said:

I think we need to be clear. The overall success rate is 71%. However, the success rate for unrepresented appellants is below 50%. If you have an opportunity for representation you should grab it with both hands.

Thanks Mike I knew that there was a figure somewhere for those who decide to go it alone at a Tribunal.
Obviously it is in the interests of both the government and the DWP to say that you don't need a rep but when the chances of success are approaching another 25% then it is very obvious why they say that.

The trouble is in finding someone that will arrange for all of the evidence to be gathered, then to put it all in order whilst writing a submission and finally advising the client and dealing with the legalities that goes with a Tribunal appeal.

As an example if I give part of my postcode of CT1 I challenge anyone to tell me where such a rep exists that I haven't tried already in the past. Forget CAB, AgeUK, DIAL, DISK and Canterbury University Law School - all have said that they don't have the time or the manpower.

Yadnad

Matilda said:

I won my PIP appeal without representation.  The panel will expect the appellant to answer their questions, not any representative or companion.

Disability Rights UK publish a Disability Rights Handbook that gives a detailed summary of PIP appeal hearings procedure.  £18.50 from DR site or probably available in your local reference library.

The main thing to remember is that PIP appeal hearings are inquisitorial.  The panel will ask you lots of questions to find out what you can and can't do.  But tribunals are impartial - they don't work for the DWP.

I don't agree. I appealed against the level of Council Tax Benefit some 5 years ago. It was, in my opinion a complex and difficult subject as there aooeared to be a lot of contradictions in the paperwork that I received.
I approached the local University Law School as suggested by CAB and one of their lecturers took the case on. 

The hearing was set down for a day. My legal advisor, myself and the legal advisor for the council attended. I would say that over 50% of the time spent in that hearing was taken up in legal arguments with law books being read by the judge. In fact I said very little to anybody.

My lawyer won the case for me and said that if it went any further it would become a precedent. He saved me £1,000's in unpaid CT.


A good rep who knows their job is a godsend.
Unfortunately now they no longer attend Tribunals other than for immigration and asylum cases.