Tribunals are they all horror stories ?

missm

awaiting my tribunal  and I come on here a lot  but just seems every tribunal is horrific do people ever just have straight forward ones, its coming across like your are a criminal in the dock and on trial, which is scary reading as i have never even stepped inside a court before 

becky12

Hi my name becky how are are uoy 

Chloe_Alumni

Hi @missm, tribunals have a much higher chance of success than a MR. Here is a thread where someone won their tribunal- I wish you the very best of luck!

Matilda

I won my tribunal. Tribunals are impartial but they are inquisitorial.

Disabilty Rights UK Handbook has a good guide to tribunals procedure.  £18.50 from DR UK site or probably available in your local reference library.

Yadnad

I would also say that some Tribunals come to a conclusion about the claimant before they even meet just from reading the paperwork.
Some find that a Tribunal is a nightmare within minutes of the claimant sitting down. Some find them professional and only want to get to the truth and award what you are entitled to.
The one and only time I have been was for my wife who was ill in bed. The Doctor and the Disability expert were clearly dismissive of me from the start whilst the Judge was OK.
It soon developed into a them and us situation. I was asked a question by the doctor - what would you do if the pain relief (Oramorph) medication wasn't strong enough or she had run out of it during the night?
My reply was that I would have no intention of ringing 999 for that reason and as I was on the same medication there is always a stock of it in the kitchen - I would give her some of mine till the morning then speak with the GP.
With that I was told to leave the room, then ordered back in and was told that they were in two minds to get the police involved as I was nothing more  than a common drug dealer! Obviously you can imagine how I reacted to that!!

missm

omg thats awful, its all just so wrong we have been through F2F  that should be enough its like they want to break you, its been 19 months since a got my dwp to pip form and its just been a long nightmare 

Yadnad

missm said:

omg thats awful, its all just so wrong we have been through F2F  that should be enough its like they want to break you, its been 19 months since a got my dwp to pip form and its just been a long nightmare 

It's been almost 6 months of peace and quiet for me with regards to PIP, I told them that I had had enough of the system.

Topkitten

I have been through 4 tribunals. The first 3 were bad but that was because I had the same judge each time and she was a horror. The last one was fine as all 3 were sympathetic though 3 times they asked me to stop worrying as I was working myself into a state expecting the worst.

TK

missm

its all just so horrible and scary for everyone but wow 4 tribunals i really feel for you am bad enough expecting my first one 

Topkitten

It is just a fact of life especially as my condition is completely unique @missm. Life isn't fair and I guess I will have to go through another now that I am moving from DLA to PIP. I just deal with one problem at a time and try to get through each day before starting over the next. I now find it most odd when people ask me to arrange something in advance, I just tell them my only worry is today and to make any arrangements they like, I will deal with them when they arrive, lol!

We all survive what is thrown at us or we don't. Just never give in and give them the satisfaction of beating us.

TK

debbiedo49

It’s so wrong that people have to keep going to tribunals. Something is far wrong with the system when that happens. It’s torture and discrimination. 

miilreef

I won my Tribunal and the panel were compassionate and professional. They relied on my medical evidence and personal testimony.
They ask some very blunt questions about how you are personally effected by aspects of your condition/s but I am not upset by that. A causes B and I don’t feel the need to be embarrassed about it. I think it’s reasonable that if your disabilities are physical that you have the required insight into them and that’s what they’re getting at. I went in alone and was nervous but it was fine

Yadnad

Topkitten said:

We all survive what is thrown at us or we don't. Just never give in and give them the satisfaction of beating us.

TK

I don't see it that way. My life, my health is far more important than having a constant war with the DWP. OK, I have lost a lot of money because of it, but I sleep at night now and I'm not as grumpy with everyone around me.
If I was to worry about what the DWP owe me, the total so far is well over £35,000 between DLA and IIDB for the 7 years to 2011. Currently that figure is going up at the rate of £11,000 a year due to not now claiming PIP.