PIP Appeal

[Deleted User]

had my pip tribunal today. Worst day of my life yet again worse than the face to face assessment.  I was absolutly grilled by the judge not a very nice person at all , no sense of humanity what so ever. Instead of listening  to me she was more interesdted in trying to make out i was lying about something and kept cutting me off !  The doctor was nice, so was the disability lady to a point. All they focused on was the face to face assemtment I had 18 months ago and the fact I used to work part time !! Which most of the report was a lie but they kept challenging me on it regardless. 
All i can say is prepare for battle if u have a PIP tribunal its not as laid back as some people make out. They did not even ask about my mobility??!! 
Told i will get my decision in post. Awful experience did not get to say what I wanted at all, thought that was the point of the whole thing ?? 

markyboy

It  sounds like a typical tribunal they expect you to remember things you wrote 18 months ago and then when you do get a result it's time for your review and it all starts again 
It is persecution of the Disabled

[Deleted User]

Totally agree I felt like I was on trial. She went as far as saying on the day i had my assessment i had nail varnish on your nails !! Well yes I did and my daughter had painted my nails, I’m sorry am I not allowed nail varnish because I have a disability are we not allowed to live some sort of life ? Driving was also mention even though I have not driven for many months they wanted to know why I still have my car... because my partner needs a car to take me to and from hospital appointments. 
Discrimination of the disabled, they make their own rules up and don’t want to help. 

Yadnad

Mpreston said:

All they focused on was the face to face assemtment I had 18 months ago and the fact I used to work part time !! 

I never got near to a Tribunal as twice they upped my award at MR stage from 0 points to enhanced for both components. The third time they stuck at 0 points.

You mentioned work - I put on my claim form that I do volunteer work as a Town Councillor which helps with meeting people and distracts me away from my own problems. It too was used against me by both the assessor and the DWP as if I could do that then there can be nothing wrong with me. I quoted Tanni Grey Thompson who not only does so much for the disabled, is a Paralympian, TV presenter and who now sits in the House of Lords AND was transferred from DLA to PIP with no issues whatsoever.
That fell on deaf ears!! 

[Deleted User]

The whole system is just an absolute sham. It’s a disgrace to us people with genuine disabilities/ illnesses that need the help. 
Hopeless 

lindadenise

I have my appeal next tuesday and i am dreading it to be honest.

[Deleted User]

Goodluck. All I can say is stick to your guns and don’t back down, x

lindadenise

I wont i am very strong when it comes to sticking up for myself when the going gets tough. I am dreading it and its stressing me out already and my blood pressure is high through stress. 

debbiedo49

I do part time work very short hours over 5 days. I am supported by a mental health employment advisor. The tribunal focussed on this a lot with regards to my pip claim and I thought I was going to get zero zero. I did feel it went against me although pip is supposed to be for people who work as well. The tribunal didn’t seem to get that part. I explained his and why I work etc but I felt like it went against me. It honestly made me wonder what’s the point of trying to work. But I got the mobility award and that’s fine for now. It’s worth the job satisfaction to carry on with work but I seriously think that there is a lot of ignorance and misunformation around pip and working. Good luck with your result. 

Yadnad

debbiedo49 said:

I do part time work very short hours over 5 days. I am supported by a mental health employment advisor. The tribunal focussed on this a lot with regards to my pip claim and I thought I was going to get zero zero. I did feel it went against me although pip is supposed to be for people who work as well. The tribunal didn’t seem to get that part. I explained his and why I work etc but I felt like it went against me. It honestly made me wonder what’s the point of trying to work. But I got the mobility award and that’s fine for now. It’s worth the job satisfaction to carry on with work but I seriously think that there is a lot of ignorance and misunformation around pip and working. Good luck with your result. 

There is also ignorance surrounding the fact that if you drive a car with all of the mental & physical input into driving, you could possibly be shooting yourself in the foot with attempting to get a PIP award.
The same would be said for those PIP claimants that claim carers allowance for their spouse/partner. It is seen that if you can manage to care for someone else, why can't you care for yourself.

[Deleted User]

True that was my case yesterday penalised cos I used to work part time at the time of my claim and penalised because I have a car I very rarely drive and if I drive I it’s short journeys. What’s the point in motorbike cars if I’m being penalised for driving ?? Not all disabilities restrict driving. And like we have all said we thought PIP was for people who work?? I was also grilled because I could speak properly and maintain eye contact ??  Absolutely baffles me. 

[Deleted User]

Motability cars I mean 

Yadnad

Mpreston said:

True that was my case yesterday penalised cos I used to work part time at the time of my claim and penalised because I have a car I very rarely drive and if I drive I it’s short journeys. What’s the point in motorbike cars if I’m being penalised for driving ?? Not all disabilities restrict driving. And like we have all said we thought PIP was for people who work?? I was also grilled because I could speak properly and maintain eye contact ??  Absolutely baffles me. 

Being able to converse properly and maintain eye contact are a sure sign (so they say, but actually it's rubbish) that you do not have any mental health impairments. I had 14 of these one liners in my assessments which indicated to the DWP that I was telling a pack of lies about my mental health difficulties.

[Deleted User]

Something needs to change that’s for sure. Extremely frustrating. 
If I don’t get the result I need then my only option is the higher tribunal which I’m totally terrified of after what I’ve been through in this tribunal. ( not sure if I could put myself through it again) 

Hills41

We are still waiting on our statement of reasons to land so we can keep fighting to upper tribunal. Of course they are taking forever and we can't move forward. Now my husband has had to give up work as his car taken off him today. Pip is a joke!!! 

lindadenise

Its absolutely awful the way we are perceived i for one would not go through all this if i was fit and well.
I feel annoyed with the system.

[Deleted User]

Exactly .. why would we be putting ourselves through all this if we were fit and well! 
The system is an absolute sham and someone needs to get a grip of it and stop making us feel worse and making us suffer any more than we already are. 

[Deleted User]

Has anyone managed to get to a higher tribunal ? 

poppy123456

Mpreston said:

Has anyone managed to get to a higher tribunal ? 

You can only do this if an error in law is found in making the decision. For this, you must first ask HMCTS for the statement of reasons and record of proceedings and you have 28 days to request these. They can take as long as they want to send you these and once you have them you need to find someone that can take a look to find that error, if there is one.

Yadnad

Hills41 said:

Now my husband has had to give up work as his car taken off him today. 

I know how you feel.
In the past five years and after 3 face to face PIP assessments Motability have taken back 3 cars from me.
I'm 70 but still put in a full working week (entirely voluntary as a Town Councillor) and I need to get about the town. Having no car I have to put on friends and neighbours to get me around to see the residents. Very difficult at times.
I would fight the latest decision - Enhanced Care & Mobility to 0 points, if only I could find someone knowledgeable locally to take it on for me.

Hills41

I heard today from m. s doctors that m. s society is fighting pip at house of commons. We all need to keep fighting for justice. Don't let let the dwp  grind us down.