PIP Paper Appeal Adjourned - Don't really understand letter?

wildlife

@Pipquestions2 Another apology needed. I paid a small admin charge in 2017 but will not do that again. Hope you get some help soon, you are clearly struggling. Keep posting and the good people on here will support you through this bad time you're having.   

Pipquestions2

@wildlife @poppy123456 @CockneyRebel @Username_removed

Sorry for late response, didn't really have much to say and had a bad few weeks. Heart rate was at 180 and I was in an absolute state, ended up on 40mg Propranolol 3x a day which is yet another useless tablet that does absolutely nothing for me except make me tired and lowers my heart rate but doesn't help for anxiety / panic. My heart rate sits at about 70 now, I don't think it's ever been this low LOL... Kinda worries me at times even though I know it's normal, I'm used to it being 100+.

I have heard back from PIP. My appeal hearing is in 3 weeks, the letter mentions that if I don't attend it will be done without me as a paper hearing again. I'm surprised it's so soon, that would be approximately 6 months from my assesment, then mr, then paper appeal and finally oral appeal. Given some of the stories I have heard on here I expected to be much longer.

Been kicked off my GP for panicking once again in her surgery - well, 3 times in the space of a week but has happened a few times in the past too .. (although I'm glad I panicked in a way as it proves to them the Propranolol does nothing infront of their own eyes), this means within the timeframe PIP has given me getting my medical records is impossible however the good thing is the letter written by the GP  about my removal from her practice is partly what I wrote in my PIP appeal what happens when I panic (shout/aggression) so that's another piece of evidence I can send... Still didn't want to change GP as I now have new Doctor's who know nothing about me at all which doesn't help my situation:(

As mentioned in a previous post about the thing my Dr sent me to that lasts 6 months, I heard back from them a few days ago they came to the house to see me. They will let me know this week if they take me on their caseload but I think they will. The first thing they asked me if I get PIP and I told them what's happened, they said by the sounds of it I should be entitled to it and if they take me on their caseload they will help me with the appeal, attend both court and tribunal with me, help me get out and about and do meaningful activities, help me go to the doctors and explain my problems. They said they will help me get my medical records too but I don't know how given it takes 28 days to get a copy and another 28 days transfer to my new GP, which is about 2-3 weeks out of the timeframe I have been given to send evidence in before tribunal date.

That organisation also read the referral letter from my previous GP to their organisation which states what I wrote in my PIP (commuincating problems, failed autism tests, aggression, anxiety, trouble going out and also the poor relationship with family at present) so I think they will send a copy of that too but I don't know yet (I'll specifically ask them to do so if they do help me as it can only help my case anyways). It does say in the referral letter that I have improved my communication but still have struggle with it and with social interaction which I agree with (I do think I've come a long way since she first became my GP)

Just a little update.. As it stands I'm not sure where I'm going next, i'll need to see what this group does with me this week and go from there. I still don't quite understand the full extent of what it is they do, but they seem to be offering help with everything I throw at them instead of just passing me on so I'm hopeful for now..

Pipquestions2

@wildlife @poppy123456 @CockneyRebel @Username_removed

Another quick update. That organisation is coming out to discuss my support as they are taking me on. They also booked appointment for another disability place with a welfare rights department and they're gonna take me there few days before my tribunal. I think they said they will pick me up and take me to tribunal in car too but need to double check that. 

Still not been  able to get a copy of my medical records which isn't ideal but hopefully they will be ready this week, so I can post it away. If they're not ready until the same week as my tribunal, or after it, what's gonna happen? Should I take to tribunal with me or will they hold off on the decision until they get them if not ready in time (if they need it). My medical record would help my case and I asked for it to go back to when I was seen by a psychiatrist too. I was told by that group to ask for the summary sheet if can't get it, but that doesn't state much only that I have anxiety etc doesn't go into depth just a simple mention of anxiety under current problems. 

I made the mistake of looking into tribunal and realised it's just a small room with a desk and 3 or 4 people. Even the thought of it caused me to have a mini meltdown last night, what happens if this happens at tribunal or if I panic and storm out? 

I also seen a video where someone said there was a DWP representative there and they grilled him hard on questions, saying why write this now say this ( because he didn't understand the full effects of his disability ) and so on, this is the kind of stuff that can cause me to panic cause I'm not good with communication and explaining myself, I wrote this on the form and gave example of the last time (ESA assessment ) where I walked out and locked myself in an empty room for 30 mins. What happens if it comes to this again  ?

Do I have to speak for myself or will the representative I'm going with be able to speak for me and help ? 

poppy123456

There could be a DWP representative there yes but it doesn't always happen.

Yes, you will have to speak for yourself during the hearing unless you have an appointee. The only person that really knows how your conditions affect you is yourself.

The reason they prefer you to attend is because they want to see/hear for theirself how your conditions affect you.

Pipquestions2

poppy123456 said:

There could be a DWP representative there yes but it doesn't always happen.

Yes, you will have to speak for yourself during the hearing unless you have an appointee. The only person that really knows how your conditions affect you is yourself.

The reason they prefer you to attend is because they want to see/hear for theirself how your conditions affect you.

Thanks

Another question

Had a voice mail from Dr surgery saying I've to get in contact with them and that it's nothing bad - any idea what this is? I'm assuming it's to let me know my medical records are ready to be collected - would this be normal procedure? 

 If so brilliant news as I still have 1.5 weeks until tribunal. Should I take the medical records with me on tribunal date or send it to them as soon as I get them ? I have appointments with that welfare rights group next Tuesday tribunal is Thursday, I assume they would want to read them too? But then if I sent them away asap I wouldn't be able to show them to welfare rights unless I make quick photocopies

poppy123456

I'm afraid i couldn't even guess what it could be about. You will need to contact your DR surgery like they asked you to. If you're sending evidence to HMCTS then you should send it to arrive no later than 10 days before the hearing date. If it's not received by this date then your hearing could be adjourned because they may not have time to read it.

Tribunal waiting times are huge i'm very surprised you've left it this later to send evidence.

Pipquestions2

poppy123456 said:

I'm afraid i couldn't even guess what it could be about. You will need to contact your DR surgery like they asked you to. If you're sending evidence to HMCTS then you should send it to arrive no later than 10 days before the hearing date. If it's not received by this date then your hearing could be adjourned because they may not have time to read it.

Tribunal waiting times are huge i'm very surprised you've left it this later to send evidence.

The waiting time was actually quite fast. At least in Scotland.b kicked off my doctors and thus needing to wait until my medical records were transferred to new doctors I've had no option but to leave it "late"

18/09 claim received 
10/10 pip2 received 
22/11 face to face 
26/11 decision issued 
19/12 Mr received 
01/02 Mr decision issued 
02/03 appeal request 
23/04 paper tribunal response issued ( this thread ) 
13/06 oral hearing 


They only sent the letter on 23/04 saying they want my medical records/me to attend in person which I received on 26/04, meaning around 7 weeks notice before the hearing. However as I was kicked off my doctors due to panicking again in her surgery that surgery refused to give me my medical records and told me to get them off my new surgery, which I had to wait until they had transferred enough of it over which took a few weeks aswell. I requested a copy of my medical records on 22/05 which is 2 weeks after registering with a new doctor ( they had my medical records going back to 2011 at this point not my full records but I only needed until 2016 so this was enough ) 

Adrian_Scope

Let us know what your doctor surgery says when you get through to them today! Hopefully your medical records will be ready.

Pipquestions2

Adrian_Scope said:

Let us know what your doctor surgery says when you get through to them today! Hopefully your medical records will be ready.

@poppy123456

It was related to an x-ray I had done but I already had results for that a few weeks ago. They said they've only done 2 years of medical records (not the 3 I requested so that the psychiatrist reports were in, pip wanted 2) 

Medical records have been printed but practice manager needs to go over them so it will take about another week which means I'll have no choice but to take them with me to tribunal ( assuming they're even ready by then) 

Not sure 2 years is going to help much as most of that was related to my physical problems or lying in hospital. I'm thinking it should have the times I panicked in hospital and the times I was given diazepam but overall it's probably not very helpful in proving my mental health effects on me as the hospital reports will most likely be more focused on the reason I was in hospital 

Pipquestions2

@Adrian_Scope

@wildlife @poppy123456 @CockneyRebel @mikehughescq

sorry for all the tagging lol

Had my first real appointment with that group mentioned before, she said 6 months isn't enough and I need longer and she was putting me through to get social work involved so that I can work with them longer than the allocated timeframe. She also had me make an appointment and came with me to the DR and said explained to the Dr that she finds it difficult to work with me due to my high levels of anxiety,  and that I need referred back to a psychiatrist or psychologist as she suspects ADHD and/or Autism (yet another person who thinks this, I have been tested for both and failed them ), Doctor won't refer me to Psychiatrist as I had already been there relatively recently with no changes since and failed the autism test. Have been referred to psychologist though.

Gave her my PIP reports and she was reading through then and said what I wrote in my MR etc was very good. There was a few things she mentioned I should have wrote but I didn't think about it that way tbh.

Once again another worker/professional of mine says I experience high levels of anxiety, suspect autism/adhd, have problems keeping eye contact, communication, etc yet according to my PIP assessor I can communicate perfectly, made good eye contact and showed no signs of anxiety.

Normally they don't work with you if you're under other mental health teams (psychiatry/psychology) but she said she'll work around it.

She mentioned going to the Dr and asking for stronger anti anxiety medication (benzo's basically) to go to PIP appeal, when I said then if it works they'll think I'm perfect, she said that's a good point maybe you're best just showing up and showing them how you truly are.