Average waiting time in my area is 54 weeks?

MobileGames

Morning. I'm 7 and a half months into waiting to hear for a Tribunal date to appeal against the DWPs PIP decision. I rang them and they said that the average waiting time in my area is 54 weeks! That means I have 24 more to go. I have depression,anxiety,OCD and a learning disability. It's really stressing me out. I think about it every day. It's the waiting that's getting to me. 

poppy123456

Hi, 

Unfortunately most areas have huge backlogs and some are waiting in excess of 1 year for a hearing date. 

MobileGames

Poppy 123456. Thanks for the reply. I as really upset when I heard it was 54 weeks. My OCD takes over and sets the anxiety off,and my bladder. I have slight incontinence. I usually see a friend and cancelled it because I just couldn't face going out of the house. 

Chloe_Alumni

Hi @MobileGames and a warm welcome to the community! I am sorry to hear this is having such a negative affect on your health. Unfortunately the community can not shorten the time you have to wait, but we can support you through it. We have many members who have been through this process so I hope we'll be able to help.

MobileGames

Thank you. I have chronic anxiety,OCD,endogenous depression and a learning difficulty. I can't switch my thoughts off. Due to anxiety and OCD from being bullied at school,college,work(sometimes physical),having friends mistreat me in the past,being followed by a girl when I was 11 and the police had to be involved and a boy molested me once when I was 11,I developed mental health problems. Ironically,it wasn't what happened when I was 11 that set if off,it was the bullying. The bullying was everyday at school and I left in year 10 without any qualifications. I gained basic ones at college and a adult learning course,but still feel stupid and thick. I failed pre GCSE English. I find complex stuff difficult. I can't go to the supermarket,all the people and food,can't go out for the day for the same reasons and being away from home,can't go on holiday for the same reasons and being away from home can't stay at a friend's due to being in a different environment and away from home over night. I wear a pad because I have some incontinence due to anxiety. I'm scared to have a boyfriend because for that you need to do a lot of social things far away and I can't. No one will want a person who has mental health problems,they'll think I'm a freak. Sorry for the long post. I just thought I'd explain things. 

kami24

Sorry to hear you were bullied so much. I was bullied a bit at school etc and that was bad enough. As i had polycystic ovaries since I was 11, I had thick hairs (dark hair! ) unlike other girls so they made fun of this and that affected me as self confidence etc and also I have mental issues so I know how you feel about other people. Even though I have been to uni just because I had issues and hated any social group (hated classes) this made the whole experience awful and I didn't complete the 3rd year as I really couldn't face the classes with all these bimbos etc my age and i hated it alotand secondary school i lothed it. People can be really horrible and I cant get on with most but there are a few lovely ones out there so don't give up. 

zakblood

yes a year in mine, kicked off in April, no many since, got a Tribunal to take on the case in June, but still no money to live on, seems the harder they make it, the more you suffer, the more get put off, or die, plain and simple, from a caring world and system to a don't give a toss approach, welcome to the real world, the one we now all suffer in...

your not alone MobileGames, hang in there and keep your chin up, what doesn't break us, can only make is stronger

zakblood

no money even, lol dyslexic again creeps into a post made in haste and not checked enough with spell checker or a 2nd or 3rd rear and re read my bad

MobileGames

Thank you Kami24. I'm sorry you had to go through that. Some people are so judgemental and nasty. It's not your fault you have PCOS. Some people are ignorant. I won't give up. 

MobileGames

Thank you Zakblood. I'll hang in there. 

Chloe_Alumni

Hi @MobileGames, how are you doing today?

MobileGames

Still stressed. Counting down the weeks. Trying to stay positive. Thanks for asking. I have a benefits case worker looking into the evidence I've sent in,they have a copy of it as well as the tribunal. I've emailed them because they took on my case back in July and I was wondering if they had started on it. They said that hopefully they'll get back to me by the end of November with an update. They said that when I get a date for the tribunal,the letter of representation can be done. They have lots of people appealing the DWPs decision. On mental health grounds and having a learning difficulty,which isn't the same as a learning disability,although I struggle with complicated information,both verbal and written,can't make difficult budgeting decisions,can't follow complex directions,not being able to read more than a page of a book or newspaper without starting to feel sick because of the print and not being able to take it in,failing basic English at college because I couldn't understand the exam and the time factor was stressing me out,i fear that it will get overlooked,along with having Endogenous depression,anxiety and OCD because of what happened at school,college and work,and people who I thought were my friends,turning on me,even in adulthood,I fear that they will think I'm being dramatic and that I don't have any problems. I keep going over in my head the descriptors. I'm beginning to think that I am just being dramatic and that they'll see me as a nuisance who is wasting their time. I'm thinking,what if I throw up before I get there or when I'm there? What if I break down in tears before I get there or when I'm there? What if I can't concentrate when I'm there? What if I freeze up and nothing comes out? What if I wet myself? And what if they don't believe me? 

Chloe_Alumni

Hi @MobileGames, I'm sorry to hear the whole process is really stressful for you. It almost sounds like you're getting overwhelmed, is there anything we can do to help?

It sounds like you're being through with the application, and that you have good evidence. 

You are not being dramatic and deserve to have the support you are entitled to. I really hope it goes okay.