Telephone Hearing

OverlyAnxious

I've just had an email asking for a telephone number for a telephone hearing.  

I don't give out my phone number (or give fake ones) because I find it extremely difficult to use telephones, I don't even allow family members to call me on the telephone unless it's absolutely essential.  Even then I can't usually answer.  

If I can answer the call, I won't be able to stay on the phone for long, presumably they want you to be there for around an hour for the whole thing?

What happens if I can't answer or have to leave part way?

I don't know what to do now.  I'm no longer in a position to attend the court as my conditions have worsened since starting the appeal (not in a way that would affect PIP) and are not likely to improve even after Corona has passed.  I don't have any chance of winning a paper appeal as I don't really have any evidence (ironically, due to me not being able to deal with medical or social situations so virtually no human contact).  So the only option seems to be a telephone hearing or just give up altogether.

Is there a way I can word the email asking them to try 2 or 3 times if I can't answer, and to make sure it's kept as short as possible, without coming across as a ****? 

dolfrog

OverlyAnxious 
do you know what the underlying cause of your phone phobia is.
Auditory Processing Disorder, a listening disability or the brain not being effectively able to process the sounds that the ears hear is the cause of my phone phobia. I am not able to process what the person the other end of the phone is saying especially those who for me talk too fast, which for some seems to be part of their training.
If you have an auditory processing disorder you can have problems processing what others may say, and have verbal self advocacy problems. 
I was the first adult in the UK to be diagnosed has having auditory processing disorder back in 2003, to help the Medical Research Council gain government funding for a 5 year research program 2004-2009.
You could have a look at one of my Evernote web pages which tries to explain these issues 
The Four Types of Auditory Processing Disorder
https://www.evernote.com/shard/s329/sh/35c143f8-30d8-4b16-81d9-bb9bbd34449f/23638e20a161955c968bedd5bf0e59c9 
and may be 
Gaps in Sound - Auditory Gap Detection and Auditory Perception 
https://www.evernote.com/shard/s329/sh/1c87aa56-9c56-4b25-9849-417d96b86db9/8a2821317cfcc4fe1488acb63fc606a6 

I hope this helps

worried33

This is one of those lose/lose situations, a paper based appeal has a quite low chance of success, but of course if you try to answer the phone you may just not be able to handle it, or you might be able to get through but then they could use the fact you got through it to argue you dont have mental issues.

I would be inclined to try and get through the phone process, as I think the paper route is not the way to go.  I dont see any harm in asking the request you want to ask, but if they going to try and call you 2 or 3 times, I expect they wont be too far apart, as they will have an allocated time slot for you.

OverlyAnxious

Thanks both of you.

I took your advice @worried33 and did email back on Wednesday evening, providing the number and asking to keep it as brief as possible.  Just have to wait and see what happens now, though I doubt they'll be working until Tuesday next week and probably have a lot of emails to deal with.  Will be cutting it a bit close to the original date of Friday.

Regarding the phone phobia, there's a lot of components to that one!  It is very likely that I'm on the autism spectrum and potentially have some sort of APD as well.  But I've been refused an ASD diagnosis, let alone anything else in that area.  Also been unable to find any suitable free treatment for my other anxiety disorders so far.  It's also about feeling attacked in my own home (which should be my 'safe' place away from everything else), the unpredictability of the phone being able to ring at any time (unlike email or messenger where I choose when to open them within my daily routine), and the fact that people can't see you're struggling so keep pushing confrontationally until you give some form of audible answer, whereas in real life I can just nod or force a smile.  I also get very nauseous trying to speak, both in real life or on the phone which triggers reflux and makes it physically difficult to speak and keep swallowing.  Of course, the more I do it, the worse it gets, so I've spent most of my life just avoiding speaking...fortunately I'm good with reading & writing instead, but there are some areas of life where this just doesn't work, as I'm sure you've found yourself.  Interestingly, I spent about 12 months totally deaf in one ear and really missed music, but didn't really notice any difference in social situations!  I have regained full hearing now.

OverlyAnxious

Hart86 said:

This has come around so quick @OverlyAnxious but probably seems like forever for you!! 

Have you had another look through the descriptors? Without meaning to sound horrible I’m still really concerned you’ve not understood them properly because so many seem to apply to you (from things you’ve said on here) that you just don’t see. I worry you’re going to talk yourself out of an award.

Please please remember it’s not about the help you get or even the help you’d be able to get, it’s the help you need. 
For example with cooking, I know you can’t let anyone else prepare your food for you because of your contamination OCD and having people in the house etc, but in terms of the PIP criteria you NEED someone else to do it for you because you can’t regularly and reliably do it for yourself. It doesn’t matter that despite the need, you wouldn’t actually let anyone do it for you.

Have they said a date or anything? 

Yeah, it was about 6 months since I applied for the tribunal, but just over 12 months since I originally applied for PIP.  Not sure how that compares to the average wait currently!  Of course, if I do win, it'll probably be a 2 year award, and with the next assessment being 6 months before the end, that means I'd have to go through the whole thing again towards the end of this year!

I am fairly familiar with the descriptors but don't see how I fit any at all really.  I seem to just slip around the edges of most of them.  I'm still aiming for food prep (for the reasons you mention above) and mixing with people.  But I'm unlikely to get 8 points between them and don't really see any others that I fit into.  I know I won't get any mobility as I'm still able to drive to the local supermarkets so it's not worth trying to argue that one until I'm completely housebound.  All I need is standard living to allow me to get SDP and then finally remove the LHA cap on housing benefit so I can afford the rent on a non-shared place.  I don't live alone through choice, it's purely because of my health conditions, so I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation.

The original hearing date was April 17th (this Friday) and another member said they had their telephone hearing at the same time & day as the original so that's what I'm expecting for mine.  I haven't had a confirmation email back yet though, and assuming they're not working today and have others to reply to before me, I don't expect to get a reply until Wednesday really - which will be close to Friday but maybe that's not such a bad thing if I have less time to worry about it...

Adrian_Scope

Hi @OverlyAnxious. Have you had any updates as to whether your hearing will be today?

OverlyAnxious

Nope.  

Will make sure I've been to the toilet before the original time just in case though! 

Adrian_Scope

If it is today, best of luck @OverlyAnxious. Be as honest as you can and try, as others have said, to put the fact you don't have the help (and couldn't accept it) out of your mind. Think about what things you find difficult to do, so would therefore benefit from help, were you able to accept it. 
if you're able, have another look through the descriptors and try to think about them in a broader sense. 

chiarieds

You can do this @OverlyAnxious - We're all willing you on. Great advice given here, so just adding my very best wishes.

OverlyAnxious

Adrian_Scope said:

If it is today, best of luck @OverlyAnxious. Be as honest as you can and try, as others have said, to put the fact you don't have the help (and couldn't accept it) out of your mind. Think about what things you find difficult to do, so would therefore benefit from help, were you able to accept it. 
if you're able, have another look through the descriptors and try to think about them in a broader sense. 

You're not gonna believe this...the moment I pressed 'post reply' with a mouthful of crisp, the phone started ringing! 

Witheld number...couldn't answer it.  They immediately tried again so I assumed it had to be something tribunal related and forced myself to answer it, not having been to the loo or had a drink, shaking like a sh*tting dog, and wondering how I was going to get through a whole hour on the phone without this afternoons prep and didn't even have the bundle to hand!

It wasn't the actual tribunal, it was the clerk of the court, saying the judge had decided to award me on paper alone...  And not the standard daily that I was expecting, but enhanced daily!  No mobility, but I didn't expect that at all anyway.  For 3 years (I only expected 2) and backdated for around 10 months.  She said not to expect a phone call at 3pm as it was all sorted - so for anyone else that gets no confirmation, I would continue to assume your phone tribunal will be at the original expected time until you hear otherwise....and expect a phone call earlier on the day...irony is I was specifically eating lunch early to get that out of the way well before the phone call! 

I honestly don't know how or why they've done that, especially enhanced, so will be very interesting to see where I've scored the points if they're shown on the letter.  Either way, it certainly wouldn't have happened without the help and advice of everyone on here - @Adrian_Scope @Chloe_Scope @poppy123456 @Hart86 @thespiceman @66Mustang and everyone else so thank you all!  

(Of course, it wouldn't be a post from me without some negativity, so of course the extra money won't change any of my current health issues, but it will now allow me to look for a more suitable flat and potentially some private treatment as well as not having to justify every penny I spend on food & fuel etc!)

Adrian_Scope

That is brilliant news @OverlyAnxious. I'm really happy for you. What a huge weight off of your shoulders.
I know it won't change your health but it may lesson some of your stresses which can only be a positive. 

OverlyAnxious

Looks like I couldn't type quickly enough!   Thanks @chiarieds & @Hart86

chiarieds

Congratulations @OverlyAnxious I'm so pleased to read your great news.

Ami2301

Fantastic news @OverlyAnxious you can finish your food now in peace!

OverlyAnxious

Hart86 said:

Next step, getting your backdated UC for housing element! Let me know if you need any help with it!! 

I’m absolutely made up for you! 

As you know I have a lot of similar conditions to you and never fought for mine to be recognised so o had a bit of an invested interested in following your story. I’m just so pleased they’ve acknowledged your struggles!! Hope you’re proud of yourself for fighting!! 

I'm not on UC yet, still on old ESA, so need to apply for SDP, and then have the LHA cap lifted at the council (I think that's how it works!).  I'm going to assume that means more telephones though lol. 

Yeah I'm very glad to receive an award, I've been so sure that the last 12 months would all have been a waste of time by the end of today!  As above though, I would never have got any further than the failed F2F without this forum!  

I'll definitely let you know where I scored the points though...as you seem to know my problems better than I do! 

Chloe_Scope

Great news @OverlyAnxious!! Really happy for you, must be a big relief!

Adrian_Scope

OverlyAnxious said:

I'm not on UC yet, still on old ESA, so need to apply for SDP, and then have the LHA cap lifted at the council (I think that's how it works!).  I'm going to assume that means more telephones though lol. 

Yeah I'm very glad to receive an award, I've been so sure that the last 12 months would all have been a waste of time by the end of today!  As above though, I would never have got any further than the failed F2F without this forum!  

I'll definitely let you know where I scored the points though...as you seem to know my problems better than I do! 

Hi @OverlyAnxious, that's correct, you should now receive the 1 bed LHA instead of the shared rate I believe you were receiving? This should be backdated to the same date as your PIP.

OverlyAnxious

Adrian_Scope said:

OverlyAnxious said:

I'm not on UC yet, still on old ESA, so need to apply for SDP, and then have the LHA cap lifted at the council (I think that's how it works!).  I'm going to assume that means more telephones though lol. 

Yeah I'm very glad to receive an award, I've been so sure that the last 12 months would all have been a waste of time by the end of today!  As above though, I would never have got any further than the failed F2F without this forum!  

I'll definitely let you know where I scored the points though...as you seem to know my problems better than I do! 

Hi @OverlyAnxious, that's correct, you should now receive the 1 bed LHA instead of the shared rate I believe you were receiving? This should be backdated to the same date as your PIP.

Yep that's right, I am on shared rate currently.  I've been told that both the SDP & housing benefit should all be done automatically now so I shouldn't have to phone for it which is a bonus!  I expect it to take a bit longer than normal under the current circumstances though.

Can I also just double check that any backpay doesn't count as savings for the first 12 months?  And if so, when does that 12 months start?  I assume the back pay will be separate from PIP, SDP & housing and it will put me over £6k of savings (if my rough maths is correct!).  So does the 12 months start from the first payment, or the last, or whichever puts me over £6k?  Or something else? 

Also, where does PIP get paid?  I honestly can't remember if I've already given bank details for it on the original form?  Or do they use the same account as ESA?

Adrian_Scope

Hi @OverlyAnxious. 
SDP has to be applied for, so you may need to call ESA. Where did you hear it was being done automatically?

The backpay is disregarded for 12 months from when you receive it. PIP will be paid into the account specified on application (but most people receive a phone call to confirm bank details). SDP backpay will be paid by ESA (and then included with your ESA payments). And housing will come from housing benefit. 

OverlyAnxious

Adrian_Scope said:

Hi @OverlyAnxious. 
SDP has to be applied for, so you may need to call ESA. Where did you hear it was being done automatically?

The backpay is disregarded for 12 months from when you receive it. PIP will be paid into the account specified on application (but most people receive a phone call to confirm bank details). SDP backpay will be paid by ESA (and then included with your ESA payments). And housing will come from housing benefit. 

It says SDP is automatic on the .gov website here, unless I've misunderstood.  https://www.gov.uk/disability-premiums/how-to-claim

Thanks for info on bank accounts, I have switched one since starting the application so it might have been that one lol.  Everything should be redirected anyway though, all other payments were moved successfully.  

Still not 100% sure on the backpay though, so I'll try to explain my question a bit better.  Say I receive the PIP backpay in May, and then the Housing backpay in July...does the 12 months end the next May or the next July?

Adrian_Scope

Hi @OverlyAnxious. As Mike said you need to apply for SDP unfortunately. You can often do this on the phone but you can request they send you the form. 

With regard to back pay, my understanding is that the amount you receive from each individual benefit will be disregarded for 12 months/52 weeks from when you receive it. So if you get PIP in May and HB in July, the amount you receive from PIP will be disregarded for 52 weeks from the date you receive it and HB for 52 weeks from when you receive that.