In january 2020 at southend magistates court i appealed against a PIP decision,
i lost the appeal after the judge used a letter that contained a list of machines
i tried to use at the Cluny HUBs free gym.the list had been clipped and a later
date added and then photo copied by a person unknown presumably at the DLA,this
was then presented at the appeal without my having previously seen it or having
been sent a copy of the altered document by the Courts,the altered list was then
used to suggest i had written i could walk for miles,ride two bikes and paddle a
canoe,i was not given the oppertunity to refute how the content was presented and
mearly asked by the judge (who i know and dislikes me) to read the selected passage
without being asked for an explanation of what was written,when i tried to ask about
the context of the page the judge ended the appeal and told me to leave the court,
later that day i phoned the Court of Appeal and they sent me an upper court appeal
form.I have macular degeneration and have had two strokes so my writing is almost
unreadable so i took the letter to the CAB Southend to compleat,i was told to first
contact the courts and ask for a statement of reasons this i did and after i received
it back took it to the CAB,in the statement she used the altered passage (i can walk
about about a mile) as the main reason for refusing my appeal for mobility allowance,
The woman who specialized in DLA cases (Mrs B.) had taken some days off work,so
photocopies of my documents were taken at the CAB and i was asked for any other documents
i had in regards to the case.i returned the paperwork to the CAB a few day later and
was told the court had already sent them the evidence that had been used at the tribunal
included the altered list,i phoned the CAB every few days and was told it was being
looked into by the expert and allow a few weeks,these passed without any further contact
from the CAB and with only two week left to appeal and the CAB having the altered letter
i visited the office again,i met Mrs B. and was asked for any documents i had in
connnection with the case,i told her they already had them and i wanted them back she
told me they had lost them!,she said i quote ''ill have a rummage round and try to find them''.
On the 25th March i received a letter from Mrs B. telling me she had finally had
an answer from the court saying it was too late to appeal and from the 20th of March she
was working from home,i phoned the Court of Appeal and was told Mrs B. had made no
contact with them at any point in time and it was not too late to appeal,the courts were
very upset but fortunatly i had two days left,however due to the Covid-19 lockdown my
appeal would be put on hold until i could get my paperwork back from the CAB affices,i
have phoned the CAB office dozens of times and visited at least five with no answer.
The girls at the HUB helped me wth this until the lockdwn,now i have no one.
[Names removed by moderator]
