hearing

nanda

have a telephone hearing and no legal representation 

Cher_Scope

Hello @nanda and thank you for posting.

The Turn2Us website has a Find an Adviser tool that can help you find someone to give you representation in your area if you enter your postcode.  

Please let us know how you get on and good luck 

janer1967

Hi @nanda Welcome to the community glad you haver joined us

What sort of telephone hearing do you have is it a PIP tribunal hearing

You dont really need any legal representation and lots of people just represent themselves it is all about being prepared

Let us know if you want any help and support also you may want to look at our PIP section as there are lots of posts on there about going through thr tribunal

nanda

just want to hear from anyone who has had any hearing over the phone, what can i expect and how to react to the whole process
thank you

janer1967

I would take a look at our PIP section there are lots of posts on there abut telephone hearings and assessments 

mikehughescq

No idea what is going on with Scope and dodgy links this week and last. 

Please do not use the Turn2Us tool as described above by @Cher_Scope. Amongst the many dreadful answers it returns are Jobcentres. If you can find representation from someone in a JCP you will have set a world first and a very dangerous precedent indeed!

Instead have a look at https://advicelocal.uk/. Like all these tools it’s not perfect but I can guarantee it won’t tell you a JCP can provide a rep! 

@janer1967 I’m going to politely disagree. Whilst most appeals proceed without representation it’s also true to say that, of those which lose, the majority are unrepresented. It is very dangerous indeed to tell someone on a forum they “don’t need” representation. How do you know? 

That decision very much depends on the nature of the case and the evidence upon which it might turn. As the OP has not mentioned any of that, the better thing to suggest would be that they seek advice and/or representation. On the basis of that advice they can then make an informed decision as to whether they need representation and/or the competence of any which is available. 

Adrian_Scope

Hi @mikehughescq. Thank you for the feedback.
The team work hard to source information and I wouldn’t call @Cher_Scope’s link to another trusted charity (Turn2Us) ‘dodgy’. I concur that AdviceLocal may be a better choice though. 

Interesting to note though that my local Jobcentre Plus does indeed have people helping with disability benefit applications and appeals (although they don’t represent cases.)

With regard to @janer1967’s comment: I’ve read over her post and believe she meant it as in ‘you don’t have to have’, not that she was saying this specific case doesn’t require representation. It’s also something frequently posted here in response to people asking for where to find a rep.

@Nanda: looking at your previous posts am I right in thinking it’s an upper tribunal you’re waiting on? Have you been given a date for this? Have you had any help up until this point? Unfortunately, Scope aren’t qualified to offer the level of advice needed for upper tribunal.

You would be best following the link to AdviceLocal and seeing if there is an adviser local to you who could help. I hope some of our members may be able to share their experiences of upper tribunals with you.

mikehughescq

@Adrian_Scope I meant dodgy in multiple senses. [Removed by moderator] In the case of the Turn2Us link I’m not suggesting anything dodgy about them but the advice finder itself has zero reputation. This site is literally the only place I’ve ever seen anyone mention it and it’s awful. Advice local also has flaws (it still doesn’t recognise geographical borders) but at least everything within does offer advice.

I’d be genuinely interested to know more about your specific JCP offer. Not least because JCP staff receive no training in disability benefits nor form completion. Having seen the standard of those done by Pension Service staff they are literally the just people on the planet I would let near such forms.

Finally, if this is a UT query then fire away @Nanda I’ve done lots of UTs over a long period and can probably answer most queries you might have.

Adrian_Scope

Hi @mikehughescq I’ve removed the first part of your message as while we do allow criticism of Scope and Scope staff, this did seem quite targeted on a specific member of the team. I’m happy to discuss the merits of our work with you via email if you would like. mikehughescq said:

mikehughescq said:

I’d be genuinely interested to know more about your specific JCP offer. Not least because JCP staff receive no training in disability benefits nor form completion. Having seen the standard of those done by Pension Service staff they are literally the just people on the planet I would let near such forms.

The first I heard about it was when a neighbour was referred to the service by her UC work coach after a failed DLA claim for her child. They helped her with her MR (which was successful) and then with a separate DLA claim for another child. I do agree though, I wouldn’t usually trust JCP for advice on benefits and have personally been given some shocking advice there.

I believe (although I admit I haven’t looked into it a great deal) that rather than being JCP staff it’s another agency using space within the JCP office and in addition to offering a walk-in service, claimants can be referred to them.

Best of luck with your tribunal @Nanda. If you have any specific questions about it please don’t hesitate to ask.

mikehughescq

Thanks for that @Adrian_Scope. That makes sense. Would be interesting to know who they’ve given space to and why.