nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

Just finished the PIP Tribunal, I have some questions.

Callum26

Hello,

I applied for Personal Independence Payment back in September last year as I was diagnosed with Autism (alongside other minor issues like Asthma which requires occasional hospitalization) and after being awarded zero points across the board throughout the initial assessment, the Mandatory Reconsideration, I managed to get a very quick tribunal date (start-finish a month or so)

I have just finished that today but have some questions;

There was a DWP Assessor present. Is this normal? I've heard they very rarely show up to defend their cases and this added fuel to the anxiety fire that was the tribunal! I've had family members and friends go through the tribunal process and none of them had the DWP present. The entire tribunal lasted 1.5 - 2 hours which I understand is also very long compared to the norm.
The DWP clearly checked my social media accounts and tried to 'catch me out' (but in my opinion, failed to do so) as they were asking questions related to social media usage. Is this normal? I fail to understand the relevance.
The tribunal closed and they said it'd take 2 - 3 weeks for a decision. I've had friends tell me that they've always been told right at the end of the tribunal of the decision, so this strikes me as strange and puts me on edge. Has anyone else experienced this?

I have a black and white clinical diagnosis that I paid privately for. It's extremely thorough and clearly states I have Autism and the challenges associated with that, so I can't see how the DWP could have ever awarded me zero points to begin with... this entire process is just awful and degrading.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

janer1967

Hi there

Dwp are expected to attend but like you say don't very often aye they had staff free to attend and maybe they attended others that day don't read too much into it

Did the dwp rep have anything to say

The length of the hearing differs from case to case some ars short some are long again don't read anything into it

They don't always give decision on the day depends how many cases they have and if they are behind and 8f it needs discussing more by the panel

They normally send decision out once clerk has prepared outcome letter after decision is made

All you can do is wait

atlas47

@Callum26

A very warm welcome.

Glad to learn you have attended the tribunal.

If I can try and alleviate some of your concerns.

1. The DWP Assessor, is fact a Providing Officer, salary circa £20K. They where recruited a couple of years ago by the DWP, because of the high rate of successfull appeals by claimants. Sadly the impact on the DWP, introducing these chaps (they always seem to be men)is the appeals in favour of the claimants, has now risen to 75%.

Call me stupid, but I would have thought a well run ship, like the DWP, would have set a target of less than 5% success rate. Who are we in the scheme of things.

2. You know straws are being very tightly clutched when the DWP attempts to bring into evidence, deduced from social media. Again, I have a spring in my step, that matches the smirk on my face.

3. Your concern about the tribunal’s delay in making a decision, is not but a storm cloud, the size of a man fist.

Hope this helps.

Keep us informed.

calcotti

atlas47 said:

@Callum26 1. The DWP Assessor, is fact a Providing Officer

Presenting Officer (typo probably caused by autocorrection!)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/254422/app08.pdf

atlas47

Hi @calcotti

Yes typo thing, but very interesting link what the PO role is for his £20k salary. You just couldn’t make this up, with the actual performance of a PO at an actual tribunal.

Any thoughts on current rates of claimants success, since introduction of PO?

calcotti

atlas47 said:

Hi @calcotti

Yes typo thing, but very interesting link what the PO role is for his £20k salary. You just couldn’t make this up, with the actual performance of a PO at an actual tribunal.

Any thoughts on current rates of claimants success, since introduction of PO?

The only time I have seen a PO they were swiftly cut off by the judge because what they were saying was irrelevant.