Any advice on how to conduct myself at a tribunal?

EMMc1966

I have my PIP tribunal on Tuesday and looking for any guidance on how to conduct myself. I tend to waffle on when I'm nervous and say the wrong thing. I've got it all together inside my head but scared of what will come out my mouth. Its a telephone tribunal and I'm gonna have my daughter with me to interpretate for me as I'm profoundly deaf and can't hear on speakerphone. My husband is gonna be there for support and I have my legal representative on the call too, so plenty support but I know its all down to me. I'm claiming PIP for my hearing loss and how it effects me daily, I know trying to prove this is gonna be a tough one as I'm told to get PIP for hearing loss is very difficult. Any advise would be appreciated to help me cope with the day ?

EMMc1966

@Username_removed thank you for your input, I've spoken to you before in the past. I've taken everything on board of what you've said and feel confident I know what is expected of me. I know what I want to say in my head it's just getting it out of my head the right way and not show myself up. One thing from your advise I didn't know was to base everything from the date you made your claim. At the time I made my claim I was yet to wear hearing aids as due to covid backlog I hadn't received them yet. So at that point in time I was in a world of almost silence and couldn't communicate at all so tended to isolate myself. I'm going to talk to my rep about this as she has said to focus on how difficult it is for me now with my aids with the background noise, which is unbearable everyday when I go outside. I haven't told my rep I didn't wear my aids when I made my claim as I didn't know about this. Do you think this is advisable to do?

EMMc1966

@Username_removed once again thank you for your invaluable advise, I will get in touch with my rep later on this morning and explain to her. The tribunal is on Tuesday so will let you know how it goes.

EMMc1966

@Username_removed hi just to let you know that I had my tribunal on Tuesday which got adjorned. I was struggling to hear them on speakerphone so panel thought it wasn't fair on me. Considering dwps  decision was based on  I could hear  assessor on the phone kind of shoots them in the foot now. Tribunal judge has put me on the priority list for face to face. They would also like to see more medical evidence. My legal advisor has transferred me over to a advocate who is going to help me get more evidence as I've given them all the medical evidence I have about my hearing loss. I think that they'll get in touch with my audiologist to see if they will help me. Anyway just thought I'd let you know how it went.

Ross_Alumni

Thanks for the update @EMMc1966

Good to hear they'll be re-arranging it for you and I hope that goes well.