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Cuts to my support and benefits

thgun
thgun Community member Posts: 10 Connected
In 2010 I lost my support worker and slowly lost entitlement to other services. I have disthymia and I rapid cycle,  hear voices self harm paranoia etc. all I have is my GP and Psychiatrist since our support group was closed due to funding in 2017. I am not entitled to any community care plan. In 2015 my DLA came to an end and I cant get PIP without appealing and then I only got low mobility. I finally got paid in 2017 after the DWP conyested the court decision. Then I was re assessed in October and I beleive my assessment was falsifyed. Why because I said when asked I needed promting or nothing gets done and I have 3 good days out of 7. This includes eating cooking etc but when I got my assessment back they had ticked the box saying I needed no promting or aids. They said I was calm no signs of anxiety. I was fidgeting and shacking my right leg this my sign of anxiety. I was not aware I hsd to perform like a seal in a Circus.

Since this last assessment I have now lost my award as my assessment got me no points and they would not accept my award given in court which was contested by the DWP. And they now say my circumstances have changed  The assessors words were when I went to show the award letter was, I'm here to assess you not read letters and I should have submited that letter. My award was not due to end until September this year. I was awarded low rate mobility as I am unable to drive and I have issues  public transport  24/7 due to anixiety and panic,  therefor limiting me whete I can work if it is only part time. And its been like that since claiming DLA. Now I'm being forced to appeal to get my award back as I was told by the Leicestershire Community Advice and Law Service who are helping me said I have been assessed to early and so have many others. At the same times as I appealed  my PIP assessmrnt where I scored 2 points for wearing an hearing aid in 2016 I was too made redundant after 24 years in my part time job. I'm currently in voluntary part time work because there was a threat I could lose my esa,  and I could not live off UC. These threats trigger thoughts of self harm and suiced everytime its mentioned or a brown envelope drops on the mat. I have  become scared of the DWP and I am unable to submit substancale medical evidence letters for these PIP assessments as I cant afford the £60 pound gp fee. And I have to go it alone with these assessments. So its their word against mine.

Comments

  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @thgun, how are you doing?

    Hopefully @RebeccaMHadvisor will be in touch ASAP.

    In the meantime, you may find this resource on DWP appeals useful in helping you to prepare- if you have any questions about the process, do let us know and we'll do our best to advise.

    https://youtu.be/tIHjSpNNbQo
  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering
    thgun,

    You're doing the right thing by appealing & I'm glad you have got help from the Law Service. Don't worry too much about not having medical evidence. Your own evidence about your everyday life is also valid. The tribunal will be used to PIP medicals not being reliable and will want to look at your side of the story. The rate of success at tribunal is high.

    You might also want to contact your MP, if you haven't already. It's just not good enough that you are feeling under such pressure because of the benefits system. Hopefully at some point in the future they will stop reassessing people with long-term conditions on PIP - however, we don't have any detail of this policy yet.

    Good luck with the tribunal. I hope you get the right result.

    Will
    The Benefits Training Co:

  • littleruthie123
    littleruthie123 Community member Posts: 511 Pioneering
    Bless you how awful .so fed up of seeing how people are treated.please don't give up and good luck x

Brightness