PIP Tribunal experience

templar · April 2019

Greetings,

Since being caught in a hurricane storm I have had the restrictive experience of losing my freedom due to agoraphobia. This life changing event happened in 1990, and I have subsequently spent the last 29 years trapped within a 200 metre radius of my house. When my DLA recently came to an end, the DWP advised me to register for PIP which I did. As was probably expected I received 0 points on both Mobility and Daily Living components. I asked for a mandatory reconsideration after providing additional evidence but the result was the same. I then asked for a second mandatory reconsideration notice, providing additional evidence from my doctor, while simultaneously notifying the DWP of my having instigated tribunal procedures. I informed the DWP that I have no contention with their assessment of the Daily Living component, only the Mobility component. The DWP then contacted me by phone offering Standard on Mobility, but my mental health advocate, after analysing my situation, believed I could qualify for Enhanced Mobility, and so I decided to put it into the hands of a tribunal. Seven months passed and I was informed that my tribunal would take place on 11/04/19.

This morning I had my phone tribunal, and I think after all that time I've utterly flubbed it. I was polite, eloquent, and concise in my answers to the best of my ability, and they in kind were very pleasant also. Unfortunately, three quarters of the way through they asked me if I still receive help from medical authorities regarding occupational therapists taking me out in order to combat my illness, and I had to answer in the negative. Between the ages of 19-34 I had a whole host of therapists who over the years I would go out with in the hopes that I could increase my radius of travel. Unfortunately I ended up ceasing these experiments because all progress made was temporary. To explain: My boundary safety radius isn't like a concrete wall, meaning that if I did break through and get further on a given day it didn't mean that from then on I could subsequently get that far. My boundary is more like a rubber band in that I could do well one day, and on a bad day not get further than 5 steps from my house. This constant having to start all over again reached its culmination one day when while with my occupational therapist I had a terrible panic attack and had to return home, and I essentially said to him that I cannot do this anymore, and since that date I ceased therapy. I wasn't going to lie to the judge and answered truthfully, but I'm now concerned they'll label me as an indolent person and this will affect their decision. After that admittance I wouldn't be surprised if the tribunal tell me that I should be the one making payments to the DWP.

They didn't give me the decision there as I understand that a notice is posted regarding their decision.

The people in this forum are obviously very astute on these matters. Do you think I have negatively impacted my own tribunal?

Thankyou kindly.

Adrian_Scope · April 2019

Hi @templar, it's hard to know for sure how they will have taken it, but obviously you did the right thing being honest. Were you given the opportunity to explain like you have here?

templar · April 2019

Hello Adrian,

Yes, I mentioned my boundary being more akin to a rubber band than a concrete wall, meaning that if I experienced a negative event I would be back at the start, and this lack of progress in defeating my illness resulted in a capitulation of sorts after so many years of trying to overcome it.

After my interview I thought of other things I could have said, but I would assume that I'm not the only appellant who has had this happen.

twonker · April 2019

This post brought back some awful memories that I had buried deep in my head. I did three tours in NI in the early/mid 70's when in my early 20's. I saw things that no one should have to witness and was involved in forcibly putting down some of the IRA terrorists.

You learn to live with this type of thing. In those days help for mental health issues was hard to come by even from the Army medics.

I an now wondering if I should have told the DWP of how it had left me when claiming my PIP given that it was nearly a lifetime ago or wiser to keep it repressed so as to try to move on with my life.

templar · April 2019

twonker said:

This post brought back some awful memories that I had buried deep in my head. I did three tours in NI in the early/mid 70's when in my early 20's. I saw things that no one should have to witness and was involved in forcibly putting down some of the IRA terrorists.

You learn to live with this type of thing. In those days help for mental health issues was hard to come by even from the Army medics.

I an now wondering if I should have told the DWP of how it had left me when claiming my PIP given that it was nearly a lifetime ago or wiser to keep it repressed so as to try to move on with my life.

I think personally even though many years pass and horrible events become somewhat fuzzier over time, certain experiences can bring back the feelings like they happened yesterday. I was 16 when I was caught in that hurricane storm, and even though I'm going on 45 if I step out the door on a stormy day, even if it's of less severity as a hurricane, it causes me to panic like it happened yesterday.

Waylay · April 2019

@twonker if you're still affected by it, yes.

twonker · April 2019

Waylay said:

@twonker if you're still affected by it, yes.

Of course I am affected by it. Most ex service men who have been through the same be it in NI, Falklands, Bosnia, Middle East etc will always have the memories. It cannot be erased from the mind. Time heals or I should say time makes it easier to cope with.
It does to some extent but it also leaves a scar and a change of personality/way of thinking/acting.

A guy I know who was aboard the Sir Gallahad that was damaged in the Falklands still throws himself onto the floor/pavement if he hears a load bang thinking that another exocet missile has hit something close by despite it being 37 years later!

The difficult bit is actually wanting to open up old wounds. As I have said help for this type of issue was sparse at the time. You were just told to accept it and move on. It was down to each of us how we achieved that. Me, as I have said, I just tried to forget. Bringing it all up for discussion/inspection/assessment would most certainly undo all of the self work I have done. Hence why I ignored it.

PIP Tribunal experience

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