Terrified of my telephone PIP tribunal

KiwiLil · July 2020

I have my pip telephone tribunal in two weeks and I’m terrified (I have multiple mental health conditions and have previously been given it).

I applied in August last year and it’s taken this long. I’m in bits. The assessor didn’t write anything accurate. Luckily my dad was with me.

steve51 · July 2020

Hi @KiwiLil

Good Afternoon & Welcome it’s great to meet you today.

I am one of the Community Champion’s here at Scope.

We have got some good info/advice on here.

https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/personal-independence-payment-pip/

https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/challenging-PIP-or-other-benefits-decisions/

Please please let me know if there’s anything that I can help you with????

@steve51

KiwiLil · July 2020

Thank you.

I just worry they will have the same opinion as the dwp that I’m fine. I struggle keeping my emotions in tact and worry about crying or getting mad.

KiwiLil · July 2020

I’m also just wondering what the process is, how long it will take etc...

steve51 · July 2020

Hi @KiwiLil

Please please don’t worry as we are all here for you 😃

I have got some further advice for you below.

https://community.scope.org.uk/discussion/72104/phone-tribunal

Please please let me know if there’s anything else that I can help you with????

@steve51

KiwiLil · July 2020

I’m just wondering how long it lasts and what the process of the call is

chiarieds · July 2020

Hi @KiwiLil - & welcome to the community. The good news is that PIP tribunals are completely independent of the DWP. They will just want to hear how your disability affects you. Also phone tribunals currently appear to have a higher success rate. Don't worry, as the Tribunal won't be interested in the assessment you've had, nor any inaccuracies with this. They just want to hear how your disability affects you, & your individual response.

Please see the following link, which may help. See: https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/reasonable-adjustments-at-work/ Altho this is about completing an initial PIP claim form, it may give you an idea as to how to respond with your tribunal as they will likely ask questions about the difficulties you face with any 'descriptor' that seems to apply.

From what other members have said, the phone tribunal can be anything from 30mins to well over an hour. They just ask questions relating to the 'How your disability affects you' form that you initially completed.

Hope this helps.....please ask any other questions, & let us all know how you get on.

KiwiLil · July 2020

Hi.

I applied for pip August last year. Previously I received the higher for both but when they stopped it (after an assessment in 2018) I wasn’t well enough to challenge it.

I have multiple (complex) menu health conditions and have spoken to CAB and I know I meet the criteria for basic on both.

My dad came with me to the appointment. By the end I’d picked my face so it was starting to bleed (dermatilliomania is part of my diagnosis) but I was given 0 points and told I was fine.

Asked for MR, same thing. I’ve sent evidence from my mental health worker and telephone tribunal is 22 of this month.

I’m terrified they will think I’m fine.

I’m just curious about how it works, format, how long etc it will take. I also struggle keeping my emotions in tact and I’m scared I’m going to break down.

This has been so stressful and I’m worried it will all have been for nothing 😔

steve51 · July 2020

Hi @KiwiLil

Good Morning😃

I have managed a you is post from one of our current members

This contains some great info/advice.

https://community.scope.org.uk/discussion/64446/successful-pip-telephone-tribunal

Please let me know if you have any problems/questions????

@steve51

chiarieds · July 2020

Hi @KiwiLil - Apologies, I sent you the wrong link before. It should have been this: https://www.mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org/en/welfare-benefits/pip-mental-health-guide/help-with-your-pip-claim/how-to-fill-in-the-pip-form/

steve51 · July 2020

Hi @KiwiLil

Good Afternoon it’s great to meet again.

I am one of the Community Champion’s.

I think that we have meet previously.

But don’t worry I will still try to help/advice you.

Sorry to hear about your “pip” problem’s.

We have got some good info/advice on here that will be very useful for you.

Please please come back to me & I will go through it with you.

@steve51

janer1967 · July 2020

Hi and welcome to the community, there are lots of members who have been through telephone tribunals recently if you have a look in the benefits secti0n and PIP then you will see lots of examples.

I am sure others will come to your assistance

lulu1949 · July 2020

@KiwiLil please don’t worry, it’s not bad at all, takes about one hour, clerk will ring you first which will help you. He explains who will be on the phone. Tell them your dad is with you, they will probably let him help you. Is he your Appointee, it might be worth you telling them ASAP you want him to be your Appointee so that he can speak on your behalf if you struggle, saying this they do want you to try and answer first, stay calm luvvy, good luck xx

Han_ · July 2020

Hi @KiwiLil, how are you? How are you feeling about the telephone tribunal after reading some of the responses here?

Han

mikehughescq · July 2020

There is no set time for telephone hearings. They can, for various reasons, take anything between 15 minutes and 2 hours. Generally they’re listed for a 3 hour slot so don’t be surprised if you get a call early because the list of other hearings that day can easily collapse if people don’t answer their phone or bundles have documents missing etc. So, first thing to do is make sure your phone is on and fully charged; plus a charger and socket to hand and that you have food and drink to hand throughout.

Other tips would be to remember that there’s a medical professional on the panel so ripping onto the HCP report doesn’t play well. Also never talk across or shout down any member of the panel.

Your case will have been previewed by a salaried judge who has already decided that you cannot win on the papers alone and so that’s why you now have a telephone hearing. What you can take from that is that the judge didn’t see that you had enough evidence to refute the decision in full. This is important because the reason you’re now having the phone hearing is to hear additional evidence from you. The panel will be minimally interested in the HCP report or your issues with it. They have reviewed your medical evidence and effectively concluded it falls short of proving entitlement. This is not uncommon and shouldn’t concern you. Most claimants think PIP is all about medical evidence and it really isn’t. They want to hear your anecdotal evidence on a per activity basis showing examples of why you can’t perform those activities reliably.

You may or may not get a verbal decision on the day. It really depends on how many other appeals that panel have that day. You’ll get the summary/short version of the decision in writing posted to you fairly quickly either way.

Chloe_Scope · July 2020

Fingers crossed for you @KiwiLil! Please do let us know how you get on.

laumacc · July 2020

Hi, I had my telephone tribunal today. It took around 50 mins and I had my mum with me. My advice would be to write down the inaccuracy and the page number and the correction that Needs to be made next to it. Tell them it is incorrect and that you are unhappy with this. The panel were a judge, a doctor and a disability person, they all asked questions relative to the form (same, walking distance, cooking etc) and I corrected the “proffesionals” summary. I’ve been told my decision will be sent out tonight so I’ll let u know when I hear. Don’t worry about it though as u can only do ur best, so just go through the pages a few a day and it won’t overwhelm you. All the best and good luck

Adrian_Scope · July 2020

Fingers crossed you receive the decision soon @laumacc.

laumacc · July 2020

Thankyou. Still waiting for the post. I feel so sick with nerves now. Not holding out much help

KiwiLil · July 2020

thanks thanks all. It’s on Wednesday and I’m barely sleeping or eating. I didn’t think I’d sent in enough evidence as a lot of my issues are day to day anecdotal evidence.

Fingers crossed Laura

laumacc · July 2020

Thankyou very much

chiarieds · July 2020

Hi @KiwiLil - Try not to worry, if at all possible.....your anecdotal evidence is exactly what the tribunal need; your evidence matters more than anything else right now, as has been mentioned above. My best wishes to you & @laumacc

laumacc · July 2020

Thankyou for the kind words. The wait is horrible! I’ve just been reading through some people’s experiences on here, I wish there was some way to help people. This system is just awful

Lou67 · July 2020

Just want to wish yous both well, and good luck with the outcomes take care😊

laumacc · July 2020

Thankyou

Lulu_1949 · July 2020

🤞xx

Terrified of my telephone PIP tribunal

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