Tribunal refused pip — Scope | Disability forum
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Tribunal refused pip

TEACUPTERRIER
TEACUPTERRIER Community member Posts: 44 Connected
So I've been refused pip by the tribunal. Despite providing evidence from doctors and specialists the judge seems to think i can have all my health problems but that they don't really make me suffer! I have fibromyalgia, tourettes syndrome, depression and anxiety, debilitating migraines, arthritis of the lower back, sciatica, tendonitis in my feet and ankles and bursitis of the shoulder but Im told these aren't serious conditions so they don't believe I'm really struggling even though i gave evidence of how I meet the criteria I applied for and rely on aids and help from family to function. I feel so bad I'm scared my depression will get really bad again and make me feel suicidal! How limited does your life have to be for these monsters

Comments

  • TEACUPTERRIER
    TEACUPTERRIER Community member Posts: 44 Connected
    I wrote at length about my personal experiences and examples and was able to describe in detail to the tribunal examples of everything. I had medical evidence, I gave examples, photos, was as thorough as I could be. I gave them examples of why I fit the descriptors and didn't rely on the medical evidence as they already had it. I believe that the judge had her mind made up as soon as fibromyalgia came up. I get the impression from her decision letter that she doesn't take it seriously as a condition 
  • TEACUPTERRIER
    TEACUPTERRIER Community member Posts: 44 Connected
    Also, I was told by many doctors and health workers that aids like walking sticks are rarely prescribed as they are easy to buy and that is what dla was for to help you get what you need to manage. There is nothing to prescribe for my conditions I just have to do what I can to cope. Its hard when you have a condition that is so dibillitating but hard to treat and even see all the time. No one sees me when it's really bad because I'm stuck indoors. It's an uphill struggle just to be believed sometimes 
  • TEACUPTERRIER
    TEACUPTERRIER Community member Posts: 44 Connected
    By the way what counts as evidence in your opinion? If my own word, my families word, my doctors opinions and evidence, and general knowledge about how these conditions can affect people aren't enough evidence in your opinion then what is? 
  • Ross_Alumni
    Ross_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,652 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @TEACUPTERRIER

    I'm sorry to read how the outcome has made you feel, I have sent you an email from community@scope.org.uk, it would be great if you could give it a read.
    Online Community Coordinator

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  • TEACUPTERRIER
    TEACUPTERRIER Community member Posts: 44 Connected
    Thank you. I will. I struggled with this pip appeal as due to lockdown I couldn't get help from cab and didn't have anywhere else to turn so ended up doing it all alone! I wasn't given a choice of when to have this dealt with it just happens as it comes and I think this is a bad time to be dealing with all this. My mental health therapy organisation I started seeing is not open at the moment and no one classed my predicament as an emergency so I've struggled with this and it's all ended badly for me. I just feel so lost right now. I'm not giving up but very deflated today. 
  • TEACUPTERRIER
    TEACUPTERRIER Community member Posts: 44 Connected
    I actually made my own appeal specific to the descriptors and pointed out why I believe I should get the points on the descriptors I selected. I am only entitled to the lowest rates and not all the descriptors applied but enough did to award me the lower rates in mobility and care. I also made sure to focus on all my chronic issues and how they all contribute to my difficulties, I didn't focus only on one thing but the tribunal only seemed interested in picking apart my fibromyalgia. They never mentioned anything else and if I tried to explain other problems they just said they had read my information on them and weren't disputing them! I got 0 points! I can't even fathom how I wasn't awarded a single point as some of my problems are physically proved with scans and medical evidence and by their nature cause physical impairment. I really don't know what to think. 
  • TEACUPTERRIER
    TEACUPTERRIER Community member Posts: 44 Connected
    Doctors can only really give diagnosis and treatment if possible. You are correct that medical evidence can't tell them how you live with the conditions. But how do i prove how my daily life is affected? Unless they are going to watch me for a month and see for themselves it's just my word to tell them that. How do i prove this i really want to know
  • TEACUPTERRIER
    TEACUPTERRIER Community member Posts: 44 Connected
    Thanks for helping me talk this out. To anyone who feels like giving up don't. Your going to feel down and dejected if your in my situation but it does help to get on the forum and talk out these things. And you will often find you manage to get a lot of good info from these conversations. I'm not going to give up. I've had some good suggestions today and I don't feel so hopeless now. 
  • TEACUPTERRIER
    TEACUPTERRIER Community member Posts: 44 Connected
    edited February 2021
    Mikehughesq what is your problem? I've been sick a very long time. I'm not an idiot. I did everything correctly and it still wasn't enough. I gave anecdotal evidence. I was told there was no way they could verify it. What the hell am I suppose to do with that? If diagnosis, medical evidence, photographs and anecdotes are not enough what do they want from me? [removed by moderator]
  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 10,821 Scope online community team
    @TEACUPTERRIER, while I understand how frustrating the benefit system can be and the stresses and pressures this puts on individuals, it's not acceptable to take that out on members of the community who are clearly trying to help you. 
    I've removed portions of your post that we consider personal abuse directed at another member because we do not accept this on the community. Our community guidelines can be found here

    For what it's worth, a lot of people (myself included) have been in similar positions to you and felt the same frustration at the system. Long before I started at Scope I helped someone through the application process and was aghast that despite their struggles, they too were awarded zero points. It took a long time (and specialist help) for us to see that the issue wasn't necessarily the DWP not believing the struggles she faced, but that we hadn't given detailed enough evidence to actually show why she met certain descriptors and how. Our claim was mostly full of assertions such as 'She can't do X because of Y', instead of highlighting why Y stops her doing it. 

    If you're looking to appeal, your next step here is request a statement of reasons. I'd strongly advise you to look for some specialist advice local to you that may be able to assist. https://advicelocal.uk/
    Community Manager
    Scope
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