Hi, its worth fighting them even though it’s extremely hard and debilitating to do so. — Scope | Disability forum
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

Hi, its worth fighting them even though it’s extremely hard and debilitating to do so.

ginna15
ginna15 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
edited July 2021 in PIP, DLA, and AA
This is my first post so I’d like to say hi to everyone. 
I started a new claim for pip in may 2020, finally had my tribunal on 6th of this month and my award letter from the tribunal on the 8th of this month. I’ve been awarded standard daily living backdated from may 2020 so it is worth fighting them even though it’s extremely hard and debilitating to do so. 

I’m happy to wait for my backdated payment but does anyone know how long I can expect to wait for my first monthly payment please? Also I claim uc. Is it worth letting them know that I’ve been awarded pip, as I’ve been having to give them sick notes every 3 months for well over a year now?
Tagged:

Comments

  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi and welcome to the community 

    Great news about your award and thanks for sharing 

    You should get your first payment fairly soon once dwp have been notified they will send out an award letter 

    For uc you still need to provide fit notes until a decision has been made on your work capability 

    They are separate benefits however a note in your journal would be advised
  • Ross_Alumni
    Ross_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,652 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @ginna15

    Welcome to the community, how are you? 

    Congratulations on your award, it certainly is worth fighting if you believe you should be entitled and I'm happy that you were successful in the end.


    Online Community Coordinator

    Concerned about another member's safety or wellbeing? Flag your concerns with us.

    Did you receive a helpful reply to your discussion? Fill out our feedback form and let us know about it.
  • hughiemachrins
    hughiemachrins Community member Posts: 65 Courageous
    Well done you! I was advised by my local CAB advisor to report in my UC journal if I was awarded PIP. She seemed to think it was an important thing to do.
  • rosie99
    rosie99 Community member Posts: 5 Listener
    Hi well done - do you mind if i asked what questions you were asked at your appeals 
     thanks so mus=ch - im so scared 
  • ginna15
    ginna15 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    edited July 2021
    Thank you everyone for your welcome ?. I’ve taken the advice above and reported the award in my universal credit journal. I’m now waiting for whatever response they may come up with.

    @Rosie99 I was petrified before and during my hearing, but I was told to ask for a break if I needed one and did so about half way through which was after introductions and a series of questions from a doctor on the panel. He asked me all sorts of questions about my health conditions and was especially interested in why I hadn’t explored some treatment options. For example I have severe sleep apnoea and he wanted to know why I wouldn’t try the Cpap machine. Because of mental health issues I can’t bear my head or face covered in any way and I couldn’t seem to get him to grasp that the effects of the anxiety around this would stop me sleeping and also affect my day to day life because I would be permanently anxious about having to wear it. Some of the questions were very probing and at times it felt like he was trying to catch me out. By the end of his questions I felt very stressed, anxious and upset, and had to try and talk myself out of calling a halt to the whole thing during the break. Once we resumed the hearing the first thing I did was make sure I explained how it had make me feel.

    The second half of the hearing was made up of questions from a lady who specialised in disability. She was lovely, the questioning was much less stressful and she wanted to know how my issues affected me in day to day life. I also had a welfare rights officer from the local council who was there to support me and she was brilliant.

    It took just short of 2 hours overall and at the end I was exhausted mentally as well as physically but the outcome was worth it.

    Ive been given the award for two years, but since it is backdated to May 2020, I’m going to have to be prepared to perhaps go through it all again very shortly, having only just won this battle ?. If this case I’ll be prepared to do it again, having now got an idea of what to expect, which makes it less scary (slightly). 

    I just find it unbelievable that people who need this help and are already struggling in daily life have to ride this rollercoaster in addition to everything else, just to get the help that they need.
  • rosie99
    rosie99 Community member Posts: 5 Listener
    Hi @ginna15 thanks so much for that - can you remember exactly the questions  the disability lady asked you - i just want to be really prepared   THANK YOU so much 

Brightness

Do you need advice on your energy costs?


Scope’s Disability Energy Support service is open to any disabled household in England or Wales in which one or more disabled people live. You can get free advice from an expert adviser on managing energy debt, switching tariffs, contacting your supplier and more. Find out more information by visiting our
Disability Energy Support webpage.