Has anyone used Fightback 4 Justice for PIP tribunal?
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I've just found some information that maybe of help to you. Wigan and Leigh Carers centre See link. https://wlcccarers.com/ a person called Brian Fletcher has been recommended to me (providing he still works there) please ask for him when you speak to them.There's also Law Centre in Greater Manchester, see link. https://www.gmlaw.org.uk/I'm hoping that either one of those will be able to help you. Please do let me know how you get on when you ring them.
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I was on DLA (indefinite award) and then was refused PIP when it transferred over with 0 points given.poppy123456 said:You should never base it on your worst days becuase it could be benefit fraud by doing this. PIP is about how you are at least 50% of the time over a 12 month period, therefore yes it's perfectly ok to explain how you are all the time.Did you previously have a PIP award? Or did you transfer from DLA and were refused PIP?I still don’t understand how they can go from an indefinite award to 0.0 -
Again, I was told differently and the support groups I was part of pushed this.poppy123456 said:Please also be aware that PIP isn't about your ability to work, people claim PIP and work.It’s a relief to know that PIP isn’t about my ability to work. I can work but at great personal cost. I only work because I have to. If my employers didn’t have to abide by disability law they’d have discarded me years ago. My ability to work is through sheer luck and discrimination law.I’m currently skirting the edges of my current employers’ limits as I’ve been absent 4/6 months. The fact I’ve yet to be sacked is purely a testament to my employers’ fear of discrimination laws.0 -
Becky88 said:poppy123456 said:You should never base it on your worst days becuase it could be benefit fraud by doing this. PIP is about how you are at least 50% of the time over a 12 month period, therefore yes it's perfectly ok to explain how you are all the time.Did you previously have a PIP award? Or did you transfer from DLA and were refused PIP?I still don’t understand how they can go from an indefinite award to 0.PIP and DLA are different benefits, with different criteria.Then you were mislead. Please see my previous comment for the links i provided regarding some help.Becky88 said:
Again, I was told differently and the support groups I was part of pushed this.poppy123456 said:Please also be aware that PIP isn't about your ability to work, people claim PIP and work.
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Sorry I missed this before.poppy123456 said:I've just found some information that maybe of help to you. Wigan and Leigh Carers centre See link. https://wlcccarers.com/ a person called Brian Fletcher has been recommended to me (providing he still works there) please ask for him when you speak to them.There's also Law Centre in Greater Manchester, see link. https://www.gmlaw.org.uk/I'm hoping that either one of those will be able to help you. Please do let me know how you get on when you ring them.I have emailed both however, Skelmersdale is classed as West Lancashire not Wigan/Manchester and previous experience in trying to receive services based in these areas has been met with rejection as I am not a resident of GM/Wigan Borough council. I am always referred back to West Lancs Borough Council who’s resources I’ve already exhausted and weren’t sufficient for my needs unfortunately.Still I have emailed them so maybe they will help.0 -
I’ve had replies from the two organisations you mentioned and sadly you have to be a resident of GM/Wigan which I’m not as Skem is in West Lancs
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If you can't get any free help @Becky88 you might try this website.
I found that their information was very helpful and talks you through what to do and how to complete the forms.
It's not free but costs £20 per year for access to their help sheets and video tutorials.
They won't do it for you or go to the tribunal with you but using their information may give you more confidence to do it yourself.
https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/
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ShirleyW said:If you can't get any free help @Becky88 you might try this website.
I found that their information was very helpful and talks you through what to do and how to complete the forms.
It's not free but costs £20 per year for access to their help sheets and video tutorials.
They won't do it for you or go to the tribunal with you but using their information may give you more confidence to do it yourself.
https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/
I can't imagine that benefits and work website would be useful for someone at Tribunal stage.
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MarkM88 said:
Very surprised you had replies over the weekend.Becky88 said:I’ve had replies from the two organisations you mentioned and sadly you have to be a resident of GM/Wigan which I’m not as Skem is in West Lancs Sorry, it’s the internet so it’s hard to tell intention but I’m not sure if you’re expressing doubt about what I said or at just genuinely surprised I had replies? Sorry if it’s the latter but if you’re curious, the one from the GM law website was an automated email reply saying they have limited resources and very likely can’t help people who don’t live in GM so I’m almost certain they’ll just redirect me to services in Skem I’ve already tried, and I had an email from a lady called Lisa from the Wigan and Leigh carers saying I need to register as a carer (which is fine because I am) before they can assist me. When I go to register is says the person you care for must be based in Wigan and paying council tax to Wigan council. My mum who I care for lives in Skem. Again, Skem is west Lancashire so I don’t meet their criteria for support. This is the case all round in my area unfortunately. Skelmersdale is very underfunded in certain aspects and when you try to go further afield you’re rejected because you’re not a resident/tax payer for the area.0 -
Becky88 said:MarkM88 said:
Very surprised you had replies over the weekend.Becky88 said:I’ve had replies from the two organisations you mentioned and sadly you have to be a resident of GM/Wigan which I’m not as Skem is in West Lancs Sorry, it’s the internet so it’s hard to tell intention but I’m not sure if you’re expressing doubt about what I said or at just genuinely surprised I had replies?
I didn't read Mark's comment as anything other than they were genuinely surprised because it's the weekend.
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Sorry if you felt otherwise, but as Poppy says, I was just surprised as it’s the weekend and places tend to be closed.1
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No, it’s fineMarkM88 said:Sorry if you felt otherwise, but as Poppy says, I was just surprised as it’s the weekend and places tend to be closed.
its my fault I’m not great with social skills at the best of times and it’s hard to tell tone on the internet sometimes so I wasn’t sure which is why I asked. No offence intended. 0 -
They do indeed give some very good and useful advice about how to win your PIP appeal at Tribunal stage.poppy123456 said:ShirleyW said:If you can't get any free help @Becky88 you might try this website.
I found that their information was very helpful and talks you through what to do and how to complete the forms.
It's not free but costs £20 per year for access to their help sheets and video tutorials.
They won't do it for you or go to the tribunal with you but using their information may give you more confidence to do it yourself.
https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/
I can't imagine that benefits and work website would be useful for someone at Tribunal stage.0 -
Becky,
I just noticed your post now. I have not had time to more than skim read some of the initial responses you received so apologies if I am repeating stuff that has already been said. I also hope my response is not too late!I have been using F4J for years - going there either in person or speaking with a legal professional on the phone after which they completely took over submitting my benefits review forms. I am autistic, dyspraxic and bipolar - and because I have a couple of degrees (and sound like it) people often do not believe the extent of difficulties I have due to my conditions.
I resorted to using F4J after struggling with the fact that there is near non existent quality help available for me locally - with the CAB I literally had an ignorant and I’ll informed benefits advisor tell me that she thought I wasn’t disabled despite having assessment reports from psychiatrists etc.
Given that solicitors normally charge £250 - £300 plus per hour I think a token payment of £75 for such specialist legal support is an absolute bargain! They are a not for profit organisation and Michelle Cardello who set it up has done a lot of training in different aspects of disability law.I can only speak about how they can help with benefits reviews - haven’t used them for a tribunal. I found that they did the application themselves (taking a massive amount of stress off myself) and all I had to do was send it in. Since using them I have not ever needed to appeal anything again - used to have my life hijacked having to fight DWP appeal after appeal mostly myself prior to that.I would suggest you ring their office and ask them themselves about in person help on the day - and how they can help you with a tribunal if you live some distance from them.I have just by coincidence spent most of today going through the documents vault you can access if you are a VIP member of F4J- which is £11.99 per month. Found a number of extremely well written tribunal applications for someone who has autism as well as detailed tips and background info on what to expect and how to prepare your evidence and fill out each section of the form. If you wish to do it yourself it may be a cheaper option to simply sign up as a VIP member for a couple of months. There is a telephone helpline and email advice you can get and you can upload your attempts at filling in the forms and get a legal person’s advice.There is also Benefits and Work another organisation you can sign up with who give EXTREMELY detailed written advice on how to prove you meet the descriptors for benefits eligibility - about £25ish per year - but it is even more extreme DIY as in that there are no written examples of whole submissions as can be found with F4J. There is also no telephone or email or other support - basically you are buying a detailed guide and some other informational documents that you can read online and/or print out nothing more. You are effectively on your own.Take care and hope this may be of some help.0 -
@Camellia this thread is almost 9 months old so hopefully their Tribunal is now all done and dusted.
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Thanks for pointing that out. Hope it worked out ok for her.0
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Hi guys,
I forgot all about this post but figured I’d update since people are still looking to help me.I won my tribunal! Was backdated to 2018 so I received a 5-figure back pay. I also received a higher award than I had on DLA so that was a nice bonus - and it really just goes to show that had they just accepted my initial application they wouldn’t have ended ho paying out so much..!
My DLA was lower/lower so I’d have accepted the equivalent with PIP. Instead I got enhanced/standard so it just goes to show it’s absolutely worth the fight even if, like me, you really think you have no chance.The panel are actually human and don’t look to trip you up. They just want an honest recount of how your disability impacts you and award accordingly. Wasn’t even as close to as bad as I was expecting.I didn’t use Fightback 4 Justice in the end - when I’d called them to ask more about their services the lady was really quite rude and just kept telling me to go to their website and offered no advice. I needed to speak to an actual human but she either wasn’t interested or didn’t know the answers - neither is good. As soon as she heard I had mental health/autism she seemed to become instantly disinterested. I’ve read a few reviews where people said the same thing about them regarding mental health. That being said, I have heard amazing reviews about them as well so I guess it just depends.In the end, I got some advice from Welfare Rights who finally got back to me after silence for months on end and he talked me through some questions I might be asked, how to answer them, etc.
Only issue is my award was only given until November this year so I’ll have to go through this entire process again and will likely lose my PIP while waiting yet again. Not looking forward but I’m much better prepared now and the back pay I got will provide a good buffer if I have to go to tribunal again.
thanks for everyone’s advice.1
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