I can’t cope with PIP Tribunal.

[Stressedafff]

I applied for PIP on December 24th 2021. Was declined and did a mandatory reconsideration which also was declined. I appealed to the tribunal on 1st July last year, was told 25 week wait. I’m appearing via phone due to agoraphobia and mental health conditions and I am dreading it. I’m still waiting on a date for tribunal, I phoned to enquire and was told they’d put it through to the listing team but nothings come of it. The thought of going through this is making me more unwell. I’m waking up in the night with panic attacks, vomiting and my hair is starting to fall out. I feel like withdrawing this appeal because it’s making me poorly. I don’t know what to do.

Soakitup37

That is so sad. I would be mad too as it will have added to the stress in her last months. Perhaps you could write a letter to them. Even if it just helps you by putting it on paper but it might make someone else think too.

I have got everything in terms of advocacy and support which is helpful but the waiting I cannot cope with. It’s the fear of the unknown

I could have my mum speak via the phone for me and I will certainly ask her to take over if it gets too much but I want to try and do it myself. I’ve been waiting for this hearing since July, it’s constantly on my mind whether I’ll be awarded or not and Im beyond stressed

@DaisyDays123 thank you for your advice, hadn’t thought to get my anxiety under control. Im cured now :)

I got rejected for PIP for agoraphobia too. I just couldn't deal with the tribunal so I didn't bother. Now I regret not giving it a go cause we're really struggling.
I know how awful it is, and the actual day will be a thousand times worse, but if you can persevere, I would. Mental health is the hardest to get awarded on and it's horrendous that we have to "fight" for it.

There must be a cracking view there from the top of your ivory tower 🙄

@Stressedafff please ignore that awful comment … Hardly helpful to someone suffering with anxiety …
my 18 year old receives PIP .. he’s had DLA since age 13 and I filled out his PIP application as I’m his appointee … he’s ASD .. has sensory processing disorder and suffered crippling anxiety .. I took the telephone assesment and although the assessor was lovely I found a lot of the questions were designed to trip you up .. ie When he goes to shops how does he cope with that and I had to keep saying .. he does not leave the house . He was awarded enhanced rare care and although only in standard mobility he gets a blue badge as scored ten points on the statement journeys cause you considerable distress …

please don’t give up .. most cases are usually awarded at tribunal as I’m sure they hope most will give up .. but if you are suffering this much then you need this help ..

I had a tribunal for DLA in 2005 and was awarded (I had a stroke the year before ) .. the panel were kind and very human .. my understanding is they don’t work for the dwp so they are unbiased and will look at each case fairly

Exactly this 👆Hang in there OP 💐

Phone CAB, they are fantastic and know everything there is to know about this thoroughly shameful process.

Do you have someone in rl who can hold your hand through it all?

Good luck.

Honestly, how we can call ourselves a civilised country and continue to do this is beyond me. It is thoroughly inhumane, we are kinder to dogs.

The PIP assessment is so tough. I had one last August. I can't stand at cooker to cook. I use a stool but still have to get ingredients together so need assistance. In real life my dh gets all ingredients and equipment on worktop for me. Without him there to do this I could not cook as could not walk around kitchen collecting ingredients. I was given 2 points. I can't cook without DH to help me and give me assistance. In the end even though I think they got it wrong and it is unfair I let it go an DC get lower amount. I just could not face an appeal. I know these people bank on disabled people just giving up. Get someone to be with you when you are receiving tribunal call and try to get evidence to support what you say.

Jesus Christ.

It’s hard. I had to wait and many others do. Sadly it’s just something that has to be done if you want to claim it you can’t get out of it if your claim been rejected already. Mine got rejected twice before I had to go to tribunal. You’re appearing via phone so Atleast that’s something. Gather your information and don’t think about it till the day. There’s a massive backlog at the minute but you will eventually get a date. With mine I brought a family member along for support .

@Redsquirrel5

thanks, it was a crappy time, I was her informal carer as well - she couldn’t do anything and was housebound for the last year of her life and still they said she was fit for work. The stress it put her under even though I reassured her that I would do everything I could to help and would help her financially for any shortfalls.

she had a cataract in both eyes couldn’t read the application form clearly. She was though completely of sound mind so in the world
of the pip system she was ok to work 😒

I can’t think about it makes my blood boil.

Please keep on fighting for your health and never give up trying to get improve the impact of your MH condition first and foremost.

you should be able to get support - you are agoraphobic fgs!

Who supports you currently? Who helps you day to day? Can you get them to write letters outing your difficulties?

I am struggling to work due to severe anxiety and severe depression but I get no financial help at all and am just about to apply as DH acts as my carer doing practical jobs I can not face and avoid to my detriment. I keep on trying to reduce the impact of my MH conditions: I eat well, I exercise and I keep trying but medication prescribed by my consultant psychiatrist and the therapy NHS does offer doesn't seem to impact and sometimes I feel I'm stuck with this life forever.

My job was as a CAB benefits appeal representative and I have a lot of experience in this field. Yes the Tribunal panel are completely independent of the DWP and are well used to the cock ups of the DWP award system. The Tribunal are fair and impartial and will do their level best to put you at your ease. Just answer their questions as honestly as you can. They are used to people being extremely nervous and won't be hostile or "grill" you I promise. You will be fine, good luck!

If she could control her anxiety and agoraphobia she wouldn't need pip.....are you a relative to Truss?

I wonder how much money is wasted on these horrific tribunals - surely it’s cheaper to pay out on the claim?

What a shame the first poster is a goady fucker. Ignore them OP

What’s the worst that can happen?

Yeah OP no biggie, you’ll just have no money to live on and will probably die, just drop the claim

See U Next Tuesday Daisy

a lot of charities will support PIP claims at tribunal not just CAB - check on line for charities that specifically help your disability and have an advice line they may be bale to help or give you a link. Some of these will do the talking on your behalf and meet up with you before (or by phone)
Stick with it op apparently the tribunals are far more sympathetic to claimants and can be quite narky to the benefit agency ...

not bale able!

Yes, getting turned down for PIP when you are genuinely disabled isn't bad at all. You are still in the same position you were before, right?

Fucking hell.

The PIP system is brutal, soul destroying and can lead to further mental health problems and depression.

Scotland, while it's early days, seem to be applying common sense to the disabled claimants.

I'm so sorry @Stressedafff Have you thought about getting Kalms, or something from the GP? Please don't worry. The vast majority of peoples appeals are upheld. You will be fine.

@DaisyDays123

What’s the worst that can happen? They turn you down? You won’t be in any different situation if you drop the claim.......... So might as well carry on with it ... 🤷‍♀️

The fuck have I just read???

I just want to let you know I won at my tribunal and I know how crippling it is waiting but it is worth it. I am on 80mg propanalol a day which helps my anxiety but it doesn't cure it. But can you see your doctor and say your anxiety has worsened to the point your hair is falling out, so can they give you something/ refer you to a psychiatrist?
Good luck with the tribunal and I am so sorry you are going through this.

Persevere OP! Most claimants appealing at tribunal win PIP. So your odds are good. The mandatory reconsideration is just DWP rubber stamping and doubling down on the assessor’s report…even if it is a pack of lies.

I did get a representative to write my appeal and speak for me at tribunal. However, I had to answer their questions myself.

What I observed was that you have to show you meet a specific a # of points descriptor. So where you said:

“eg, I informed them I cannot make budgeting decisions due to my mental health and I’m up to my eyeballs in debt and am awaiting a DRO, they didn’t write that down and instead informed me I can make budgeting decisions because I have my own bank account.”

This isn’t enough evidence to show you cannot make any budgeting decisions at all- 6pts. It’s a very high bar to hit too, you have to not be able to count out money and even then usually reserved for profoundly incapacitated.

Look at the attachment. So, you may be able to make simple budgeting decisions like is this co-op cashier overcharging me? Or what is my rent and have I paid it? Either by yourself or with assistance….does your mum remind you to pay your rent every month, and if she did not check would the rent go unpaid? (You need specific examples). The same with complex budgeting decisions which are like can I buy a car on finance? Can I understand the finance agreement? Again, who has assisted you and when? What would or has happened if you didn’t have this assistance?

Think on your situation and which descriptor and # points applies to you and then link that to evidence showing the tribunal that those are the points you qualify for.

Do this for all the PIP activities as the Tribunal will go through them one by one.

I completely agree with this!

Years ago, I needed to renew my DD's application and I was really ill at the time. (DH hopeless at paperwork as he's dyslexic so I do everything).

I felt so awful at the time and, as we know, the forms go on forever, I tried to keep the info brief as I thought they already had everything on record anyway. Big mistake!
DD lost her mobility allowance.😥. All my fault so I applied for mandatory reconsideration and eventually - after what seemed forever - we were offered a tribunal hearing which we accepted.

The "Judges" couldn't have been lovelier!
They were so encouraging and understanding and the upshot was that DD's high rate mobility was reintroduced immediately plus we received a huge back payment for the months she had missed out.

Please don't be nervous! Definitely worth pursuing.👍

I am about to apply for PIP for the first time and feel absolutely terrified about the whole process. It's been strongly recommended to me to subscribe to Fightback4Justice. They can assist and accompany you to tribunal. I used CAB years ago when I applied for ESA but wasn't successful and I am not sure they have as much detailed knowledge of benefits as someone like Fightback. Also advice a friend gave me is that the run-up and anticipation of application/ assessment/ tribunal is generally much worse than the actual event. The system is abysmal, deliberately unfair and purposely designed to be as traumatic and brutal as possible to people who are already often in dire straits. I hope you find the strength to get through this as, as pp have said, I believe the majority of people actually win at tribunal as they should - but to offer another probably unpopular perspective - your mental health & physical health is most important and if you absolutely cannot cope with the trauma of the tribunal there is no shame in giving up.

Don't be. Step back a bit and think of it as a job application, only a reverse one. Rather than selling your best side you're selling your worst side. Be prepared to cry while you're writing it.

It's a necessary evil to apply for government funds. The way I think of it is if they didn't do this process people would jump up and down wanting an audit trail of where public funds are going. It's nothing more deep than that really. It's just a really really mentally exhausting process to go through so get a good network around you