Tribunal overturned DWP decision but still waiting - help?! — Scope | Disability forum
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Tribunal overturned DWP decision but still waiting - help?!

Nicky69
Nicky69 Community member Posts: 2 Listener
Hi, was wondering if anyone could help. I appealed my PIP as they gave me lower rate mobility. However, I have numerous disabilities after a road traffic accident 27 years ago. I am under a number of consultants pending further operations.

I went to a tribunal last month, and they overturned the DWP's decision. As I have not heard from the DWP, I phoned the helpline.  They have told me they have not received the statement from the judge as to why they overturned the dwp's decision. The lady then told me that, they are awaiting paperwork from the court for a caseworker to look at it. Who could decide to appeal against the tribunal judge's decision. 

I am beside myself, I have fought so hard with loads of evidence I have gathered to support my case. Now I fear, I have anot her long battle in front of me.

Comments

  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering
    Hello. This is tricky, as usually you are not paid the revised level of benefit until the DWP has decided whether or not to appeal against the tribunal's decision. If the DWP does decide to appeal, you are not normally paid the revised amount until the Upper Tribunal decides the case. However, in some situations you can ask to be paid if you are left in financial hardship. The DWP is always supposed to act in a timely manner in these situations, so it may be worth writing in  again to ask for a speedy decision on whether or not the DWP intends to appeal, arguing that the stress of the proceedings is having a negative effect on your health. After all, the tribunal must have considered you have a good case if it increased your standard rate mobility to enhanced rate mobility (I'm assuming from your post that this is what happened). Take encouragement from the fact that you won your tribunal, and that you have accumulated a lot of helpful evidence. If you have not had any help so far from a specialist adviser, then the Scope helpline may be able to put you in touch with someone locally. Members of the website called Benefits and Work (www.benefitsandwork.co.uk) may also be able to offer support while you are going through this tricky period. The important thing is not to give up, and to give the DWP a written prod to hurry them along. 
    Good luck,

    Jayne
    The Benefits Training Co:

  • Nicky69
    Nicky69 Community member Posts: 2 Listener
    Thank you so much. My support worker is going to chase it up for me, as ringing dwp leaves me so distressed 
  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering
    Nicky69,

    Sorry to hear this. Just to let you know there are time limits for the DWP to appeal. Once they get the statement of reasons from the judge (this is probably the paperwork they are waiting for), they have one month to put in their further appeal. The tribunal can extend this time limit but it's quite unlikely. So to put in another way, if the DWP haven't appealed in about a month from now, it will be too late. 

    I know this doesn't help a lot, but it does mean that you should find out soon whether or not the DWP plan to appeal, and then you can take it from there. As Jayne says, help from a specialist adviser would be highly recommended if the DWP are appealing. A local Citizens Advice or Law Centre may be able to help you.

    Will
    The Benefits Training Co:

  • ClydeBuilt
    ClydeBuilt Community member Posts: 40 Connected
    You would think that when theyr 'dealing' with cases and decide to stop paying you whatever your claiming, you would be entitled to a basic amount while the decision is argued over?
    Perhaps something above basic ESA?
  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering
    edited September 2017
    ClydeBuilt yes I often think that would be helpful - but no, it doesn't work like that at all in PIP. It's completely suspension/non payment.

    Will
    The Benefits Training Co:

  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    @Nicky69 Let me say what others have not mentioned, that the DWP can only appeal a Tribunal decision on a point of law. They cannot appeal the decision itself just because they don't agree with it. The chances of them finding anything to appeal are very slim as not only do they have to find something but they then have to prove that the decision was not made according to the law governing how the PIP system works. As judges know the law then this is very unlikely to happen. In my humble opinion these letters that DWP send out should be scrapped and claimants only notified if there is a problem. DWP are using this as yet another way to drag claimants down and to delay payment over and above a reasonable timescale. To say it's at a time when claimants have just won their Appeal makes it all the more unacceptable. Many others have posted about this with the same fear as you have experienced. Statistics for the likelihood of this happening should be given to people instead of making it sound like it could well happen.
  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    It has not been said yet but there is no time constaint on the judge to provide a statement of reason. It sounds as though this is the hold up, you need to ring the tribunal for an update

    CR
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste

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