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DLA and PIP taken away - cluster headaches

I am a suffer of episodic cluster headaches among other things and my DLA/PIP was taken away in March. I did the mandotory reconsideration to no avail so I have taken it to the courts. A few weeks back I called the DWP as i realised that I hadn't received any of my evidence back and was told it was in the pack that I should of recieved. 132 pages, never received anything of the sort and neither have the courts I was told on my last call. I was also told that a discrepancy had been found and it was in the hands of a assessor. What do you think that means?
Replies
First you need to ring the tribunal if you haven't recieved the bundle.
It sounds as though the DWP may be having a further review prior to the hearing, sometimes they will do so and make an award which you do not have to accept
CR
A very big welcome to you to our community.
Wow you have had to deal with a right mess.
This "PIP" thing seems to get worse by the day !!!!!
Please please let me know if you require any help with your next step (court)
That's no problem at all !!!!!!!!
Headway is going to be the best place for me to start to help you as I'm a client/staff/board member localy and nationly.
They will have better info and clout than we will ever have joined together !!!!!!
We need to make sure everything is covered for you as the court is going to be potently hostial !!!!!!!
I can contact the national Headway for you and we should be ok with that one !!!!!!
What was the other one that I can help you with ????
We will both be way out off our comfert going on our own so we need as much help as we can for you !!!!!!
I can also contact your local "CAB" for both help and advice.
Sorry for going on and on !!!!!!!!
I have just spent time in trying to get things right for you.
Please please let me know how you feel about things???
Great everthing falling into place for you !!!!!!!!!!!
I doubt you'll get a Court date until the Tribunal receive the 132 pages of evidence. Suggest you ask DWP if and when they are going to send this. And what the nature of the 'discrepancy' is.
You can also put questions to benefits experts in the Ask a benefits advisor category of Scope online community.
Your disabilities have to apply 50% of the time, i.e. at least four bad days a week.
Do you use aids to do all these things? Using aids helps you score a few points in each category if it takes you a long time to complete the activities, or you can't always complete them, even using aids.
Examples of aids are: adapted cutlery including adapted food peeler/chopper; long-handled sponge; bath stool or seat; rubber gripper for opening jars including medicine jars/bottles; raised toilet seat; grab handles; clothes/shoes with velcro fastenings/elasticated waistbands, wide necks, clothes without fastenings; front-fastening bra.
You have to be able to undertake the various activities reliably: safely, repeatedly and in a reasonable time. So you might be able to dress yourself but this may take you 30-45 minutes. And bathing might take an hour, 1.5 hours if you also wash your hair.
And you must always at least try to peel/chop veg until forced to give up on bad days because of difficulty or because you might cut yourself. On good days you might be able to complete peeling/chopping but this may take you 30 minutes or more. You have to try to prepare a simple meal from fresh ingredients to show that you can't do it.
People have lost points for saying that know they can't peel/chop veg so they don't bother to try and instead settle for a sandwich or a bowl of cereal. assessors count being able to prepare a bowl of cereal as being able to prepare a simple meal from fresh ingredients!
And if you haven't yet submitted a diary, send a 7-day one, listing the aids you use, covering a week shortly before you made your PIP claim to the Tribunal. Disability Rights site has a draft diary and a good guide to PIP. Think about how your disabilities fit the various descriptors.
My use of aids enabled me to score 11 points daily living after assessment and the Tribunal decided to award me an extra two points for food preparation, giving me 13 and so putting me in the enhanced category.
So even though you have scored 0 points in a number of categories, using aids in those categories should gain you some points at Tribunal.
I was asked if the aids were recommended to me and I replied, no, I decided for myself that I needed them. I don't think it matters which, just that you need to use the aids.
The discrepancy was on there behalf and had something to do with the paperwork that is for the tribunal. The paperwork is on its way to both me and the courts. Looks like im going to court.
I will go at them with both barrels now. Asked for my medical records and asked my doc to write me a letter of support. I will be asking the 3 other specialists for letters of support to. No apology for them not actually sending the papers weeks and weeks ago and i know the courts are 24 weeks behind.
CR
Take Care,
John
I've said this before, email or write a letter to your MP, & tell her or him everything that's gone on, I'm sure you will hear something from this.To help you make note, say one to twenty of a piece of paper before start anything I.E bullets on your reminder, has shown below and add these to your email or letter to your MP.