Did I doWrong thing — Scope | Disability forum
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Did I doWrong thing

EllieStar1989
EllieStar1989 Community member Posts: 45 Courageous
I changed my appeal to paper based 

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,321 Disability Gamechanger
    Your best chance of a decision in your favour is to appear in person! This is your chance to tell the Tribunal how your conditions affect you, if you're not there then all they will have is the evidence you send. Always better face to face. Take someone with you, if at all possible if you think you can't go alone. Who ever you take will be able to go into the room with you. I would advise you to reconsider your decision, for the best possible outcome.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • EllieStar1989
    EllieStar1989 Community member Posts: 45 Courageous
    I changed it because I have been waiting since November last year and I am told it’s still a 25 week wait it’s really making stressed and I am worried they will look at me and think i
    am ok because it’s invisible 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,321 Disability Gamechanger
    Backlogs are huge all over the country for Tribunals and some are waiting as long as 1 year. I would still advise you to re-consider. Lots of people have invisible conditions and appear at their tribunal and have a decision in their favour. Have you sent evidence to support your claim?
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • EllieStar1989
    EllieStar1989 Community member Posts: 45 Courageous
    I don’t have evidence 
    i can’t get help for my problems 
    I don’t go out the house much 
    I am scared of the tribunal 
    i don’t know if I should apply again
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,321 Disability Gamechanger
    Applying again won't help, if you have no evidence. Evidence is needed to support your claim. If you haven't been awarded anything and this is your reason for the Tribunal then DWP will most likely refuse you again.

    Do you not see your GP? Do you have a social worker, have you had any hospital appointments in the past? When i have hospital appointments my Consultant always writes to my GP. You can ask your GP if they have anything in your medical records that you can use. Maybe they can also write you a letter of support stating how your conditions affect you. You can write a diary about how your conditions affect you, and ask someone who knows you well to write a letter of support. This will need to be backed up by medical evidence too.

    If you haven't sent any evidence and you've asked for a paper based decision, then they won't have any evidence to use to make that decision.

    A Tribunal isn't a court. It's just a room with a few people inside and a table. There's a judge, a DR, sometimes a DWP representative. You'll be asked questions about how your conditions affect you daily based on those descriptors. Sometimes they tell you the decision on the day, while other times if that can't be made on the day they will write to you within a couple of days.

    They are totally independent to DWP and the assessment providers and they will listen to you. Take someone with you, this will help.

    Starting a new claim, is really not your answer here. Evidence and appearing in person, is the answer. Good luck.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • EllieStar1989
    EllieStar1989 Community member Posts: 45 Courageous
    I see my doctor. I sent in my medical records. My records say I have thyroid problems and emotionally unstable personality disorder as well
    as depression and anxiety. My medical records say when I have been in hospital for suicide attempts but they don’t say how I can’t go out how I can’t cook, dress myself etc. My sister helps me. My doctor referred me to mental health team and I was turned down by them 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,321 Disability Gamechanger
    I would stick with the Tribunal and appear in person for the best possible chance of a decision in your favour. Can your sister write you a letter of support, explaining what she helps you with and why? As long as it's sent to the Tribunal to arrive at least 10 days before the hearing then it's fine.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • EllieStar1989
    EllieStar1989 Community member Posts: 45 Courageous
    Yes she could write she helps but doesn’t know how to deal with Dwp I was given home assessment I was in pip and it was renewed the person assessing me arrived early before my sister got there and I didn’t know what to do so I just spoke like one word answers while look at the floor crying and shaking and my arms were bleeding because I self harm and was scratching at the cuts because I was struggling to cope and my sister come in and didn’t know how to deal with it because the assessment already started and the assessor said I coped well at the assessment and that I can hop around but I did no hoping I moved slowly and painful when I had to move for the assessor and they said I wasn’t in pain 
  • Markmywords
    Markmywords Community member Posts: 419 Pioneering
    It is possible to win with just a written submission @EllieStar1989 , I did.

    My hearing was the other side of the country and it was totally unfeasible to attend.

    The tribunal does like to ask questions though and it would be better to attend. However as, I proved, it is not necessarily the wrong thing and they will consider your individual circumstances.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,321 Disability Gamechanger
    Indeed it is possible but as i said it's far better to appear in person for the best possible outcome.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • susan48
    susan48 Community member Posts: 2,221 Disability Gamechanger
    As much as I’d hate to go through the tribunal again I agree that face to face is much better, it gives the tribunal an understanding of you as a person.
    I have involuntary body movements and speech difficulties when I’m anxious and the tribunal panel saw this first hand. I was extremely anxious so body movements etc were horrendous.
    If I had done a paperbase Appeal they would only have surmised how severe these things are but seeing it is totally different.

    Best hope you you is to go in person if you can, fingers crossed for you @EllieStar1989
  • Zeezee
    Zeezee Community member Posts: 78 Pioneering
    Hi elliestar1989, I know the thought of a tribunal can be extremely daunting but it is nothing like the assessment from the DWP. I attended a tribunal recently and the panel of three (a judge, a Dr and a disability expert) where lovely to me, they didn't act like I was telling them lies, they gave me time to explain and get my point across and the expert in children's disabilities was even asking me questions about my daughters muscle spasms, over active startle reflexes which results in my daughters body twisting and locking up even when she's asleep, and other indepth issues that I usually have to spend ages explaining, but she had a very good understanding of my daughters condition which made things easier to explain and I finally felt that someone believed me, which after months of being made to feel like I was telling lies about my daughters condition it was such a relief. It was worth attending the tribunal just for that feeling of being understood and believed. I wouldn't try and undermine or minimize the obvious trauma even leaving the house must be for you never mind attending a tribunal, however if there is any way you can take someone like your sister with you, for emotional support and also to speak to the tribunal to assist in explaining your health and emotional difficulties. Don't let the problems your sister had talking to the DWP put you off. Like I said the tribunal panel are not there to trip you or your sister up they are completely independent and have an expert in your field of health/MH issues. I hope you find the strength to fight this whichever way is best for you and hope your successful. Good luck

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