Appeal process again

[LouLamb]

I got my letter on Thursday saying that PIP turned down my mandatory reconsideration . The comments they wrote made me so angry . When I get home later I'll post the comments .

The letter was dated the 5th September but I didn't receive it until the 14th . So I've only got till the 5th October to send back the appeal paperwork . I'm hoping the citizen advice have an appointment next week or week after. The timing is the worse.

Hopefully I got to appeal and win again . I don't think I will go through the hassle again . It's emotionally and psychically draining . It makes me so angry when they question what I say. They told me that I have a slight reduced grip but not bad enough so I can Manage with aids . Even though I have told them I brought aids and I couldn't use them . Why at the age of 17 would I lie . Do they think I enjoy and like my mum having to do everything , well I don't !

[misty14]

Hi loulamb

I'm really sorry your going to have to appeal your pip again!. It's awful what they're putting you thru. Citizens advice will be a great help again and don't worry about the time as they explain to DWP why its late if they don't have an appointment within the time limit!. DWP are so far behind they won't even notice!. Keep us posted and best of luck. Fingers tightly crossed. X

[LouLamb in reply to misty14]

Will do thanks . I read the letter and what they said. I thought to myself do I really wanna do this again . I thought yes I will x

[misty14 in reply to LouLamb]

Go for it Lou, love your fighting spirit!. X

[smudge1980]

Aww, Lou lamb I'm sorry your going through this hassel. I'm sure you can ask for an extension on your return of paper work. I'm also sure, after going through similar myself, that dwp hope you'll not appeal & give up in what's due to you. You were awarded pip the 1st time round & your condition has not miraculous disappeared. Your probably learning ways of doing things & you said you've bought aids to help you. You shld get awarded points for having aids. Funnily enough they said my grip was fine in both hand's! Even though I had a letter from my rheumatology doctor saying about swollen joints and lack of grip. The pip person doing my medical commented on how swollen my joint's and fingers were, go figure! Use the anger your feeling to win what's due to you. I eventually got pip awarded for a further 3yrs! Why they insist on putting us through all this needless stress with all the evidence we have, I don't know. Well...maybe it's so we'll give up and they don't have to pay out. Good luck Lou lamb.

[LouLamb in reply to smudge1980]

My hands are always swollen . I know no different . When I went through pip first time the assessor at my house said they weren't swollen . I went to my appeal and the doctor on the panel said of course they are swollen . He could see that from all the way where he was sitting .

That's the thing they gave me it for 18 months but by time got it only had a few months then it ended . Nothing has changed . I wish it would have just disappeared but unfortunately I don't think that will happen !

[LouLamb in reply to LouLamb]

It amazes me why they think we would lie about are problems . I'd really rather go through life without these problems .

[smudge1980]

I totally understand what your saying. 1st time I had to go to appeal & was an utter nervous mess. But the judge etc cld see my problems & believed my evidence. I'm sure they must get totally fed up with how many people have to go to appeal and the system needs to change.

[farmerfeste]

Hi I would recommend you go to welfare rights at your council they will advise and represent

You by submitting your reconsideration and if it comes to it tribunal

[Lupiknits]

You are absolutely right to fight this LouLamb. I got points for needing aids ( not that some of them help). Nobody at your age wants ito have their mum do things for them. You are going out into the world and looking for an independent life. If they overlook that they are causing extra stress and anxiety,

If your local council has a Welfare Rights Officer, try them. I found mine really exceptional. She calculated exactly what points I should get ( was right) and certainly was ready to help me fight if I was turned down.

[LouLamb in reply to Lupiknits]

Thank you x

[rlupus]

Hi LouLamb you must not give up the system is a joke and not fit for purpose you must fight all the way , this happend to me a couple of years ago and there was no way I was going to sit back and do nothing , please keep fighting do not give up make sure you send as much evidence in as possible and keep copies , I done all of this and was awarded pip for 10 years as you say it will never go away we have to manage the best we can and get through the days the best we can.

good luck take care

Rachel

[LouLamb in reply to rlupus]

Thank you

[Diagnosed2012]

I think it's hard for younger people. There's the stereotype disabled=older people. I only just scraped the lowest level of PIP. My GP and rheumy think I should have got at least the lowest for mobility too. But I also think much depends on the assessor. If you get a sympathetic one, you'll be fine. If you get an idiot - like mine - you're lucky to get anything, despite providing loads of clinical letters, evidence etc. Mine just kept rebutting everything I said, instead repeatedly saying..."But you can still do this/that....Pain aside, you can still do....So it takes you longer, but you can still manage that...etc"

[LouLamb in reply to Diagnosed2012]

Thank you . I defo agree just because your young some how means you can't be disabled . I will fight again . If I get it for so many months again I don't think I'll reapply again . Can't deal with the hassle of it

[Wendy39]

Just reading your post. I'm sorry you are being put through this Lou. Another battle. Another drain of your energy. There is such little understanding of our illness and its impact. Like you said, you don't fit the typical picture of a person on PIP because if your age either. 😬😬 Did you contact the CAB yet for an appt & help? X

[LouLamb in reply to Wendy39]

Contacted them today . They can't help me with my appeal this time as they don't do appointments after 4. So I'm going to write my own appeal . I'm going to re word the one I used last time as it's all the same reasons . I'm hoping Friday at the consultant she'll give me some evidence to back up my claims

[Wendy39 in reply to LouLamb]

Sound like you have it all sorted. Yes, please ask consultant for letter to back you up. Is your GP good? Maybe evidence from them might help? The more the merrier. X

[LouLamb in reply to Wendy39]

My gp did give me a little letter type thing saying I need help washing my hair and stuff but they didn't seem to take much notice of it x

[Mandagee]

Oh that's crap you can't get any help with appeal. Good idea to use the paperwork from last appeal as a start. I 've had to go through appeals process and found that taking each point they stated and writing reasons why I disagreed and examples . It's a long drawn out process that is completely unfair. I wish you well for the future and we r all here if you need to ask advice or just to let off steam.x

[LouLamb in reply to Mandagee]

Thank you . I'm just feeling very tired and stressed out . Just a lot going on in a short amount of time x

[pippa-19]

Look at the Benefits and Work site benefitsandwork.co.uk/ they give lots of advice on how to appeal PIP, guidance on what to write about each point there is a small charge to join to help them with admin costs, run by employment lawyers and they are bang up to date with what works and what doesn't. Good luck and keep fighting

[LouLamb in reply to pippa-19]

Thank you

[fabwheelie in reply to LouLamb]

members of the charity Lupus UK can access the benefits and work guides for free ...... lupusuk.org.uk/benefits/

Also ask your local council if they have a welfare rights officer (in my council they come under social services) as in my experience they are more help than CAB and they can attend apeal hearings with you (by the way I think many people have to appeal decisions and the mandatory reconsiderations are notorious for not changing decisions that do eventually get overturned on full appeal ... they just like to make it as difficult as possible ... I think they hope people will give up claiming)