Tribunals who is a represenative??????

[NiksB]

My question is has anyone taken a rep with them to the tribunal, they offer that you can but who should this kind person be??? I am getting info from CAB etc but as of yet havent found the answers.

Also what do the 2 doctors and 1 lawyer want i already gave them letters from my docs/gp/my account/my husband telling how it affects me and my daaily life is that what they want or me to write about the mistakes in the assessment i dont want to insult them after all, i feel as thou this is last chance and i dont want to blow it for not having the right letters.

I am going to the first tier of tribunal, which fills me with horror after all the assessment was a complete farce eg they said i didnt show any tremors which would be a miracle because ive had that( and it is worse under pressure for the last 26 yrs). They said i take anti depressants minamal dose which i would think is a good thing and then said i dont receive treatment for it well i did last year on the nhs but i got 6 sessions and that was that, there is only so much money to go around and im not going to harm myself and i do get fed up but who dosnt perticularly when you have to point out all the things you could do before you became ill for me its mixed connective tissue disease which is a weird mix of lupus etc etc.

Sorry about the rant but we are at their mercy which drives me nuts....

thanks for listening well reading..

[Jaxqueline]

I too would be interested in this - I have my first formal meeting today which I am worried about. I am allowed a companion but it has to be someone from within the organisation. Good luck and let me know how you get on.

[heatherx]

I'm guessing this is for DLA?? If so a representative can ne someone that helps you care for yourself on a daily basis ie neighbour, relative etc or somebody from the citizen advice bureau or it can be a solicitor etc basically anybody that you would want there that you feel would help support your claim.

As for the assessment from their medical assessor I would urge everybody to not tick this box as then they will take their lead from your own medical team. The assessor came out for my 13 year old daughter who is in an electric wheelchair, the assesor came out who was a retired GP he seemed lovely but then on seeing a copy of his report it didn't coincide not even slightly with her condition or his examination! His report stated that she was unable to weightbare/stand not even for a short while without intense pain but she COULD walk unlimited unaided!! Even though whilst he was here I offered to get her walking frame so he could see her walk etc but he said that wasn't necessary as he could see how much constant pain she is in. Its not as even if it was a first claim as she has been like it for 5 years and previously had higher rate care and mobility. It was only on her renewal forms that I ticked that it was ok for her to assesed by their assesor that messed up her claim.

This then resulted in her claim being stopped immediately, it took nearly a year for it to get to court for tribunal, the people in the court were lovely and the judge couldn't understand why it was stopped with her 'overwhelming' medical evidence from her medical team. It was reinstated and backdated .

If you take your claim as far as tribunal there is quite a high success rate I know it is worrying but don't give up and write a diary of the month of the claim of how you were daily, as in what you could and needed help for daily as its hard to remember when your on the spot. Good luck!

[NiksB]

Thanks for your replies, i didnt have a choice on the assessment they decided and after they failed me i was sent straight to job center but they said i was to ill after a month of signing on (horrid experience) i saw a disability employment adviser and because i had been signed of sick by my gp (which dosnt seem to make any difference to the assessors) i ended up appealing the decision to fail my assessment and they with no great surprise up held their decision so now off to tribunal. I hope after all the letters from my docs that they will get on the same page but we will see fingers xd.

Thanks again i surpose we must fight on....

[fabwheelie]

I have an appeal re ESA & which group I am in, as allthough I'm retired due to ill health currently ESA expect me to do things to prepare to return to work.

I have mental health problems aswell as SLE and the stress was making my mental health worse. My mental health team have refered me to local council social services welfare person who will act as my representative and do the appeal submission etc, so it may be worth seeing if your GP or consultant can refer you to local council services (I think you will need a referal but may be worth phoning your council socail service dept to see if they can help)

[NiksB]

Thank you ill give them ago ....