Humiliation at DLA appeal............................................. Now i'm going to complain - no one should be spoken down to..........

[beckybooboo]

I attended my dla appeal last friday and came away an absolute nervous wreck, in complete shock at the way I was spoken to, spent the afternoon in tears - Now after much thought over the weekend im still hurt at the level of intimidation I received so I am going to make a complaint about two on the panel and the sheer ignorance of one of them, if I don't say anything this may continue, im quite a strong character but had this been somebody else I really hate to think what level of distress this may cause another............................ I'm only little old me but im not going to except that level nastiness without saying something, I can't.......................................................................................

[Lucymay]

I do feel for you, l hate it when you get that level of intimidation, it rally knocks you for 6, go for it you have nothing to lose, only to gain l really hope you win this one x x x x

[tintin49]

they wont do sod all. the politics of welfare and people being labled scroungers has taken over,

[Jo883]

Sorry to hear that you had such an awful experience. I think I would do the same if I were in your shoes, I also agree that this sort of treatment is very unnecessary, a very long time ago I appealed for incapacity benefit it took around 2 and half years and caused a lot of stress, I was a lot younger then I am now so a little more naive etc etc - well I ended up being inappropriately touched by a very old court usher in the lift after my tribunal - I just froze, but I have never forgotten it, if I was in the same position now, well, I would handle things differently. These people are just jobsworths as far as I can work out, paper shufflers with no people skills, from what I read on here a lot of people go through the same thing, so I think by standing up to these jobsworths you are doing the right thing, not just for yourself but for others, I'm still in the diagnostic procedure so I'm not at that stage yet of applying as atm I can't definitively back it up - but I would like to think that when I am - I will fight them tooth and nail. The mental anguish a long term health condition causes is hard enough - but treatment like this justs add insult to injury. Be strong, go fourth and conquer xxx

[jamg3916]

Very sadly I don't think your experience is unusual in fact i think it's par for the course. My DLA appeal was very similar it was humiliating, demeaning and degrading. I was made to feel that all I had written down was rubbish and that decision to refuse had been made even before I got there. Thankfully I have the support of my local CAB who have been very helpful and tell me that this experience is not at all unusual. I think that they are being intimidating in the hope that folk will not pursue claims so I feel it's up to us to keep on keeping on to make sure that they don't achieve their aims ..all down to governments targets. As a teacher I would count myself as fairly resilient and not easy to intimidate but it left me feeling very ill for at least a week, but I am determined they won't grind me down. My DLA is with appeal at the High Court purely due to CAB support, whatever the outcome it will be a statistic as part of the appeals process. I have just been for PIP ATOS assessment and who knows what the outcome will be.....what I do know is that it is not helping my health one little bit, both physical and mental.

[Elle-26]

Write to your MP and explain everything ... the more times people write to their MP's the more it will be discussed .. If and when I have to go through this, I wouldn't put up with it ... My MP & Counsellor helped me move out of my condemned house and finally got a house that we could use the bathroom .. Really hope you win -x-

[beckybooboo]

I have complained today to the tribunal service direct and also to my local MP - I may have lost my appeal but Ive not lost the battle to let these people know that I wont be intimidated, its not fair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! & that kind of behaviour is not acceptable ...........................................