Hi all, sorry to bore you with this topic again but need some advice. I was turned down completely for pip even after the MR and now have to appeal. What information do you put in your grounds of appeal? Is it basically a repeat of the MR grounds? And what would your advice be in respect of attending hearing? Is it better to attend or not. I’d rather not but would attend if it’s better. Thank you.
Hello
I haven’t gone through the appeal process, so really can’t advise you. But I would recommend joining https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/ They have excellent guides for members. It costs about £20 for a year, but it’s worth the money.
The only other thing I’d suggest is not to rush into appealing. Make sure you’ve absorbed the information about how to appeal, the points you feel you should have scored (check this by looking at the Activities and Descriptors on https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf ) and make sure you have sufficient evidence to support your claim. If you don’t have enough evidence, start the ball rolling on that ASAP.
Once you are really clear headed about your plan of action (you could also try to get help from the Citizens Advice Bureau), then appeal. Just make sure it’s within the month of the MR date.
Good luck.
Sue
I am at the “waiting for a date” stage of the tribunal process.
The wait times are geographically different. My area is currently 36 weeks so don’t expect a date soon.
You really MUST get your appeal in as soon as possible, you have a month to submit it. My approach to the appeal was to indicate each area I disagreed with the report, why i disagreed with it, I questioned how they made each decision (what evidence did they use, and then used the evidence I/they already have to explain why the DWP are incorrect) I basically told them once again what I expect to score and why.
The important part here is that this will be seen by 3 independent people, probably a medical specialist, a judge and someone else. The DWP do not sit on the appeal panel but they may be there to present their point. All I have done is prepared my documents in a way that presents the evidence the way i need it to, in order for the panel to see it as I do. It will then be upto the DWP to present their evidence. They will have nothing different.
Take your time, plan your approach to each descriptor, if you agree, then say I agree with the descriptor, shows you are not questioning the whole process. An then on the one you do disagree with, tell then why etc
Best of luck
Charlie
Thank you. So basically a rerun of my mandatory consideration arguments because they ignored them anyway. Then dwp nurse stated in her report that I had normal strength in my limbs which was nonsense and I produced a letter from my neurologist dated 2012 stating that I had weakness in my limbs as well as ataxia but the MR assessor didn’t even acknowledge it in her refusal!!
36 weeks is a long time, I’ve already been waiting 61 to get this far - not all the fault of the dwp I must admit.