Tribunal

Cheers Gordon,

I will do just that, highlighting the point that irrespective of what the actual benefit being applied for is, if the DWP guidelines for DM,s assessing a claimant with OA in both hips, I have avascular necrosis, then the guidance t states " help is likely to be needed in rising from sitting!

One of the descriptors I say I meet for my ESA tribunal is that help is needed getting up from a seated position, scoring 15 points, so I am hoping to reference this to the tribunal.

Sorry to be a pest Gordon but I rely on the expert advice of the moderators on here before I commit to sending anything in to the DWP.

Regards

TED

Hi t,

At the Tribunal, you will be asked a lot of questions. As you answer them, try to make sure that you bring in whatever details you think they need to know around each question, such as how you manage what you manage.

At mine, there was a judge and a doctor. The doctor asked all the questions, and the judge wrote things down all the time. The questions were designed to clarify the doctor's understanding of what they had read. And they really had read the documents.

At the end, they asked if there was anything else I wanted to say - so you need to have a list of things you regard as essential, and to try to keep tabs on what has been covered.

I found it very helpful to have a CAB person with me, and also to send in the CAB submission as they were able to say things I could not have said about myself. This was a mental health case. As yours is physical, your carer's direct experience of your difficulties and needs should be helpful, and they may be able to add things that they notice have not been covered adequately or at all.

I imagine it would be possible to go with both a carer and a welfare officer.

The doctor and judge spoke to the CAB person at the start and end. They asked one or two questions and he added his own brief comments, eg on the interpretation of the law.

The doctor made the process as unfrightening as she could, for which I was glad. They took very little time deciding on the outcome, and gave me a written statement to take away. I'm glad to say the outcome was the best possible for me. I wish you luck with yours!

Hi Apricot,
Thank you, that is most helpful,

Kind Regards

Ted