Pip tribunal

Hi flower123

With telephone Tribunal, you should hear within a few days about the decision. At a face to face Tribunal they either told you on the day or sent the decision to you in the post.

In principle, it should be no different from a face to face appeal, there should still be three members on the panel although it is possible that there will be less. The questioning will still be about your limitations in regard to the PIP activities.

Some practical advice;

- have a glass or better still a jug of water available
- make sure you are seated in a comfortable chair, you are going to be there a while
- create a bullet list of any issues you want to be covered
- have the papers available, so you will need to be sitting at a table or similar, if you need to refer to a particular document then do so using the handwritten number usually in the right-hand top corner
- pen and paper in case you need to make notes
- if you can't hear or understand what is being asked then ask them to repeat the question
- you cannot record the hearing even for personal purposes

Remember, it is not your conditions that are being assessed but the limitations that result from them, have a look at our PIP Claim guide for the criteria that the panel will be questioning you about.

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/help-for-claimants/pip

Halfway down the page you will come across:

Guide to PIP appeals
A 36 page guide on challenging PIP decisions through Mandatory Reconsideration and Appeal. Questions you may be asked start at page 31.

Gary

Hi Flower123
Have a read of all the papers again today if you can. As Gary said, if you haven't already made a note of the points you want to make, note down a few bullet points to remind you what to say. Think carefully about how your health problems fit within the descriptor activities. If you have someone at home, they can listen in to the hearing and make notes, they can also give evidence, especially examples of difficulties you have with PIP activities. If you have a representative they will also be able to deal on your behalf.
If you need a break at any time say so. There may well be questions you don't understand, or don't even know the answer, or perhaps have forgotten. Say so! It is very tempting to think you need to answer every question- but it gets confusing if you just make things up! Take a brief moment before answering, make sure you understand and know what to say. This also helps focus the mind! If you have someone with you, they should not interrupt, but should monitor how you are coping. However, if it is clear that you are getting very confused, and saying everything wrong I think it is important then to say something. They should definitely give evidence at the end, and correct any major errors.
Be yourself. I appreciate that you will be nervous and will have to answer some difficult and often very negative questions about things you can't do. It is important to tell everything. Be brutally honest. The tribunal want to know about you, and over the phone (I assume it is a phone hearing) they can't see your reactions, so they need to hear your story in words. Make sure your phone is fully charged. If you can manage without extra painkillers etc then do so, otherwise you will come across as being less in pain etc but this will be artificial. Just stick to normal meds if you can, and today do whatever you want or would normally do. Thus, if you appear tired, then it's genuine and the tribunal will get the idea of what's normal for you. That is important.
Tomorrow may well be a difficult day, but you have nearly reached the end of your PIP journey, and you can do this!
Best of luck! Let us know you get on.

LL26

Hi flower123

it is normal to be nervous, I still get nervous when I attend appeal Tribunals as you never know how the tribunal will go.

I was with one claimant a few years ago who condition was that she would blackout without any warning if she got nervous or cold, as we were going out of the room whilst they deliberated she blacked out, an ambulance was called and she was taken to hospital, needless to say we won the appeal.

All I would say is read my previous post and that from LL26, on the day just be yourself and do not over think the answer.

Gary