OMG HELP!!!!!

Oh dear I have just been given a date for my tribunal 8th September, for my ESA appeal. Only one problem, I cannot get representation because my son lives at home to help me and contributes to the upkeep of the house I cannot get legal aid.

My son is actually a doctor and has agreed to come with me to the tribunal and I think I am able to represent myself as I feel very strongly about putting my point of view forward but will it look good at my appeal!!!!!!

tess42uk wrote:

Oh dear I have just been given a date for my tribunal 8th September, for my ESA appeal. Only one problem, I cannot get representation because my son lives at home to help me and contributes to the upkeep of the house I cannot get legal aid.

My son is actually a doctor and has agreed to come with me to the tribunal and I think I am able to represent myself as I feel very strongly about putting my point of view forward but will it look good at my appeal!!!!!!

Hi tess,

Many members have sucessfully represented themselves, this is becoming more common due to reductions in funding to advise agencies.

If your son is attending with you, this will help also, if nothing else, for moral support.

Good Luck !

bro58

If you feel you are capable of representing yourself then you should plus with your son there it will really help!!!

I have been through two tribunals over the years and the first one the representative from the CAB was useless on the day, he could barely put a sentence together and had I not spoken up myself I would have lost, I was surprised I actually won!

My next one is a long story but will keep it brief. I ended up representing myself but it wasn't planned, on the day my rep from Welfare Rights didn't turn up, some excuse about trains not running, total lies and I proved it was lies but that is another story. Anyway my sister was with me for moral support but as my rep hadn't turned up they allowed me to have my dad in too, he had driven me to the place and had been there waiting with me till my sister got there. We went in there and we told it as it is and we won.

So if I have to appeal and go to tribunal again I will be representing myself as I have no faith in the CAB or WR here and this site being available gives me the confidence to do it myself!!

Thanks, I had come to the conclusion that maybe I would be better off representing myself as really only I can really tell what is wrong with me and why I cannot work.

One member told me to raise 10 points as to why I disagreed with what the ATOS doctor said and that wont be difficult as most of what she said was rubbish.

Thanks for you replies.

I will keep you all informed. Also do you find out on the day or do you have to wait for the result?

Hi, just a thought...

although it is good to tell the tribunal what ATOS got wrong

they will have a list of descriptors in front of them and the most important thing you can do is to show how you meet the descriptors.

Best wishes,
Rachel

tess42uk wrote:

Thanks, I had come to the conclusion that maybe I would be better off representing myself as really only I can really tell what is wrong with me and why I cannot work.

One member told me to raise 10 points as to why I disagreed with what the ATOS doctor said and that wont be difficult as most of what she said was rubbish.

Thanks for you replies.

I will keep you all informed. Also do you find out on the day or do you have to wait for the result?

Hi,

You maybe given the result on the day or advised you will be informed in writing later.

Nothing should be read either favourably or unfavourably into the tribunal informing you in writing, it maybe that the panel have not enough time to reach a decision before the next case, or for example at the time the clerk has not enough time to complete the form which would be handed to you with the result.

Pete