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4 months 3 weeks ago #293814 by LL26
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Replied by LL26 on topic fightback opinions
Hi mumsgirl,
To add my two pennies worth of advice...
Since I started helping people with benefits form including PIP ones the spaces for comments have got smaller and smaller.
Originally you had s whole page, then half a page, now its done to a couple of lines at best. Has it suddenly become more easy to explain why you can't walk more than 20m, or need assistance to cook a meal?
Of course not.
Whilst it might be a way of saving paper it's more likely to be a deterrent, if claimants just tick box yes or no, and no room for further comment. It's less to read for DWP and crucially won't be enough to award benefit.
If the box yo write in is too small.(It always will be!) Then use a starter page clearly labelled with the question number as a continuation sheet, and with your name and NI number. Explain why you can't perform the descriptor activity including reference to the 4 'reliability' criteria - and give examples of what goes wrong. Don’t worry about the boxes!
I hope this helps.
LL26
To add my two pennies worth of advice...
Since I started helping people with benefits form including PIP ones the spaces for comments have got smaller and smaller.
Originally you had s whole page, then half a page, now its done to a couple of lines at best. Has it suddenly become more easy to explain why you can't walk more than 20m, or need assistance to cook a meal?
Of course not.
Whilst it might be a way of saving paper it's more likely to be a deterrent, if claimants just tick box yes or no, and no room for further comment. It's less to read for DWP and crucially won't be enough to award benefit.
If the box yo write in is too small.(It always will be!) Then use a starter page clearly labelled with the question number as a continuation sheet, and with your name and NI number. Explain why you can't perform the descriptor activity including reference to the 4 'reliability' criteria - and give examples of what goes wrong. Don’t worry about the boxes!
I hope this helps.
LL26
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
The following user(s) said Thank You: mumsgirl, denby, Wendy Woo, Anxious Anonymous
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4 months 3 weeks ago #293819 by mumsgirl
Replied by mumsgirl on topic fightback opinions
I would just like to thank everyone that took the time and trouble to reply. You have given me confidence to go it alone! I have been a member of this amazing site for many years now and always just used it to fill in my forms myself (which i've always 'passed) but last time I panicked as I wasn't very well and my brain fog is getting worse so I got fightback to do it. I was shocked to see how little the answers were and that I wasn't allowed to add extra sheets. They also said you can only write about changes, you can't write about things on previous forms but I always ticked no change but still explained how it affected me. But I assumed they knew what they were doing as they were trained professionals and seemed to have good ratings and they assured me I could trust them. But I was even more surprised when I got my award - it was the shortest length of time i've ever been given and I also thought due to my conditions deteriorating I might get longer or more points/enhanced. But I didn't...Thank you to all you lovely people xx
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4 months 3 weeks ago #293820 by Anxious Anonymous
Replied by Anxious Anonymous on topic fightback opinions
I had to get Fightback to fill out my form because I was very unwell and time pressured. I do however regret it because I feel as though there's not enough information and they were trying to tell me I need tons of evidence for certain things. I've seen people awarded with very little evidence.
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4 months 3 weeks ago #293842 by denby
Replied by denby on topic fightback opinions
As previously mentioned, Kester Disability Rights work on a no-win, no-fee basis. [Share of back-pay only, you get to keep all your ongoing better payments]. So must be motivated to do a good job. My expert friend spoke to their chief and considered him genuine and capable. So for anyone with a tribunal ahead which they don't feel able to tackle solo, that could be an option.
Not a plug, I have no connection, just info.
Denby
Not a plug, I have no connection, just info.
Denby
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4 months 3 weeks ago #293846 by mumsgirl
Replied by mumsgirl on topic fightback opinions
Did you get an award. I got re-awarded for the things I had already been awarded on my previous form. I think that was because she just wrote no changes. But I didnt get awarded for new things/deterioration of current conditions that needed more/extra care, but I felt I should have , had they been explained better and longer
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1 month 4 days ago #296989 by mumsgirl
Replied by mumsgirl on topic fightback opinions
Just wanted to say a big thank thank you to B&W and everyone who gave me the encouragement and confidence to go it alone. I did just that and have been awarded enhanced for both (which I feel I should have got originally even though an agency filled in my form) from standard DL, and it was paper based!. Obviously I couldn't have done it without the brilliant invaluable B&W resources and advice. Thank you
The following user(s) said Thank You: denby, Wendy Woo
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