PIP Tribunal

Thank you I hope so but the closer it’s getting the more scared I’m getting.

No worries. It is an unnecessary struggle, but hopefully you'll get through it.

I did call Citizens advice when I 1st got refused PIP and I spoke to a lady who had to go and ask another person what she needed to ask me before then saying that I won’t get PIP anyway so they weren’t very helpful so have had to do it on my own. I’m so worried about it. Did you get PIP when you went to tribunal? 

When I was preparing for my PIP tribunal I had someone very helpful at the citizens advice. They were added to my case and built up a very good picture of my challenges due to being autistic. I have an autistic friend and we buddy each other to apts so she came with me, that definitely helped. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me. I just know that I’m really going to struggle being asked questions. I don’t know why it has to be so hard. Thank you again 

I went for a PIP tribunal many years ago, after a 9-10 month wait.

At the time, we were fortunate enough to be signposted to a Solicitor beforehand, who specialised in appealing such tribunals for various people within various Disabled communities, having Spina Bifida herself and experienced her fair share of prejudice.

It was at a Magistrates Court, where myself, my partner/carer and the Solicitor were present.

Like Sporadic Sparkly says, it presents as more of a interview scenario, where a panel of experts ask questions about your PIP form, going over why you are appealing the decisions initially made against it.

I remember being reassured by them that they weren't trying to "trip me up", but simply wished to get to the bottom of the investigation, and ensure that my appeal against their decisions to reject my PIP were valid.

There was one question in particular that ironically tripped me up, and I remember shutting down in the room.

To this day, the remainder of the discussion is just a blur, only remembering leaving to wait outside for their decision which was made within minutes as a successful appeal.

My advice would be to ensure you have your support present, and that your appeal and evidence remains clear and consistent, ensuring it challenges their initial decision.

It can be incredibly nerve wrecking, but once you get through it all, it will hopefully be a weight lifted off your shoulders.

Wishing you all the best with it!

Thank you so much I was really worried cos I did think it was going to be like a court and that i was going to be shouted at. Thank you for explaining what is going to happen. 

If you're conjuring up an image of a court room, with a judge wearing a gown and wig, then I can assure you that it won't be anything like that.

The room won't look anything like the court rooms one sees on TV, but more like an office room. The tribunal panel will sit on one side of a large table, and you will sit on the other side. The tribunal panel will most likely be wearing business suits.

Think of it as being more like a formal business meeting, or an interview.

When the panel ask you questions, it is you that will be expected to answer. If you have someone with you, they are permitted to prompt you. However, unless there is a need for them to speak on your behalf, the panel will probably prefer them to keep quiet. Well, that was my experience when I previously attended two tribunal hearings for ESA.

Good luck!

Thanks I’ll definitely look into it I don’t really know what’s going to happen when I get there. 

i dunno, a tribunal is something that id have a lawyer for myself as its a legal court sounding thing... if im going to court over anything id absolutely want a fancy talker person speaking for me who is educated on this type of legal talking and can say the right words and respond the right way and knows the steps and wont miss a requirement.

but i think in cases you always can represent yourself.... if you know how to and how to progress the case and do all the stuff, then if you are capable of speaking in a court infront of people about your case perfectly not missing out important details while cutting out the less important parts so the most important winning points get through.

I don’t have a lawyer and have done it all on my own without any help. Do I need a lawyer?

I will contact the citizen advice again when I spoke to them at the beginning of my PIP process they weren’t helpful at all and the lady I spoke to just said well I don’t think you’ll get it anyway without knowing my struggles. 

Thank you so much for your reply I will definitely look at the link and ask someone to come with me. I haven’t told many people about my diagnosis so don’t have many people to ask. 

I have no experience of going through a PIP tribunal, but I do have experience of ESA tribunals. Others will hopefully correct me if I am wrong, but I'm guessing PIP tribunals are much the same as ESA tribunals.

You don't need a lawyer, but I would strongly advise against attending the tribunal hearing alone. In addition to having someone else there who can provide support and speak on your behalf if needs be, it also means that you've got someone on your side to witness what takes place. I recommend having someone with you who has a good understanding of how the tribunal panels operate, if that is at all possible. 

Feeling scared and anxious is normal. If you're feeling distressed on the day (also normal), do not be tempted to mask it in front of the tribunal panel. In addition, do not be tempted to play down the difficulties and challenges you experience. The tribunal panel will be looking for anything and everything to prove that your difficulties aren't severe enough to warrant you being awarded PIP.

It may help to read the following article, as it will give you an idea of what to expect:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/appeals/your-hearing/

I' waiting on one and it could be a decent while yet, so congratulations of getting an actual date for it. I was advised by a disability support organisation to seek out (once a date is known) a representaive to come with you on the day. The Citizen's Advice Beurea supposedly will offer this support. Your local one might be under a name like 'citizen advice hub' or similar, as I believe there's been a 'brand' refresh there. The idea is that they can step in during any moments your having a wobble or, due to nerves, omitted something helpful to your cause. It also demonstrates in real time the challenges you have - that you need advocacy back-up in the room basically. While it's not essential that you do this (not mandatory anyway) it is fairly standard. Or so I'm told. 

you have a lawyer or something dont you?
do you need one for a tribunal? often i think tribunals are something a legal proffesional does right?
they should be giving you advice and leading your case.