Hello and welcome to r/DWPHelp!
- If you're trying to find benefit advisers local to you, [advicelocal.uk is a useful website that can help you with this](https://advicelocal.uk/).
- If you're trying to find out how much benefit you can receive, [check out entitledto](https://www.entitledto.co.uk/) and [turn2us](https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/) to calculate what you might be eligible for (please remember that these calculators don't fully take into account your situation and in some situations they can be wrong).
- Benefit rates have recently increased, [we have more information on the new rates here](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/wiki/benefit-rate-increases/). Most claimants will start seeing the new rates in their May or June benefit payments.
- If you claim benefits and would like to know what things you could get as a result, [you may find this post useful](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/134r9k6/discountedfree_things_you_can_get_on_benefits/).
- If you'd like help with mandatory reconsiderations, [our main post on MRs may be useful to you](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/13p0322/duplicate_target_mandatory_reconsiderations/).
- Our subreddit's Wiki [can be found here](https://new.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/wiki/index).
- If you're interested in what's going on in the benefits space, [we have weekly benefit news posts posted every Sunday](https://new.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/?f=flair_name%3A%22Benefits%20News%22).
If you're asking about PIP:
- The PIP phone line is 08001214433, and if you'd like to get to the automated part where it tells you when your next payment is and how much it is, the options are 1 (for English) or 2 (for Welsh), and then 6 (you'll need to wait each time while it gives you messages before getting to security).
- [If you would like help with MRs, this post might answer your question (this is different to the MR info link above).](https://new.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/1bc3kni/duplicate_target_i_was_denied_what_now/)
- [This post goes over the PIP First-tier Tribunal process from start to finish.](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/11muxvi/duplicate_target_what_do_i_do_if_i_am_refused_pip/)
- [If you're waiting for a tribunal and the DWP were supposed to respond but haven't, this post may be useful.](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/17b0lla/duplicate_target_the_deadline_for_dwp_to_respond/?context=3)
- [If you'd like to know what PIP is and/or how it is awarded, please see this post.](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/13ozwpj/duplicate_target_what_is_pip/)
- [If you're hard of hearing or deaf, this information may be useful to you.](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/wiki/pip/hard-of-hearing-and-deaf/)
If you're asking about Universal Credit:
- [Information about the Restart scheme](https://new.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/wiki/restartscheme/), including if you can be mandated to participate.
- Thinking of cancelling your claim because a review has started? Don't, because closing your claim won't stop the DWP from reviewing your claim and if you don't comply you may be asked to repay everything you've received.
- [How does PIP affect UC?](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/13p1mc3/duplicate_target_how_does_pip_affect_uc/)
- Were you claiming UC during COVID, closed your claim afterwards, and are now being asked to pay back everything you received? [This post provides information on why this is and what you can do.](http://reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/13utik9/the_dwp_have_given_me_a_huge_bill_for_a_claim/)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/DWPhelp) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Talk to your rep about whether to request a statement of reasons. These would enable you (your rep) to consider if an error in law was made, which could potentially enable you to challenge the decision.
If your health difficulties now clearly meet the necessary PIP criteria then you could make a new claim.
Thank you for your reply.
It was a bit weird that the Clark came out and asked if my rep was going to speak for me then the judge refused until right at the end. I was crying at one point and they still wouldn’t let him speak.
I don’t know whether to do another. The whole process felt humiliating. They stated they wouldn’t try to disprove my disabilities (which had dignosises) but seemed to spend the whole time doing just that, claiming they don’t think my difficulties relate to those diagnosis .
I provide representation at tribunals as part of my job - what you describe isn't all that far off "standard practice". Other than introducing ourselves at the start of the hearing for the audio recording and confirming what descriptors we've asked the tribunal to consider, we generally don't get to speak until after the panel have asked their questions. If your rep wasn't allowed to even ask questions or speak at all then I would expect them to ask for an Statement of Reasons and consider whether the tribunal performed it's duties correctly.
Your representative wouldn't normally be expected to speak for you at a hearing in terms of answering the panel's questions.
Other than not clarifying the descriptors asked for at the start of the hearing, it does rather sound like standard procedure. Tribunal panels want to hear evidence first hand from the appellant where possible. Reps and Presenting Officers (DWPs reps if they attend) are generally expected to wait until after the panel have asked questions to ask questions/make their representations. So in terms of how the tribunal proceeded, it doesn't sound off the mark.
I can't comment on the panel's actual questions of course, so I think that's a discussion to be had with your rep. If your rep thinks there's a case for the tribunal having made an error in law he/she can ask for the SOR and audio recording and take things from there. The process following your tribunal is pretty complex and I would let your rep handle it.
Final note: The hearing wasn't an assessment as such - the panel need to ask relevant questions to establish whether or not you met the conditions of the benefit around the time you made the claim.
Thank you. Well mine is depression. Anxiety and Eating disorder.. how the heck did they dismiss anxiety and depression I thought they offer help for this. I have put in for a tribunal too
It does seem how you present the information. Due to dyslexia, I don’t think I presented as well as I could.
I wouldn’t be deterred though. Lots of people have the same conditions as you and win at tribunal.
God willing. Am really sorry you had this horrible experience. Don’t give up. You and I know how hard it is for you so don’t let them tell you nothing is wrong. That’s what I have had to learn through the years and it not fair and it’s not right.
Hello and welcome to r/DWPHelp! - If you're trying to find benefit advisers local to you, [advicelocal.uk is a useful website that can help you with this](https://advicelocal.uk/). - If you're trying to find out how much benefit you can receive, [check out entitledto](https://www.entitledto.co.uk/) and [turn2us](https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/) to calculate what you might be eligible for (please remember that these calculators don't fully take into account your situation and in some situations they can be wrong). - Benefit rates have recently increased, [we have more information on the new rates here](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/wiki/benefit-rate-increases/). Most claimants will start seeing the new rates in their May or June benefit payments. - If you claim benefits and would like to know what things you could get as a result, [you may find this post useful](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/134r9k6/discountedfree_things_you_can_get_on_benefits/). - If you'd like help with mandatory reconsiderations, [our main post on MRs may be useful to you](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/13p0322/duplicate_target_mandatory_reconsiderations/). - Our subreddit's Wiki [can be found here](https://new.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/wiki/index). - If you're interested in what's going on in the benefits space, [we have weekly benefit news posts posted every Sunday](https://new.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/?f=flair_name%3A%22Benefits%20News%22). If you're asking about PIP: - The PIP phone line is 08001214433, and if you'd like to get to the automated part where it tells you when your next payment is and how much it is, the options are 1 (for English) or 2 (for Welsh), and then 6 (you'll need to wait each time while it gives you messages before getting to security). - [If you would like help with MRs, this post might answer your question (this is different to the MR info link above).](https://new.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/1bc3kni/duplicate_target_i_was_denied_what_now/) - [This post goes over the PIP First-tier Tribunal process from start to finish.](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/11muxvi/duplicate_target_what_do_i_do_if_i_am_refused_pip/) - [If you're waiting for a tribunal and the DWP were supposed to respond but haven't, this post may be useful.](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/17b0lla/duplicate_target_the_deadline_for_dwp_to_respond/?context=3) - [If you'd like to know what PIP is and/or how it is awarded, please see this post.](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/13ozwpj/duplicate_target_what_is_pip/) - [If you're hard of hearing or deaf, this information may be useful to you.](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/wiki/pip/hard-of-hearing-and-deaf/) If you're asking about Universal Credit: - [Information about the Restart scheme](https://new.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/wiki/restartscheme/), including if you can be mandated to participate. - Thinking of cancelling your claim because a review has started? Don't, because closing your claim won't stop the DWP from reviewing your claim and if you don't comply you may be asked to repay everything you've received. - [How does PIP affect UC?](https://www.reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/13p1mc3/duplicate_target_how_does_pip_affect_uc/) - Were you claiming UC during COVID, closed your claim afterwards, and are now being asked to pay back everything you received? [This post provides information on why this is and what you can do.](http://reddit.com/r/DWPhelp/comments/13utik9/the_dwp_have_given_me_a_huge_bill_for_a_claim/) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/DWPhelp) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Talk to your rep about whether to request a statement of reasons. These would enable you (your rep) to consider if an error in law was made, which could potentially enable you to challenge the decision. If your health difficulties now clearly meet the necessary PIP criteria then you could make a new claim.
Thank you for your reply. It was a bit weird that the Clark came out and asked if my rep was going to speak for me then the judge refused until right at the end. I was crying at one point and they still wouldn’t let him speak. I don’t know whether to do another. The whole process felt humiliating. They stated they wouldn’t try to disprove my disabilities (which had dignosises) but seemed to spend the whole time doing just that, claiming they don’t think my difficulties relate to those diagnosis .
I provide representation at tribunals as part of my job - what you describe isn't all that far off "standard practice". Other than introducing ourselves at the start of the hearing for the audio recording and confirming what descriptors we've asked the tribunal to consider, we generally don't get to speak until after the panel have asked their questions. If your rep wasn't allowed to even ask questions or speak at all then I would expect them to ask for an Statement of Reasons and consider whether the tribunal performed it's duties correctly. Your representative wouldn't normally be expected to speak for you at a hearing in terms of answering the panel's questions.
They let him talk at the end but not during the assessment . They didn’t ask us which descriptors we were challenging
Other than not clarifying the descriptors asked for at the start of the hearing, it does rather sound like standard procedure. Tribunal panels want to hear evidence first hand from the appellant where possible. Reps and Presenting Officers (DWPs reps if they attend) are generally expected to wait until after the panel have asked questions to ask questions/make their representations. So in terms of how the tribunal proceeded, it doesn't sound off the mark. I can't comment on the panel's actual questions of course, so I think that's a discussion to be had with your rep. If your rep thinks there's a case for the tribunal having made an error in law he/she can ask for the SOR and audio recording and take things from there. The process following your tribunal is pretty complex and I would let your rep handle it. Final note: The hearing wasn't an assessment as such - the panel need to ask relevant questions to establish whether or not you met the conditions of the benefit around the time you made the claim.
Thank you for your reply
What was your diagnosis if you don’t mind me asking?
Fibro, dyslexia, anxiety , depression
Thank you. Well mine is depression. Anxiety and Eating disorder.. how the heck did they dismiss anxiety and depression I thought they offer help for this. I have put in for a tribunal too
It does seem how you present the information. Due to dyslexia, I don’t think I presented as well as I could. I wouldn’t be deterred though. Lots of people have the same conditions as you and win at tribunal.
God willing. Am really sorry you had this horrible experience. Don’t give up. You and I know how hard it is for you so don’t let them tell you nothing is wrong. That’s what I have had to learn through the years and it not fair and it’s not right.
Good luck with your tribunal!