My overall Benefits journey from 2013 to date - and on going still!!

[Like-Im-Being-Ripped-Off]

Hi R T.

It is now ESA what a joke. Ib and I Support is no more, wait for ERICA she knows the ins and outs of this stuff. atleast im still on IS atleast till next march 2011 untill i have an atos med then it all starts for me methinks not looking foreward to that i must say.

Keeep ya chin up R T.

[Guest]

I will get back on here to read any replies on thursday (10th jan) any info welcome.

[Guest]

yeh i am on the reduced IS while this is all on-going, its all such a puzzle, my time is up on this 1 hour internet thing now so will log on thursday and hopefully i will be a better informed. thanks Like-im-being-ripped-off...lol love that name.

[Like-Im-Being-Ripped-Off]

yeh i am on the reduced IS while this is all on-going, its all such a puzzle, my time is up on this 1 hour internet thing now so will log on thursday and hopefully i will be a better informed. thanks Like-im-being-ripped-off...lol love that name.

Cheers R T. Glad ya like the name!

Not being rude how much do they reduce your Is down to at the moment i get 91.60 with the dis premium.

[ErikaPNP]

Hi Ruby - haven't seen you for a while, how are you? There's nothing to worry about here.

 

Your appeal will continue against the IB decision, as an appeal is based upon the facts which were available at the time and any submissions which follow in support of those facts. The heading will have changed for the reasons you thought, but this is for tribunal administration purposes only and your appeal will continue.

 

If successful you will continue to receive IB, until they transfer you on to ESA. All existing IB or IS on the grounds of incapacity claims will eventually be transferred on to ESA but in the meantime your appeal will continue as it would under any other circumstances.

[Guest]

Hi Like-im-being-ripped-off....they pay a reduced amount of income support at £51.45 per week while the case in in appeal awaiting tribunal hearing, I have been waiting since june last year.

[Guest]

Hi Erika, I have no internet at home so thats why I havent been on here, my daughter drags me up to the library sometimes now lol so I can get online. I am still doing my CBT and my CPN will attend my hearing with me and I am just getting through best I can, I hope you are well and thankyou for the info, it just all gets confusing for me lol.

[Like-Im-Being-Ripped-Off]

Hi Like-im-being-ripped-off....they pay a reduced amount of income support at £51.45 per week while the case in in appeal awaiting tribunal hearing, I have been waiting since june last year.

 

cheers R T.

 

I won't be able to live on that amount. At the mo i get 64.80 plus 27.50 = 91.80 i was told that you loose 20 percent of that amount.

how can you manage to pay all bills on 51.45. (beats me)

[RaeUK]

Hi Ruby, so nice to see you post. Glad you're getting by and good luck for your appeal.

Best wishes.

Rae.

[MIKEY DABODEE]

cheers R T.

 

I won't be able to live on that amount. At the mo i get 64.80 plus 27.50 = 91.80 i was told that you loose 20 percent of that amount.

how can you manage to pay all bills on 51.45. (beats me)

 

No unless you have got DLA which will still give you the DP, you will only get the £51.45, the DP is taken away because while you are appealing you are not entitled to it as you have no IB :?

[Guest]

I know its really hard and I am now getting in debt, my atos fiasco was june last year so its been that long struggling on the reduced rate, I have had enough and its so unfair when I am genuinely ill and have provided specialist letters etc to prove it.

[Guest]

Hi Kelcou....am just plodding through it to be honest, I wouldnt cope with a job, the CBT is all i can manage, i am lucky i have support from my daughter or i really wouldnt be here now, i have been so low at times with it all. 9 months and counting til i get a tribunal hearing date...madness.

[ee-bee]

Hi Kelcou....am just plodding through it to be honest, I wouldnt cope with a job, the CBT is all i can manage, i am lucky i have support from my daughter or i really wouldnt be here now, i have been so low at times with it all. 9 months and counting til i get a tribunal hearing date...madness.

 

hi ruby tuesday,i know what your going through and i know theres times when you feel like saying oh what the hell,i cant be bothered any more,but hang on in there ,i`m sure it wont be much longer before you get a tribunal date,it will be worth it in the end,x

[RaeUK]

I'm with ee-bee, hunni.

It is such a long haul, made worse knowing you're receiving less than the government thinks you need to survive. My Atos 'medical' was February last year. Still no sight of a Tribunal. That's fifteen months so far on the reduced rate - there was a mess up with the admin as well, so don't worry I'm sure you won't have to wait anywhere near as long!

So I do feel for you, Ruby, and I understand just how tough it is. Shame those in charge of this chaos couldn't be forced to have a bit of their own 'medicine'...

Please keep posting now and again. I think it's important that all of us going through this attempted beaurocratic euthanasia need to support each other.

Best wishes.

Rae.

[Guest]

Thankyou ee-bee and kelcou, its really helpful having support from those who know what its like as well as those with the knowledge to help, I will just keep on hanging on, there is no way i can give up now. Thanks again x

[ThunderBolt]

That's fifteen months so far on the reduced rate

Good God... I thought I was bad with nigh on 10 months. Fingers crossed someone pulls their finger out for you soon.

 

 

its really helpful having support from those who know what its like as well as those with the knowledge to help

Agreed 100%. I was at the end of my tether and still am to an extent as my condition's got worse while on IB and possible depression into the bundle doesn't help.

 

The people on here are nothing short of ace!

 

 

I will just keep on hanging on, there is no way i can give up now. Thanks again x

It's all you can do. I've just had my tribunal after - as I said - a 10 month wait. Fortunately I won and although I haven't had any payment yet, the relief is massive. Here's hoping you get the right results as well!

[Guest]

am just enquiring if anyone has been to a dwp tribunal for benefits and not had a representative with them? I am awaiting my tribunal and did have a representative (officially still do) however the person I have named as a rep I am having second thoughts about them, if I attend the tribunal with my letters of illness confirmation and put my case am I on a losing battle?

[commiekips]

Unless you know the procedures inside out, don't go without a rep who knows what they are talking about. The chances are high that you will lose if you do.

[Guest]

well then i am in trouble either way as the person coming with me is my CPN and only there to verify my illness and treatment and how i was at the time of the atos test etc he has no legal or procedural experience in tribunals of this or any kind.

[commiekips]

well then i am in trouble either way as the person coming with me is my CPN and only there to verify my illness and treatment and how i was at the time of the atos test etc he has no legal or procedural experience in tribunals of this or any kind.

 

You must remember to only raise points of law. Don't get personal or slag off doctors etc. Your personal opinion about any of your circumstances won't matter a jot to the solicitor or doctor present. You must prove that your descriptors were inaccurate.

 

Advice for anyone thinking of going for appeal is to do it through representation ie: CAB.

[RaeUK]

Hi Ruby, how are you?

I'm guessing the actual tribunals will vary a little from place to place.

Mine consisted of just a chairman and a medical 'expert'.

There was no talk of legal process or rules or anything. It was just an in depth chat between me and the medical 'expert'.

I had a rep there but he did nothing for me tbh.

The only reason I failed was due to the medical 'expert' not understanding my illness.

So, relax a little, have a good knowledge of your condition and ensure you have paperwork that fully documents it.

And you'll be fine hunni.

Best wishes

Rae.

[ee-bee]

yeah to be honest although i had a rep with me the chairman and doctor asked me direct questions and i answered them honestly,i think you`ll do just fine,x

[commiekips]

Yes that's correct, but your rep, if they're any good will advise you on exactly what to say and not say and will also put important points forward that you may overlook. Remember, these advisors and representatives are doing this day in and day out; they know the ins and outs. Better to be prepared and have backup than to risk a fail.

[commiekips]

Here's a good example.

 

Person waits 8 months for IB appeal to be heard at tribunal. In the meantime, person is on ESA and appealed on a second ATOS medical failure.

Person gets letter a day before the hearing for IB appeal and is told that the ESA appeal will be heard also on same day. (how convenient; it took 8 months for the last one) The ESA appeal board had only just sent out a letter asking person if they wished to go ahead with the ESA appeal and gave 14 days to respond. CAB rep wiped the floor with them and called for a postponement of the ESA appeal on the grounds that IB appeal needed to be heard first and that not enough time had been given to prepare for the second ESA appeal. Postponement was granted, IB appeal was won and quashed any future ESA appeals as person was, as from the decision to reinstate IB, on IB and so could not be heard on an ESA matter because person was no longer on ESA.

[drone69]

Hi Ruby, I`ve not been on here much lately but I remember you being the victim of AtoS around the same time as me. I had my appeal heard without my rep, who`s stuck out of the country at the moment. They asked if I wanted to postpone until a later. I told them that after 7 months I wanted to get it over with but was also unsure as my rep wasn`t with me. They asked the questions and asked me how I was feeling and coping with things. I was also asked about things I had complained of in my initial letter of appeal. The doctor was the one asking the questions. They wanted to know how I was at the time of the medical and also if things had changed since then as well. They had been in touch with my doctors as well so knew something about my condition.

 

I also changed my rep at the begining of February who got it delayed so they could contact my doctors. I don`t know if this helps at all but has sick as I felt it did go better than I thought.

 

It is also one of your rights to have a rep with you, something to do with basic human rights.