Appeal was today. It went well.
It was a bit daunting, but the panel made an effort to put me at my ease, asked sensible questions, and paid attention to my answers. I was able to answer all of the questions that were put to me, clearly and consistently. I also introduced the panel to Spoon Theory.
I got awarded High Rate Mobility and Low Rate Care, which is about right. We had thought I might get Middle Rate Care, but frankly I'm not going to argue about it. The award is backdated to February 2008 (which was when I applied) and is for two years from that date, until February 2010.
Absolutely knackered now.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
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21 comments:
YAY! Oh frabulous day, well done bunny I'm mighty proud of you for sticking it out.
Congratulations! And good on you for carrying on through a v stressful process, yeay! BG x
Hooray! Justice is served at last. :-)
Well done you!
Thanks :)
Knackered, relieved, knackered, relieved, knackered, relieved...
Good luck. I like the spoons theory. I have frequent and severe migraines and "don't look sick" either.
Porillion
(http://porillion.wordpress.com)
Oh, congratulations!!!
Everyone I've spoken to who's had to attend an appeal has found the panel to be sympathetic and reasonable listeners.
So why do people have to spend all that time (and energy they can ill-afford) to get what they were entitled to, and should have been given in the first place?
Yeah... there was a representative for the DWP attending who tried to argue that the reason for the non-award was because there wasn't enough medical evidence to support the evidence I'd provided in my forms. He tried to persuade the panel that we should have an adjournment so that a DWP doctor could examine me.
God, my heart nearly stopped, I'd been banking on being able to go home and it be OVER.
But then the Chair of the panel told him that if the DWP wanted further medical evidence they could have asked for it:
- at my renewal last year
- at the reconsideration of my failed renewal last year
- at my application this year
- at the reconsideration of my failed application this year...
... and that he didn't think it would be right to "keep dragging me back and forth". I could have hugged the man.
Also, I did get to risk death on the RingRoadO'Doom - twice - and get to push Mary around for most of the day (note: very important not to make the brum-brum noises on the way into the appeals offices). Which was a relief to get out of the way :P
I think the foreman got the idea about Spoon Theory in a practical demonstration, and noted that Mary "appeared to be down to her last spoon" before calling things to a halt for the deliberations :D
evilstevie
I also have been through a 2 yearly file review which has left sheltered employment as virtually the only employment available to me beurocracy gone mad?
Hurray Hurray Hurray etc :) Well Done you, I'm so glad that you got what you clearly deserve - it's a little bit reassuring that eventually you found people who knew what they were supposed to be doing - big smiles all around
Congratulations and well done! I'm so glad that it went well, and that the chair person was so helpful.
Hugs from Liverpool
Well done! I'm so glad it turned out so well for you. And now you can relax just a little bit, in this dimension, without all of that stress going on. And glad Evil Stevie managed to negotiate the terrors of the Birmingham ring roads, I know when hubby drives me around there it feels like a white knuckle ride!
Um - I've been lurking for ages, reading your posts but not actually commenting - which probably qualifies me as a stalker or something. I've followed, with increasing outrage, the whole DLA saga.
But today I just must comment. Thank goodness it's all over, and about time too: and congratulations.
Oh good, and well done for getting through it all! I'm very pleased for you.
@mandycharlie - it wasn't even the fun of the Brum ringroads, this was Cov's inner-carousel itself... :-o
evilstevie
Hello Mary!
To start off, congratulations! Both on the good news and the blog; I've been following it for some time now and it's made it onto my favourites list. :)
I thought I'd finally say something and bring a gift while I'm at it:
http://www.cakejournal.com/flickr/album/72157600146850946/photo/901802461/Birthday-Cakes-Knitting-basket-cake.html
I found this photo through another blog I read regularly (http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/) and was reminded of you. Since over the past months you've made me cry and laugh, I felt I had to give back.
Enjoy your cake!
Eek! New people! Welcome and welcome.
Lots of thanks to everyone - real, online, old, new - for all your kind wishes. Reading all this lot is like the mental version of walking through a park on a sunny day with a choc chip ice cream.
You were in Cov? Eek, I was in Cov for work from Monday til today. Same next week. I never realised that's near where you live. (I also didn't realise it's really near where my cousin lives, else I'd probably have stayed there rather than coming all the way back to Norfolk for the weekend!)
i'm new to the site hello all. i was turned down today for dla and want to appeal. i'm diabetic on 5 injections aday,fybramialgia, irritable bowl syndrome, long term depression all disability aids in the house and yet turned down pls coul anyone suggest best way to go about it thanks very much
Hi Musicgill. Sorry to hear you were turned down.
You need to go to your local Citizens Advice Bureau (just put your postcode into that website) or welfare rights organisation and someone from there will guide you through the appeals process.
But you have to do it ASAP, as it may take a couple of weeks to get seen by someone at the CAB, and you only have a few weeks from the date of the decision (on the letter) to formally tell the DWP that you do not accept the decision and intend to appeal. This should best be done via the CAB or welfare org that helps you with the appeal, so that there is an independent record of it.
Once things are started, the pace slows down again.
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