SG at appeal stage

Well done Derekq

I have been watching for your news since our correspondence on the forum a few weeks ago.

Hope you have a bit of a break from the anxiety now.

Regards

PC

And to all the others going through the process, do not give up or give in if you truly believe you are not getting the award you deserve. Stay focussed, follow the guides, use the forum, and get the evidence you need from whatever source you can. Then calmly work through the evidence matching it to the descriptors. ESA and DLA forms and assessments are no place to be stoic. Don't exaggerate limitations, but don't be brave about how you cope either.

Best wishes

PC

Judith

I may be able to offer encouragement.

Will try tomorrow as forum is about to close.

PC

Hi Judith
To start with, DO NOT GIVE UP, many here have won at appeal and I am one of them !!!

I am assuming that you are faced with making an appeal ? well its not a difficult as it may seem in fact its a reasonable easy matter.

I have read some of your recent posts on here, as has been comented "0 points" is NOT uncommon, yes hard to believe when you had been IB for that period of time, but this is the reality of what we face.

So, there is a choice to make here, either go away and give up OR dig in and put your tin hat on !!!
I chose the latter, as its in my nature to not let it go.

What I did was this, filled in the appeal form GL24, did not put a lot in it except to state clearly that I believed that I should be in the SG, I gave clear reasons why this should be, gave the descriptors that I believed were relevent to my conditions & said that I did not agree with the decision made by the Decision Maker.

This may sound blunt and a bit sharp BUT at this point you will be appealing so should be clear what your appealing about (thats my view) prior to this I had obtained consultants/doctors letters from my Medical Records held at my GP's, you need to make a request to view these personal medical records and read carefully & slowly through them, anything thats relevent to your condition(s) ask for them to be photo copied, they will often charge you for this, it cost me about £20 but in the end was worth it.

I then put the letters in date order, then on a A4 sheet I made a list of what the letters were about and the relevence to my conditions giving a short explanation for each in order to assist the DM when he/she looked at the letters, I felt giving some assistance would help to lead the DM through the verious letters in order to give a medical path from when I first had problems up to present day.

I answer to your question, NO I did not have to go for an interview as when your appeal form arrives at the DWP a reconsideration will occur, my origional decision was overturned and I was placed in the SG, if at the reconsideration stage the DWP do not change your decision then it will be sent to the Tribunal.

So, get all the paper evidence you can and send it with your GL24 appeal form, don't forget only send copys of your letters/documents, don't forget you have 28 days from the date on your decision letter to get the appeal form in.

I am sure the exelent Mods here will give better advice than me, this is only my personal experience.

Regards, Derek

Good one Derekq

I especially like the bit about being blunt and sharp.

But you are right. Anyone who truly believes they have the wrong award should not give up, and those of us who have appealed successfully should not forget how dreadful it felt to get the wrong decision in the first place and should encourage other members whenever we can.

Cheers

PC

Hi PC
Long time since we exchange posts.

As you see by my post had decision changed at reconsideration to SG, what a battle, some have had much harder time than myself from reading the posts.

Funny, I am now in a "on guard mode" nearly all the time, this seems to have been generated over a period of time from about a year before my ESA50 arrived, its was like a count down, maybe some just don't have the same feeling.

But now I hope for a period I can find some relief but its not easy, do you feel the same ?

I am keeping an eye on news & posts here as I now feel I want to keep up to date with whats happening re; ESA

Looks like Judith needs some support !!!

The forum is about to close now so all the best, keep in touch if possible

Regards, Derek