LCWRA APPEAL

Clairee123

Hello when asking for an appeal it gives an option of attending or not. Is there a way someone can attend on my behalf? 

Also just want to thank everyone for their help on my previous posts. 

[Deleted User]

 No. Someone can attend with you though 

Alice_Holt

No.

You are much better to attend, as the hearing is your opportunity is explain things to the panel, put your case, and clarify matters about your health and abilities re the LCWRA descriptors and the risk to health if you had to attend WFI (re the UC regulations).
Your verbal evidence will be very important to the panel in coming to a decision (if not the most important evidence they weigh). It is likely they will want to hear about how previous interactions with the JC / job coaches have affected you, and any difficulties with agoraphobia, social phobia, etc - only you can give them this info. Not attending is more likely to result in the DWP decision being upheld (unless you have submitted some very, very compelling recent medical evidence).

You can take someone with you, and this is advisable. They can sit with you during the hearing, and (with the panel's permission) give the panel more information.

Do you have a representative?

Clairee123

My partner always phones the job centre and UC helpline for me but i have to do security so not sure if that means hes my representative. 

Will attending not go against me since i have agoraphobia? 

Someone i knew was agoraphobic also and when they had their pip assessment, they said he wasnt getting it as one of the reasons because he attended the assessment centre?

[Deleted User]

Clairee123 said:

My partner always phones the job centre and UC helpline for me but i have to do security so not sure if that means hes my representative. 

Will attending not go against me since i have agoraphobia? 

Someone i knew was agoraphobic also and when they had their pip assessment, they said he wasnt getting it as one of the reasons because he attended the assessment centre?

 Being able to attend the test centre or not is not part of the assessment which they legally must follow so they must have been mistaken. 

poppy12345

Attending the hearing in person will not go against you. They will always prefer you to attend in person more than anything else. Paper based decisions for Tribunals only have between a 5-8% success rate, against about 75% for those that appear in person.

Alice_Holt

Clairee123 said:

Will attending not go against me since i have agoraphobia? 

    Absolutely not.
  But do have someone with you (see my earlier post about the importance of attending your own hearing and giving verbal evidence to support your appeal).
You will presumably either get a taxi with your supporter or be driven there door-to-door.
If you need to take additional medication to cope, then tell the panel. 

To repeat my earlier post:
"Your verbal evidence will be very important to the panel in coming to a decision (if not the most important evidence they weigh). It is likely they will want to hear about how previous interactions with the JC / job coaches have affected you, and any difficulties with agoraphobia, social phobia, etc - only you can give them this info. Not attending is more likely to result in the DWP decision being upheld (unless you have submitted some very, very compelling recent medical evidence)."

Just look at the %'s poppy has given you. There is huge difference - Your verbal evidence will be very important to the panel in coming to a decision (if not the most important evidence they weigh). 

Clairee123

Wow i didnt realise there was such a huge difference in appeals winning by attending. Thank you for the help. 

Is there a time frame for when your appeal will be?

poppy12345

Clairee123 said:

Wow i didnt realise there was such a huge difference in appeals winning by attending. Thank you for the help. 

Is there a time frame for when your appeal will be?

In most areas the backlogs are huge and it could be as long as 10-12 months.

The_Moth

poppy12345 said:

Attending the hearing in person will not go against you. They will always prefer you to attend in person more than anything else. Paper based decisions for Tribunals only have between a 5-8% success rate, against about 75% for those that appear in person.

What is the source of those figures? I always encourage people I am helping to attend because I have no doubt it increases the chances of success but I've never heard it suggested that the margin between attending / not attending was so large.