My Successful PIP Appeal – What I Learned & How I Prepared

Angelmaker30

Hi everyone,

 I wanted to share my PIP tribunal experience to help others who might be going through the same thing. I was initially awarded 0 points for both daily living and mobility, but after appealing, I was awarded Enhanced Daily Living and Standard Mobility for 5 years. The process was frustrating and exhausting, but I hope my experience can help others.

🔹 My Situation & Why I Appealed

• I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, chronic fatigue, and mobility difficulties.

• My original PIP assessment ignored key evidence, misrepresented things I said, and even included completely incorrect information (e.g., they claimed I was a keen fisherman when I had actually said I used to keep aquariums but had to stop due to my condition).

• The DWP also argued that because I drive, I must be able to walk long distances, which is legally incorrect and contradicted by case law.

• I knew I had to challenge the decision because it did not reflect my reality.

🔹 How I Prepared for My Tribunal & What Worked Best

✅ I Took My Time & Prepared a Detailed Written Response

• The biggest piece of advice I can give is prepare a written response to the DWP’s arguments before your hearing.

• I systematically went through their decision and explained what was incorrect, what they ignored, and how my condition actually affects me.

• This meant that when my brain fog was bad during the hearing, I could ask them to refer to my responseinstead of struggling to recall everything.

✅ I Used Case Law to Challenge the DWP’s Arguments

• I found out that the Upper Tribunal had already ruled that driving does NOT prove someone can walk long distances (MH v SSWP [2020]).

• By mentioning this in my response, I was able to counter one of the DWP’s key arguments before the tribunal even had to ask me about it.

✅ I Used ChatGPT Plus to Help Structure My Response & Prepare for Questions

• I used ChatGPT to help structure my written response, refine my arguments, and anticipate tribunal questions. There are lots of other AI you could try too.

• I still made sure everything was in my own words and that it reflected my experience honestly.

• The tribunal clearly read my submission carefully, which helped them make their decision more easily.

✅ I Reviewed the DWP’s Bundle in Detail & Found Their Mistakes

• I discovered that the DWP claimed they called me twice during my Mandatory Reconsideration, but I had no missed calls or voicemails.

• I took a screenshot of my call history and submitted this as evidence.

• This showed the tribunal that the DWP did not properly review my case before rejecting my appeal.

✅ I Stayed Honest & Fair About My Limitations

• I was fully prepared to argue for Enhanced Mobility, but on reflection, I felt that Standard Mobility was actually fair because I can still walk short distances, even with pain and instability.

• I think this honesty helped me come across as credible.

🔹 What Happened at the Tribunal?

• The panel had clearly read my response—the doctor on the panel even made a lighthearted joke referencing my previous job as an intelligence analyst, which was only mentioned in my written submission.

• They thanked me for being so well-prepared, saying it made their jobs easier.

• I struggled with brain fog during the hearing, but because I had a structured response, I could refer them back to my written arguments rather than panicking.

• They awarded me Enhanced Daily Living (13 points) and Standard Mobility (8 points) for 5 years.

🔹 My Advice to Others Appealing PIP

1️⃣ Prepare a Written Response – Go through the DWP’s reasoning and explain exactly where they got it wrong. If you struggle with brain fog or anxiety, this will be your safety net in the hearing.

2️⃣ Use Case Law & DWP Guidelines Against Them – The tribunal will respect legal precedent more than DWP assumptions (e.g., driving ≠ mobility).

3️⃣ Call Out Mistakes in Your Mandatory Reconsideration – If the DWP ignored evidence or mishandled your MR, make it known to the tribunal.

4️⃣ Be Honest About Your Limitations – Stick to what is true for you, rather than what you think will get you the most points.

5️⃣ Consider Getting Support – Whether it’s ChatGPT, a benefits advisor, or just someone to help organize your thoughts, don’t feel like you have to do it all alone.

🔹 Final Thoughts

The PIP system is frustrating, and the DWP makes far too many mistakes, but the tribunal process CAN be fair if you go in prepared. If you’re in the middle of your appeal, don’t give up! Always double check any facts or case files that you find. AI is an amazing tool but its to always correct. If you have any questions, I’m happy to share more about my experience.

Largs

Well done and what a helpful post. 

Muttleythefrog

Well done.... and thank you for your post!

tacpot12

That's a really helpful post! Thank you for taking the time to write it. I'm sure it will help many people, especially if they consider asking family and friends to help them follow your advice if they are struggling to do so. 

I'm so sorry you had to work so hard to get PIP. Well done and Congratulations! 

born_again

Posts like this should be make sticky. 😍

HillStreetBlues

born_again said:

Posts like this should be make sticky. 😍

It is a bit of a double edge sword,  it's great for those who are able to do it, but also the flip side is for those that simply can't.
If someone who can't put  that level of work in,  I expect it would put some off appealing as  the task would seem so great and they felt that they couldn't win without that sort of effort.
I would hate anyone to be put of appealing so can't agree it should be a sticky.

born_again

HillStreetBlues said:

born_again said:

Posts like this should be make sticky. 😍

It is a bit of a double edge sword,  it's great for those who are able to do it, but also the flip side is for those that simply can't.
If someone who can't put  that level of work in,  I expect it would put some off appealing as  the task would seem so great and they felt that they couldn't win without that sort of effort.
I would hate anyone to be put of appealing so can't agree it should be a sticky.

I've booked marked it, just a shame that such a useful post will sink into oblivion 🤷‍♀️

Might just inspire the I can't to give it a try 👍We all learn no matter how old we are. 

HillStreetBlues

born_again said:

HillStreetBlues said:

born_again said:

Posts like this should be make sticky. 😍

It is a bit of a double edge sword,  it's great for those who are able to do it, but also the flip side is for those that simply can't.
If someone who can't put  that level of work in,  I expect it would put some off appealing as  the task would seem so great and they felt that they couldn't win without that sort of effort.
I would hate anyone to be put of appealing so can't agree it should be a sticky.

I've booked marked it, just a shame that such a useful post will sink into oblivion 🤷‍♀️

Might just inspire the I can't to give it a try 👍We all learn no matter how old we are. 

I do think it's a very useful post and certainly would help some and would be great to link too after  getting a feel of  what a poster could be capable  of.
But reading a sticky before posting talking about researching Case Law could be overwhelming and give the impression a person needs to do that.  

tifo

excellent post!

i think they got me on the driving, saying i drive a manual car so have no mobility issues (i actually had an automatic), i said i don't drive when i can't but .....