Dear DWP and ATOS

 Dear DWP and ATOS

 

I am writing this letter to tell you the following before I have my assessment for my PIP benefits. If you make me go back to court again to appeal the decisions, you make about me over the telephone then I will be going to the media.

 

I was originally awarded PIP 2016 and did what I was supposed to when I noticed my condition was getting worse. I reported it, more fool me. I had my assessment of my claim my condition had gotten worse and DWP decided to cancel my benefit. Not say “well we don’t see the worsening so we will keep you on the rate you are” but you stopped it. You made the decision 2 days before my August payment and did not tell me as you send everything by 2^nd class mail.

 

I then spent 10 months getting stressed waiting for my court date.

 

You made me sit in a court explaining that I had to use front-facing bra’s and slip-on shoes. I had to push my chair back to show the adjustments and sit there in my chair saying “shoe goes off, shoe goes on” to evidence the adjustment. It was embarrassing and degrading especially as I had to have a solicitor there to support me who was a man and one of the panel members was a man. I am a private person and having to talk about my underwear is not nice.

 

I even had to take ALL of my medication with me and lay it out in court. This was stressful because I have certain pills that are not controlled substances but are addictive and could be a mugger's paradise.

 

Not only did the court overturn the ruling they gave me the enhanced daily living which gave me a larger back pay of benefits in the sum of £4000.

DWP PIP needs to be reformed. It is good that there is a benefit that people with disabilities can work and get the benefit. However, when you have a benefit system that has such a high turnover rate at tribunal then you are wasting the public purse. Essentially you are charging the public for court time, the judge, the panel members, the court staff's time and all the work that goes into the appeal. With the benefit at its current state, you are forcing disabled people to make a decision about working and disenfranchise them as they get no support.

 

Similarly having a Disability Premium that you can only get if you are unemployed and on housing benefits, you are penalizing disabled citizens who want to work, who can work with support, and who do work. Disabled citizens are often spending money to be able to stay at work and the benefits help keep them in work and paying taxes. They are not saying “Oh Well I am disabled, everyone else can pay for me”. They are working.

 

When you are unable to get support from social services because you work and must pay out of pocket for extra help and support this money is VITAL!

 

So, be on notice, if I have to go back to court over my benefits, and your decision is overturned AGAIN, I will go to the news media and consider taking ATOS and DWP to court for personal injury for the stress.

Thank You