Ms X called our Welfare Benefits Advice line in wishing for support with her Personal Independence Payment hearing as she had received 0 points. Ms X presented as vulnerable with lots of complex issues that needed to be dealt with while waiting for a hearing date. Ms X was not happy with her GP service and advice was given with regards to complaint procedures and how to change her GP surgery or GP within a the same surgery. This empowered Ms X to be able to change to another GP within her surgery and she now advises that she is receiving better ongoing and continuous support from this GP.

Ms X was supported with her submission for the hearing. Unfortunately, there were delays in getting the appeal papers and we did not receive the papers until 2 working days before the hearing. An adjournment was denied and the hearing went ahead without support present or Ms X reading through her appeal papers, and she received 0 points again. I then requested for the decision to be set aside because mistakes were made in the proceedings. The set aside request was accepted and a new hearing date arranged. Work continued in the mean-time collecting further information.

The hearing was particularly long at 3 hours and Ms X advised me that she would not have been able to manage had I not been present. There had to be several breaks and Ms X was very distressed throughout. The hearing was successful and she was awarded standard rate mobility (10 points awarded) and enhanced rate daily living (13 points awarded) components for a four year duration.  This is an ongoing weekly gain of approximately £112.75; however as the case had been going on for so long, Ms X received backdated award of approximately £13,000. Ms X had been experiencing severe anti-social issues where she lives which is having a huge impact on her mental health. This backdated money means that she can now move out of the area, and start a new life in a safer environment which will have a positive impact on her mental health.