By The Making Our Money Go Further team
Rachel from the Tenant Involvement team was first contacted by Paul* in June 2023 to ask if she knew anyone who could help with his ongoing PIP issues. She had worked with Paul for many years on a different project and Paul was aware of RotherFed and the services that we have to offer. She explained to Paul about our Making Our Money Go Further who work in partnership with Citizens Advice and forwarded Paul’s details to the team with a brief description of his query, she also made the team aware that Paul suffers from hearing problems. A member of our Making Our Money Go Further team picked up query and contacted Paul.
We explained to Paul that one of the services the project offers is a priority referral to Citizens Advice. Citizens Advice offers an Advocacy service for people who wish to request a mandatory review of their PIP decision or help with a PIP appeal. We asked Paul if he would like him to refer him to Citizens Advice and if so, could he provide details about his concern, along with his address and date of birth.
Paul explained that in June 2022 he applied for PIP, fast forward to June 2023 and he has only just received a response to the mandatory reconsideration, after they misplaced the original one send, which he also sent again in October 2022 and resent again in April 2023.
Paul explained that he feels that his case has been based on the spreadsheet mentality of the DWP, where incorrect assumptions and their basic manipulation of fact has conspired to come up with another rejection and feels that his only cause of action now is tribunal. We referred Paul, as mentally Paul felt he was not able to do this himself. Paul also asked for it to be done via email due to his hearing problems.
Paul contacted Rachel 3 weeks later to say thank you again for putting him onto the Making Our Money Go Further team at RotherFed, he explained that he has followed the advice of the Citizens Advice and was now in the process of requesting a tribunal.
Recently Paul sent the following email to us.
“Many moons ago you directed me to the services of Citizens Advice, as per the help in my claim for PIP and after 14 days short of 2 years the system has succumbed and done the right thing. The referral to the Citizens Advice generated from your team at RotherFed to adopt me onto their case portfolio has enabled me to move forward in my struggles both mentally and physically. The supportive emails sent by you provided a timely tonic and ultimately the resource of the solicitor won the day. I dread the other outcome having endured nigh on 2 years of doubt and thinking that various people were casting a doubt on my character, which sent me close to the edge. However, the service of listening to what I said which ensued all that time to go enabled me and my family unit to whether the storm and now try to move on.
With the visit to the tribunal now over and the award into the post its about thank those that helped so we wish to donate a very small insignificant sum of £200 to do with as you decide I was thinking of vouchers to act as prizes for raffles etc. More importantly is the offer to email persons to support the service you undertake just direct me and I will gladly type.
Thank you is a rubbish reward for what you have done but it’s all I have.
Paul and Family”.
It is so nice to hear that our Making Our Money Go Further Team and the service they offer, was able to help Paul and his family which will now enable them to move forward much more positively. Paul’s offer of £200 to RotherFed was a very kind gesture, however, we will not be accepting this and suggested to him to support something in his community if he wishes.
*name has been changed.