Tribunal Experience

After 17 months i finally had my tribunal today so thought I'd share my experience.

I applied for depression, anxiety, ADHD and autism.

In all my 43 years on the planet i have never, ever been made to feel how i was today.

The 'disability expert' went through the assessment which I'd already explained in May 2024 that i disputed, along with my reasons (lots of assumptions, plus concentrated on my physical abilities, not the mental health i was applying for, as well as lots of irrelevant bits), and all i was asked was to conform if this was accurate or not.

I can fo various things, because i may need to (for example feeding my dog), cleaning the house 'on good days' was in the teport, however when i pointed out how many 'good days' i may have per week, i was told that clwaning the house wasnt in the criteria, and basically reprimanded for bringing it up. The 'disability expert' confirmed it was irrelevant, so i was baffled as to why i was being asked about it at all.

I was not asked about my ability to manage daily living tasks, and how carrying out certain things may affect me afterwards. I was told ot was based on the time of application- December 2023, but then they asked about my self employment whoch didnt start until much later, and was quizzed on that, which wasnye even a thing at the time.

We constantly read that they do not as questions to catch you out, and theyre not there to judge you, however i do not agree in the slightest.

I feel even less that i did when i walked in to the room this morning.

I constantly feel shame at why i cant seem to manage the simplest of things like everyone else seems to, and i feel even more that way now.

I have been made to feel that i am making everything up, and that I've just wasted the past 17 months of my life in being so stubborn keeping on with this.

The best thig? They didnt tell me their decision, and i have been getting an error message on thw online tracker for the past month that the hearing has been listed, so j have to wait for the post, which is sparodic at best where i live. Of course. They wont tell you on the online chat, although draft decision is in. So some random woman knows the decision, but wont tell me

The whole process is absolutely disgusting and i have never been so utterly humiliated in all my life.

I absolutely wish i had never applied in the first place. It was a waste of my time thinking the people i saw today would be any different to the awful woman that did the assessment, producing her work of foction report what was full of irrelevant information, which the 'expert' even confirmed!

Its an absolute farce, and thats being generous.

All they did was go through the report which i had obviously disagreed with in thw first place and basically said 'can you do this?'. At no point did they ask about my disabilities and how doing any of the activities may affect me. I feel even more worthless than I did when i walked into the tribunal.

I got 0 for both.

They asked aboit my work (ime self employed, but wasnt at thw timw of applying, so is irrelevant, surely as they kept telling me that its nit about now its about 17 months ago.

I have numerous alarms set on my phone to remind me to take medication. I still forget most days. I pretty much lived on tost and noodles at the time of applying and lost 2 stone because i forget to eat. For 2.5 years i only jad 2 people in my house because i don't have any friends (they couldnt get their heads aroind this and kept grilling me). I would go a week withoit leaving the house or interacting with anyone. The asked me if my oartner and i go out with his friends, i said no, because we dont. We also were not togethwr 17 mknths ago. The asked if he has friends and if they cone tk the house. How is thay even relevant if its based on ME being disabled 17 MONTHS AGO.

Iis an absolute farce, and is very much geared towards those with physical disabilities.

Im absolutely disgusted that Ive put myself through that. It was an utter waste of 17 months of my life to have my struggles just thrown back in my face and totally invalidated. Theyd already made thwir minds up so its sick that theu even put me through it, roght from having to sot in the criminal court to being utterly dehumanised in the actual hearing.