Hi Lee Can you ring my sister to arrange payment again please, terms as previous month. Thanks Tired and Angry

Hi thanks you for your reply, in the meantime my sister needs to sort out the current bill. I believe the arrangement made in December is still the same? In which case she'd like to pay this months bill minus the disputed amount and that was done through you last time. Can you ring her to sort this out? Thanks Tiredandangry

Hello Thank you for speaking to my sister since your post she has received offers to upgrade and her next bill but no further information regarding this matter. Please could you update my sister on progress to date in investigating this matter? Thank you Tired and Angry

Hi, Thanks for your replies. Lee my sister has emailed you using the details provided. Looking forward to your reply. Lee my sister would normally pay her bill, as this is in dispute and she wants to know what to do, does she pay what she usually pays while it is being sorted out? Thanks Tiredandangry

Hi, my sister has received a bill from vodaphone for £471. Payment is due on Xmas Eve. This is for data useage on an IPAD. She is concerned as the bill covers when the ipad was at home on wifi, not cellular. And there are irregularities with the bill. Also there was a failure on Vodafones part to text prior to Data usage going over, even though there is a commitment to do this online. I've searched online and in the vodafone forums vodafon states problems with the texting service. The Ipad is used by my 7 year old autistic nephew everything is password protected, he cannot get anything without his mum. It is for autistic friendly training. She contacted Vodaphone, they initially offered 10-15% reduction, concerned my sister wanted it excalated. Because she has complained they have told her this offer is resinded. Customer service is not good. Apple have checked the device and it is sound. When my sister got this contract she was told it had a 5gig bar. As a carer for her two disabled children she lives on disability benefits. No way could she at any time afford a contract with such penalties. It now appears she may have been mis sold the wrong contract. Can the Vodaphone rep please comment? Thanks Tiredandangry

Hi I have speech problems too. Worse case scenario, if you cannot get help, is it possible to take in a laptop and use text reader software? It will certainly show the difficulties you have in communicating and the lengths you have to take to be heard and how difficult it is to attempt to vocalise a response. Also try these they provide disability advocacy they may be able to help CHOICE IN HACKNEY Defoe Block Ground Floor Hackney Community College Falkirk Street (Hoxton Street entrance) London N1 6HQ Telephone: 020 7613 3206 Textphone: 020 7613 3208 Fax: 020 7739 8599 Email: [email protected] This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Office Hours: Monday to Friday 9:30am - 5:00pm, except Tuesday 9:30am - 1pm

Thank you!

I currently have a claim stayed in court. This has not stopped HSBC threatening recovery action. I have received threatening/harrassing letters from MCS and DG solicitors. Being disabled and recently poorly I have not had the energy to write so tried talking to them on the phone. I explained I'm disabled and the case is stayed. They still keep trying to persue action and I am sick of it. I've tried writing a response. What do people think? The request for reasonable adjustments is to ensure HSBC/MCS etc focuses on complying with the disabled discrimination act to meet my needs. FORMAL COMPLAINT. RE: A/C xxxxxxxxxxx County Court Claim Noxxxxxxxx My complaint is that you have sent harassing letters and made harassing phone calls in pursuit of a claim that is currently stayed at County Court. Please note that I am disabled and require reasonable adjustments to meet my needs. I require Metropolitan Collection Services to read my records before sending letters threatening recovery action. It is easier for me to communicate via e-mail. I require the e-mails for your complaints department and compliance department so that we may discuss the harassing letters and phone calls which I have found extremely distressing. I would also like to discuss with the compliance department how you have failed to meet my disabled needs. I wish to be allocated to one named person who will deal with my complaint I request a copy of your complaints procedure I require that this case be referred back to HSBC. Finally I demand an apology.

It is nice to know not all councils are bad. Babybear, ring back social services and ask them for a date when your assessment will take place and find out who deals with it. From experience it is very easy to get lost in the system, unfortunately it is necessary to remind social services that you are there and need their help. Good Luck

Hi all hope your having a good Xmas. Can I get the FOS to look at the harrassment before the stay and after? They sent my case to the debt collectors knowing it was stayed.

TFT Thanks. That cheered me up. Considering so many vulnerable people are involved it would have been a kindness if these big institutions had left their announcements till after Xmas.

Yes its a let down. That does not mean I'm going to stop fighting. Like many of us that are disabled and on benefits, I am entitled to legal aid, so it is not going to cost me to fight. Is it possible to find out how many caggers are on benefits and how much in charges has been taken? How many are disabled? We have the services part of the disabled discrimination act that may apply re behaviour of banks. How many were persuaded to take out loans to cover charges while still on benefits? This is the sort of information that could be incredibly shaming to the banks and government.

Hi Currently I'm fighting my council for suitable adapted housing. We've been at the top of the housing list for years watching suitable houses going to able bodied families. I don't think my council likes housing disabled people. Papers are at the barristers for judical review after years going through the "proper complaints procedures" and getting exceptionally bad support/advice from local councillors, MP and LGO and the local Shelter. Finally they "may" offer us a house, "if" they can get the funding and "if" they can get planning permission for a "possible" extension and finally "if" the housing association it belongs to is prepared to do without rent for at least six months while the funding is allocated and work done. And they will not have the funding till atleast April. Is it me or are they taking the p***?

Found a copy of the letter here http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/general-debt-issues/36790-bank-taking-your-benefits.html Its not just for benefits, I also used it for my dads pension.

Thats not fair. However the school and education authority are potentially in a lot of trouble. Instead of family partnership you can get a named person from Network 81 Network81. Helping parents of children with special needs. these are completely independent. Before you talk to these people write it all down. You can change schools, the LEA does not give out information about which schools are best for special needs. The parents in the parent groups will. Please talk to Network 81, just the threat of them has had an amazing effect on the LEA in the past, when we've had occassion to call them. Network 81 really do scare the daylights out of the LEAs. I think that there are several legal issues, specially the assault, that need addressing. From now on record everything that happens, time & date, keep copies of all corespondence with the school / LEA, record any answer phone messages etc.

Parent Partnership provide you with support in dealing with the school, statements, tribunals they help to stop situations like this developing. National Parent Partnership Network | Home Page

Contact IPSEA IPSEA It may take a while to get through but keep trying its worth the effort. Also contact your local Parent Partnerhip services, your councils education department will have the number. They will put you in touch with the local parent groups. Dyslexia Action provide burseries for phonics training. Turned my child from illiterate to top set in 2 years. Dyslexia Action - UK?s premier resource on dyslexia education, assessment and awareness raising Finally have you tried the National Autistic Society? The National Autistic Society - Home

Its rotten isn't it. Contact the DSS see if they can help get your money back. I'm sure I've read a post on here where that has happened. I have previously talked to the equalities and human rights commission about the right of appropriation. If you check the websites and in the banks there is no information on this. That makes it doubly hard for a disabled person to use this facility. Anybody having problems using right of appropriation or with hardship claims or even the banks website and is disabled have a chat with them EHRC - Home its time we had a better service.

Sorry, should have said. contact the council and get the housing benefit paid direct to your landlord. Ask if they can have a chat to Nationwide, it might help. Get a basic bank account elsewhere and transfer all payments to there. If council is not willing to pay direct to landlord, ask them to pay by giro until the new bank account is up and running. Hope this helps.

Print off the arrival details and signature including a copy of the letter sent and take it into the bank. In my case that was enough to get Natwest to pay up on behalf of my ill father.

Hi Contact Shelter Shelter England - Refusal to repair and ask them to put you in touch with the local housing advocacy group who will give you options and if necessary help you find a solicitor. The LA is completely out of order.

Hi I'm sure others will advise you on the hardship rules. Though I don't think there is a limit on claiming hardship. You may be entitled to disabled benefits such as DLA which is not means tested and other disabled premiums. contact DIAL Dial UK - Disability Information, Disability Rights, Disability Policy they can provide you with advice and help in claiming these benefits.

Hi all, can anyone look at this from the disabled angle? For those of us who are ill or disabled can we use disabled law in our cases? Its hard for us to access bank websites to find information we need on for example right of appropriation. For many of us its hard if not impossible to even go into a bank to discuss our situations. To even do a SAR request and chase it up in my case can take months. We receive no help from the banks, just harrassment and of course what they are taking is our benefits. Would a seperate class action from disabled customers be appropriate?

Hi have you tried the citizens advice bureau? They can look at what you are earning as a family and what your benefit entitlements are. The benefits agency does make mistakes.

Thanks Jonny. No I don't think so, I think, certainly in my case (and quite a few others on this site) they are in breach of the services part of the disabled discrimination act. Problem is I'm too poorly to chase it up at the moment. I suspect they should also be helping us to set up right of appropriation and provide us help when we are making a complaint.