Disabled Parking Bay

[robbond55]

By the way Keefyboy, perhaps another avenue to explore is to write to your local MP over this - I worked in the civil service and one thing that seems to make people jump through hoops is a letter from an MP.

Trust me, it worked when I had a problem with the DWP - nothing was getting done and they were not budging until a letter from my MP reiterating my complaint and hey presto - it was "lets look at this again, let us make an exception in this case, sorry for any inconvenience" etc! so it may be worth a try!

Good luck!

[keefyboy]

Thanks for that Robbond

I must admit that is one I didn't think of, I had a county councilor with me when we had the site meeting (it was a real shame, cause it was peeing down with rain and I forgot to invite them indoors... shammee on you keefyboy.. don't do it again... me never...) she showed lots of interest and agreed completely with what I was saying, she wrote down details and I gave her extra bits IE: photos and addresses of the other 9 bays already on the estate, and she went off saying she would be at the next highways meeting to bring the issue up, and guess what.... not a word heard since.

 

The best thing is that the man I was dealing with, I told him I was not happy with what he was saying and I would not give up my rights as a disabled person, and you haven't heard the last of me yet, but I tell you what they aren't going to be ready for this one coming...

 

I am very similar to you, I did service in the Royal Navy, I came out found myself a job within 1 day, then got into Essex Fire Brigade (as it was), had a RTA which finished that career, then went onto the lorries (I paid out over £700 at that time to do my HGV Class 1) then I joined Essex Police as the very first group of Civilians in the UK to take police jobs serving at the front desk and control room, then transferred to Force HQ and into the main information room where we took 999 calls and had control over virtually all the police vehicles in the county, then the dreaded knee injury sustained in the RTA played up and I was off sick for 18 months and got put out sick, then I went to a call centre for breakdown company, then had 2 heart attacks and followed that with a massive hernia which the operation went wrong and here I am now.

 

All my life I have worked for the betterment of the public and when I ask for some help, I just get pushed away, but they didn't see the elastic that keeps bringing me back, god help them... (am I allowed to say that now without offending someone ?) So it's war...

[Bazooka Boo]

Maybe we should all get t-shirts made up and belong to some sort of 'club'. Because I too was serving in the Army, had been for 18 years, then had a near fatal RTA, which certainly put a dramatic end to that career! Now without the prospect of ever working full time again, I have turned my hand to basket weaving:D And in between all of those baskets, I have become a fly in the ear to my local council, the DWP and Jobcentre plus! And pretty much any other department or organisation whose job it is to provide a service but either won't or doesn't. I love receiving letters telling me that I owe a certain department money due to their incompetence and ineptitude, as I always tell them right at the beginning of the confrontation, 'you'll blink before I do'

[robbond55]

Well, with regards to a 'club', I have not always been disabled - 5 years ago I was diagnosed with MS and my health has subsequently deteriorated. I have had to give up work from the Civil Service due to this. One advantage though is that I have seen things from a non disabled and a disabled point of view and I think that disability is one major area where discrimination is still blatant unfortunately.

I know what you mean about a club and that is something that I have been trying to address and by the beginning of april I should have my site http://www.disabilityactionnetwork.co.uk (or com - I cant remember! LOL!) up and running.

Not to take away the sterling work this site does but I want to be a bit more 'hands-on' and organise lobbying, petitions, highlight peoples problems etc and try and change things a bit for disabled people.

Sorry sa I did not mean to hijack the thread anyway!

[keefyboy]

Robbond put my name on your list to help, I love it just like you, a new hobby keep in touch please

[EYEBALLS01]

Yes add me to the list. I have worked for the Government for 34 years the last 13 looking after my disabled wife whilst working very uncertain hours who I had to fight tooth and nail to get benefits for.

Now after an RTA in 2004 have finally had to apply for ill health retiremnt having tried for 4 years to cope and make adjustments (I used to be a very fit sportsman who caught drug smugglers for a living). I view my pending fight for benefits,pension etc as a challenge. At least it will keep my brain working . Have had one victory so far as I`ve managed after appeal to get a Blue Dsabled Badge. Let the game commence!!

[keefyboy]

Have you got DLA yet ? if not why not, and you make sure you make use of everything you can get, I never used to be like this, but now, line them up I'll take them all on, I want my rights as a normal human being, not a cripple as some people still label us. I saw an article the other day where it was said that less than 30% of disabled people get their rights and benefits.... well you can tell the other 70% we are here to help you win you living back.

 

Did you know that if you are on DLA and the temperatures drop below 0 deg c for the night time over a 7 day period "YOU ARE ENTITLED TO COLD WEATHER PAYMENTS"... this is the extra given if it's exceeding cold,

but if you under 60 you cant get the winter heating allowance.... why not is my question, we are one of the most vunerable groups in the country, people who have illnesses and injuries or disablities are more vunerable than older people, so why can't we get it...?

[keefyboy]

I was told that it will be automatically paid with your benefits, but don't you believe them check your bank statements, they do "Occasionally miss someone though" and also it is not worked out on the whole of the UK, it is regional, so if it's been minus 2 all week in Devon and Cornwall, they get it, we don't, if its here in the Midlands then we get it they don't visa versa, but for your own sake keep a check and if you think you should have been paid it and you haven't then phone them and ask... its for your health.

[EYEBALLS01]

Still waiting on DLA and SSP1 from employers!! Strange isn`t it going from a very active life to sitting around. Was ok for a month or two but now I can`t relax or concentrate on one thing! Pain dosn`t change tho!!

[keefyboy]

Please forgive me for asking this, how old are you ? The reason I am asking is that around here several people I know, who have been coming up tp 65 have had their applications for DLA refused, and a couple who have appealed have still had them refused (I'm not saying they are refusing everyone) and when I checked a friends application and appeal was that he is approaching 64 and they appear to be refusing people who are in that last 2 year bracket, so that they don't have to keep paying it after they are 65 and this also means that you can not get Motability either as you need the highest rate mobility to get onto the scheme.

Did you have any help when you applied for DLA or did you do it off your own back...?

[robbond55]

Eyeball01 - I will be keeping and eye on you (pun intended!) with a view to adding you to the list.

Keefyboy - that goes for you as well - many thanks for the support.

The site is being made slowly but surely as we speak but I will be contacting a few sites over the next few days to see if I gan get a link placed to my site from other sites.

The more people the merrier!

[EYEBALLS01]

Keefyboy I`m 52 and did do my own DLA but went through all the pitfalls with my wife and managed to get a copy of the requirements so they have detais of my worst day/night. Expect a refusal initially but will fight on!

robbond55 Thanks for that I live in Kent and have found talking to others that it can be a postcode lottery when dealing with Couty Councils. Unusually KCC is quite good although run by Tories, Others may disagree.

Cheers

[keefyboy]

Robbond

Here is one you can add moneysavingexpert, Martins site, I am sure they will let you link to them as well.

 

and Eyeballs, your only a couple of years less than me (it's still a long way to 65) I originally come from Essex thats where I did most of my public servicing, except the RN, moved out in 2001 to Nth Wales after NHS cocked a hernia op up and never be able to work again, thats what you pay your pennies for, people to opearate on you at 0200 hrs in the morning when they have been operating solid since 0800 hrs the previous day, no wonder they cocked up. Anyway, yes you did the right thing with DLA application, so many people do (like my mate round the corner) by putting that on a good day they can walk for miles. Another tip is don't forget about the falls you keep having (wink wink) if you want Adult Social Cares help, you get seen real quick, not wait 4-5 months as the list is here in Leicestershire. You have to keep nagging all the time (hence the "Moaner" bit). But it gets you places cause they do it to shut you up, as this case, I told him on our site meeting that if he was not prepared to Give me a disabled marked bay then I will take it further... and I have, I got nothing to lose.. and I'm enjoying it..

[keefyboy]

Eyeballs

How long have you been waiting for your SSP1 from your employers ?

[robbond55]

Thanks keefyboy - Martins site is also on my 'hit list' - have been on it for four years so will give it a go.

[keefyboy]

Yes it is one of the best sites around (other the CAG) so informative and up to date and in down to earth english so even the layman can understand it.

[EYEBALLS01]

Only since thre 5th of this month bit DWP won`t speak to me about benefits over the phone after registerig onine until I have it.

Went on half pay on 9th and no pay on 31 May!

My boss has been pushing them. You`d think as a Government department they could produce one. Am I being unrealistic?

[keefyboy]

This is it nowadays, because of all the Fruadulent claims, they have damaged the system so much that the genuine people, like you, get caught up in it.

 

You say u are waiting for a SSP, what is that then I though that was Statutory Sick Pay, that is paid by your employer up to a certain time then you go onto Incapacity Benefit or am I wrong, have they changed the system again ? If I am wrong why are you waiting for DWP ?

[EYEBALLS01]

Thats right I applied on line for incapacity benefit or whatever it`s new name is and then phoned their helpline who said they couldn`t look at it until I received the SSP1 confirming that my sick pay had finished. Then they would speak to me over the phone and get more details.

 

Also waiting for a report to my employees from Capita who now do civil service ill health retirement referrals.

 

Gone are the days of staff assistance officers and local personnel units who knew what your job entailed. When I saw the Capita nurse for the initial chat she nearly fell off her chair and was gobsmacked when I related some of the incidents I had been involved in. A lot of these people don`t live in the real world and are probably tainted by dealing with people just trying to get out because they`re demotivated and fed up

Cheers mate

[keefyboy]

Where did you have to go to see Capita Nurse then?

[EYEBALLS01]

They phoned and asked me to go to London which I refused. Then they asked me to go to the nearest office which turned out to be Maidstone. My son drove me over and I saw a very sympathetic nurse who agreed that I would not be able to return to my present post and that I

[EYEBALLS01]

ooops it`s the pills I think!! As I was saying she agreed that I had tried to do other lighter duties over the past 4 years.

Capita then phoned again and asked me to go to London to see a Doctor. The last trip laid me up even more for thee days so I refused. I asked for a home visit but was told I could only have one of them if I was dying!! She got a fairly sarcastic reply.

She said she would speak to my boss to see if he could provide transport so I told her she wasn`t listening as transport was not a problem. Anyway phone went a bit quiet and I asked what would happen now. She said that they may write to my GP or Consultant which suited me or they may finalise my case!! I told her if they did that becuse I wouldn`t travel I would take tHem to court,MP etc etc. Got a medical release form a few days later for them to get a report from my GP. I am phoning the GP on Monday to see what she has written. Do you think I could ask for a copy?

[Bazooka Boo]

I asked for a home visit but was told I could only have one of them if I was dying!!

You can have a home visit if that is what you request, the drivel that was spouted off by yet another uneducated moron, who on the face of it and is in their job description, supposed to help and assist people, is beginning to get very tedious. Fortunately I have only had to endure one initial Medical to see if I could touch my toes, and squeeze her fingers:mad: Wasn't in the slightest bit interested how my brain injury might affect me:confused:

I would definitely ask for a copy of what your GP has sent to them, arrange for an appointment and go see him in person and ask. After all, it's information about you, and as with anything else, if anything is wrong you are entitled to have it corrected. I am quite certain though that if your GP knows you reasonably well, then they normally don't pull any punches when it comes to disclosing information about your disability.

[EYEBALLS01]

My GP`s pretty good and got me my blue badge and agrees that I have a lifelong condition and that I should retire so hopefully that`s what she`ll put!

[robbond55]

One thing I have found is that Capita seems to give ill health retirement as a last resort as in my Civil Service Job they were the pension providers.

All the doctors I have seen just spouted out exactly the ble*ding obvious in their reports and then said "I am likely to be covered by the DDA" which if you have MS, like me, you are automatically covered by the DDA since December 2005.

When I challenged them about this they said that only an employment tribunal can decide this.

What nonsense!