Free computers and 1 years Broadband Internet for Families on Low Income.

[Simon7685]

Why don't you write and ask your MP if there is anything in the pipeline for implementing this scheme in Wales. I can understand your frustration and at the end of the day, it is the kids that are missing out.

[debt4get]

westminster MPs arent really interested and the idiots that have been elected to serve wales in the parliament in cardiff IMHO are only there to feather their own nests....not even worth putting pen to paper

[ST24Mondeo]

Is This Scheme aviailable in Northern Ireland?

[debt4get]

i think it is england only ST

[ST24Mondeo]

Thank You

[adamrao]

*****UPDATE*****

 

The Home Access programme has experienced high demand, grants have been limited and are awarded on a first come first service basis, due to the level of demand the programme application have now been restricted for disabled children. You can listen to the recorded message on their application line 0333 200 1004.

BECTA is gone toooooo :'(

[debt4get]

this government is determined to undermine the poorest in society..this utter tripe of 'we are all in it together' is just that..tripe..thatcher must be extremely pleased with the way this government has started out...make no mistake...home access will soon be gone completely..schools will not be built and our childrens education will suffer..theirs will not with their private schools and almost automatic entry in to the top universities of this country....and by the way I am an ex teacher...middle class...but now through ill health find myself on the wrong side of this governments policies

you aint seen nothing yet!!!

[ANDYANDFLO]

this government is determined to undermine the poorest in society..this utter tripe of 'we are all in it together' is just that..tripe..thatcher must be extremely pleased with the way this government has started out...make no mistake...home access will soon be gone completely..schools will not be built and our childrens education will suffer..theirs will not with their private schools and almost automatic entry in to the top universities of this country....and by the way I am an ex teacher...middle class...but now through ill health find myself on the wrong side of this governments policies

you aint seen nothing yet!!!

 

Hi, I agree with you completely. It is becoming more and more 'them & us'!

 

However and maybe side tracking this posting, there is another section of the community that seems to be doing quite well out of this mess. Those that are the 'us' but will do anything and everything to become 'them' at the expense of each and everyone of us.

I talk about those that have no conscience, guilt or otherwise. I have heard over the past couple of weeks of couples that would do anything to get up the ladder a bit further, yet bleat that others less fortunate than themselves are getting something they want.

 

I am aware of a couple that 'exist' on a very low wage, DLA, and max Tax Credits. Yet, the female has been operating a mobile hairdressing business for over 5 years earning in excess of £400 pw, none of which has been disclosed to HMRC. Tax Credits are paid out only on his wage of £14,000pa and they have two children. Both children are left with the grandmother for 5 days per week for in excess of 7 hours per day. Both children have been diagnosed with ADHD and both are receiving DLA.

In the space of 5 years they have aquired and paid off the mortgages on a flat and a 4 bed detached house, both of which are now let to members of their own family through an estate agent. Rent is received for both properties via Housing Benefit. Within the past 3 weeks they have secured on mortgage another property - 6 bed detached costing £635,000. The mortgage has been obtained by using a ficticous employment reference by one of her brothers.

Now to the point, she has been complaining that they can't access TWO computers under this scheme. She has found out what you have said, and is now complaining that both her children are disabled and desparately need them as they do not have the available funds.

Suffice it to say I am not very happy - bearing in mind that last year they became married in the Maldives at a total cost of £29,000.

And we pick up the pieces because we caused the mess we are in!!!

 

Sorry to hijack the thread but I just needed to get that off my chest Grrrrr!!

Edited July 6, 2010 by ANDYANDFLO

[sam247]

Yes i agree with you,thats why cases like this make headlines in the daily mail,I tell you what doesn,t make headlines,but should,are the genuine people suffering through cancer treatment,or having mental illnesses who are deemed capable of work because the computer says no,that makes me more annoyed then the handfull who abuse the system,We,the disabled have been vilified and demonised and called every name under the sun,just so the government can mount an attack on us

[winkwinky]

I work in ChB and the home access grant is one of the worst run schemes ever. Like has been explained you need a ChB entitlement letter in order to get "free computers". I came back after Christmas having a week off and all of a sudden people on the phone kept talking about letters for free computers. As usual no one bothered to tell us slaves... sorry, advisors, on the phone this home access thing was happening. Eventually we got told about it but only because we were getting so many requests that the letters were taking up to 6 weeks. Of course it us on the phone who have nothing to do with any of this that gets endures the wrath of the public. We are still to this day getting calls for these letters. ChB already had less than half the staff is actually needs (and im really not joking) to deal with their own enquires. I find it totally anger some that some MP decided that in order to get these computers people need letters from ChB! why?! it would have been a million times easier to give Home Access staff the ability to use CBOL (the child benefit computer system) and they could check themselves. Would save some 250,000 calls to an already overrun helpline. That of course cant be done because HMRC doesn’t even own its own systems, it has licences for them. Much like when you buy a DVD that is your copy but you cant reproduce it for anyone else. HMRC own X amount of copies of CBOL and only so many people can use it. Total madness. The only place in the world that would pay consistently to use a 30 year old computer system, and trus me it is 30 year old. Oh why do I put up with it, abuse from Senior Civil servants, from MPs, from local management, from the press, from the public ALL DAY (cause everytime i finish a call filled with abuse, I hit a button and take another ChB is never not busy)... and all for a massive 17k a year.

 

sorry big rant there.