This stinks

[Sum1Ls]

I've just come back from Sainsbury's where I met C. I haven't seen her for some time but we first met in the maternity ward when my DS and her DD were born. She had had polio as a girl and had a hard time in labour, she could never walk very well but managed with two sticks and a lot of courage. She used to look after DD from time to time when our younger two were in nursery together.

Since then it's been occasional contact and Christmas cards and such. I was shocked to see how difficult her moving is. She can only manage about ten yards or so as she has post polio syndrome, bits of her spine pressing on a nerve and arthritis. She's only ever been able to work part time because of the pain and her difficulty in moving. They are not well off and struggle to help their daughter and four grandchildren. She helps at Age Exchange once a week and at the local CofE church lunch club twice a week. For this she is dependent on her mobility car which she's had for ten years. It's just been taken away from her as she can walk a few steps. So now the only way she can get out is by mini cab. And they are expensive. So all her voluntary work has gone by the board, she can't help her daughters because she can't afford the cost of the cabs to get over there and she is pretty much house bound apart from a very few trips out when she can afford it.

I'm furious with this rotten system and feel so helpless that there's nothing I can do.

[Gemini]

Sum1, this is appalling!
So she can walk a few steps, that is far from being mobile and not requiring her mobility car. No wonder you are irate. This poor lady who sounds very brave, and a kind and helpful person, has been let down, badly

[Daisy]

Sum - can she appeal against what sound like a devastating blow for her, her quality of life and all the people she helps?

We have friends with an adult daughter with severe learning difficulties but physically fit. She was refused a disabled bus pass by her local authority because she can physically get on a bus, even though she wouldn't be able to ask for a ticket to her destination. It's crazy.

[Shemadee]

I was going to say the same as Daisy. Almost everyone is turned down but a lot win on appeal. Lots of advice and info on the pain support website. Problem is it seems little to do with your disability and mainly to do with knowing how to complete the forms! It really does need outside help perhaps citizens advice. On my way out but will check tomorrow on info. Really is survival of the fittest!

[Bizzy Lizzy]

This is why IDS resigned recently also there has been a lot about this in the press. The government is cutting anything it can from those that they think will not vote for them anyway. The grey vote is valuable so pensioners benefits are not hit but others, the disabled, the young low income workers etc. Are fair game. Has she tried lobbying her local MP. Try to get the local paper interested. Speak to anyone who will listen. Why are we not hearing more about this cruelty in the media?

[Glammanana]

How awful this is and it should be appealed asap.a welfare rights advisor from CAB will fill in the appeal form for your friend and will have the knowledge for the correct wording,it shouldn't be necessary to have to go down this route but thats the way things are going now its disgraceful to say the least.

[Plantaholic]

How unfair, is there any course of action she could take to reverse this decision, surely her doctor would back her. We had a visit from a lovely school friend of my son and sil who had polio and is mobile to some extent with crutches but as things have got worse with age he uses a wheelchair a lot. He still has his mobility car, he lives on the Isle of Man, would this make a difference I wonder.

[Nana]

I'm not surprised you're outraged Sum1. I think Bizzy Lizzy has offered some good advice.

[Shemadee]

http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/about-us

This site has lots of info to help with completing benefits forms explaining how many points each question is worth and how many are needed. quite a lot of info is free but more if you pay about £25 for a years membership. Most people on the pain support website say it was the best money they've ever spent. It seems that getting benefits is little to do with how disabled you are and more to knowing how to complete the forms to satisfy the number crunchers. Very unfair!

[Daisy]

Shem - you're right. As with so many things, those people who don't have the resources, or experience or know how are the ones who lose out.

[Elisi]

Excellent advice and no one should have to lose out in this so called enlightened society. If you are disabled then you need help.