http://michellekent1.wordpress.com/2014/06/18/bedroomtax-and-michael-hilton/
Whist his individual case is heartbreaking, it seems to be well in hand now with lots of people trying to help him. However, reading through the comments to find out if he was OK, the following from a Brian Powell. I don't know him, so I hope he'll forgive me for sharing his comment here. PLEASE pass this on to anyone you fear might be "burying their head in the sand"
"Although this is a disturbing news article, you ask at the end, ‘where were the welfare advice groups and his local ward councillors’. Well they were there but, unfortunately none of them are mind readers. If they had of been asked by Michael himself, or a family member, or even a friend to look at the situation, I am sure things would have been sorted out easily.
I worked as a welfare rights advisor for about 15 years and, in that time, I had literally thousands of cases that could have been straightened out in two minutes but, because people left things until the last possible moment before saying something, those cases took as long as six months to get sorted, with all of the added stress that people went through needlessly.
It would help enormously if someone would run a national campaign to get people to seek help immediately they were notified of a problem with anything to do with their welfare or housing benefits."
It would help enormously if someone would run a national campaign to get people to seek help immediately they were notified of a problem with anything to do with their welfare or housing benefits."
i would definitely concur with Brian Powell .
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with sentiment but when I tried there was a 3 month waiting list for welfare advisers & no longer able to talk to citizens advice on the phone, not much good if you're housebound
ReplyDeleteWhen my ESA was wrongly stopped in 2011 due to an admin error, I immediately looked for help.
ReplyDeleteCAB wouldn't answer the phone for 3 days. When they did I was told I had to come out to them. When I told them I was housebound they told me they couldn't help.
Likewise, the JobCentre insisted I would have to go into town and see them in person.
Social services had discharged me and said it would take several weeks to allocate me a new social worker and even longer for them to actually see me.
There was no one else to turn to.
In the end I was without any income whatsoever for 3 months.
I got my MP involved and I do believe that without this, it would have been even longer.
Sometimes the help just isn't there, particularly if you are not well enough to leave the house. Ironically that is when you need the help the most.
I agree with him, BUT as said above. There is a waiting list for everything. When I rang CAB about appealing DLA claim, I could not get an answer to advice line, took 2 days for reception to answer. Only to be told that there is a 4 week wait for appointments.
ReplyDeleteSocial services are the same, not enough staff. I have a social worker for my son, but he. is learning disability, so not help. And to start telling my sad little story to a Duty Social Worker who knows nothing about me and my circumstances is unpleasant for me to say the least. Not to mention the waiting times. When I do ring, I want help as soon as possible, not have to wait weeks.
I have got my local MP's constituency office involved in my DLA 2nd tier appeal now, one week wait, but still much better. I don't blame CAB or Social Services, but where else can we turn. EVERYONE has problems with benefits and/or debt. There doesn't seem to be any end to this and people are disheartened, and don't know what to do
One approach that has worked recently is to contact CAB by email. Especially if you can explain the situation and then ask some specific questions. I know this won't deal with all situations by any means but it can deal with the quick fixes in advance that I think are meant here. I was once emailed back once phoned back both within a few days.
ReplyDeleteYeah, cos it's not like mental health problems exacerbated by stress force you to bury your head in the sand because you just can't cope with it. *rolls eyes at Powell*
ReplyDeleteEach CAB is very different. Some have long queues, others don't. Some even run outreach services and home visits. All are funded by local councils, so if they are inaccessible, it may well be because the local council doesn't give them enough funding to reach everybody who needs their help. If you cannot get help from your local CAB, please contact your local councillors or MP to let them know, as it highlights the need for such services to be well funded.
ReplyDeleteLisa: If you cannot deal with your situation because of mental health issues, it is hard to help, as we have no way of knowing you need help, but maybe you could get a friend or family member to call on your behalf.
Think that's why some folks are vulnerable. They find it hard to ask for help. There are those who are brazen and maybe ask too much but many who if they are rejected can't ask again. It seems the poor are blamed either way. Too pushy they are greedy, and too meek, it's their own fault for not accessing help. Well they are many like this man who can't ask for themselves. If they are refused their entitilement that is the end. They give up. They dont want charity or pity and many wouldn't know where else to look if they did. I'm appalled to see this man blamed rather than the authorities whose job it is to provide assisstance where needed. This system is abusive it punishes all claimants for the failings of the few.
ReplyDeleteThe Bartholomews day Massacre was justified, with the words
"Kill them all, God will know his own."
Is that the way to treat people now?
I was in a relationship with an arrogant self centered man for 4 year and had no idea of the kind of man i was living with. What am about to write now, is not a mistake its something am proud of because i will never stand to see some irresponsible man rise my child. Until now i use to say i am the strongest woman on earth i mean no matter what a man throws at my face in a relationship i will always not let it affect me. Well i was wrong when you have a child with that man every thing he does that is not in your interest hurt you so bad that it feels like your heart is bleeding not because of you sometimes but mostly because of your child. The name i'm using here is a fictional name because i don't want anybody talking about me. Mike and i,were together for four years and we had a child a son together but we weren't married. Our relationship was just as fun as it usually is in the dating stage i mean we went dates we text all night he call me on the phone just to tell me i love you. It was the best moment of my life aside from the birth of my son and he was right there with me in the labor room when i put to birth he never left my side i mean my life was a fairy tale with the happily ever after theme. When i look back now i ask myself why? Why did he go through all that trouble when really he didn't love me as he use to say. It was hard for me because he went from being perfect to being ruthless he made sure i knew he was cheating on me with another bitch and i tried to go away with my son, he threatening to take him away for me that i came with nothing and and also leaving with nothing . I wish i can put this in film to make it more clear for you guys i mean he made me pass through hell. And he was really going to take my son from me cos he was wealthy and the law was on his side because i had nothing to offer my son i mean i work three job and hardly had time for myself he used that against me and i was losing because i could not even afford a lawyer. Everything was spinning out of hand. All i had with me was the hate and pain in my heart i would stay up all night crying my eyes out because i had nothing to do. But like they say a desperate woman is a dangerous one. In my quest for help on how to make the scum bag stay away form me and my son i contacted a spell casted i found online i have seen a couple of good remark about him and some most highly recommended him as the best in spell caster. Like i say am proud of what i did if wanting to be with your son by all mean necessary is crazy then i am crazy to have contacted Dr Kuq Ya the spell caster. It made me calm when Dr Kuq Ya told me he can help me..Just 5 hours after i did what he asked me to do when the spell was casted, Mike dropped all the case and left the country with his new b**ch i didn't really care because i had my baby that is alright for me though i love him i don't want a monster as a husband or a father of my child so i let him go. I highly recommend you Dr Kuq Ya for your help. if you need his services in getting any right with you. his email : great.spellcaster@yahoo.com .
ReplyDelete