Council question Mum's right to single occupancy discount

droopsnout

Ah, no, it's very much connected to the issue I wrote about at the outset, which is about the attitude of those in power towards the electorate.

Remember I was fuming (still am) about the wording and tone of the letter, rather than the fact that they sent it at all. Also I was concerned (still am) about the access of government (local/national) to private information.

It all ties together, along with the ID cards debate, the collection of email and text data, etc.

RayWolfe

I suspect that your general tone would indicate someone who is very unhappy with life in general. I comes across that way anyway. You may be the type of person who is angry with their word and whatever restitution you get will not change your attitude. Well so be it.
Sorry I couldn't help.

ts_aly2000

I have to say that I agree with the OP.

The attitude of councils/companies/organisations is simply appalling. It's sad that people only complain about it when it affects THEM. Up until such time they'll criticise and throw their oar in when someone else complains.

This country has become officious and aggressive, and it's happened so slowly that people have barely noticed. It's pretty horrible out there.

ailuro2

Well somoeone HAS to say it -

you brought it on your elderly mother by having a current account and a savings account registered to her address even though you admit you EMIGRATED to France.

Check the small print of your account, I think you'll find you need to be resident in the UK to hold most UK bank accounts.;)

Stop whinging about it - maybe it's time you took your mother over to stay with you if she is so old and frail that she cannot cope with a standard letter form the council double checking she is there on her own.

I'd suggest you close the accounts and have your other mail redirected too, in order to prevent this happening again.

Mojisola

Churchmouse wrote: »

Perhaps it's just me, but I think the point droopsnout is making is that the assumption is one of guilt of wrongdoing, and the need to prove innocence, rather than the other way round

I don't care how young or old the recipient of any letter may be, it should be worded courteously and should not assume an attitude of recrimination.

I agree with this but I do think the OP is over-reacting to the situation. It sounds as if he is fed up with a lot of the ways things are going in the UK and this was a final straw and so his reaction was a bit over-the-top. It can be very upsetting when an elderly relative is worried about something and you are too far away to sort it out for them.

I'm surprised at this quote "Interestingly to me, no-one has commented on the fearsome TV ads the government puts on, in which they threaten legal action quite heavily to benefit fraudsters and TV licence dodgers." Do you think fraudsters should be left alone to cheat the system?

droopsnout

LOL. If you could see my world, you would see that it is rather pleasant!

Is there anything wrong in being concerned about the way of life in my homeland?

I'm not looking for any restitution whatsoever. What on earth gave you that idea?

By the way, I don't read the Daily Mail (or any other newspaper, come to that). I'm not a member of any political party or pressure group. But my political leanings would be centre-left, I guess. I don't like any of the parties right now! (Which is another topic for debate, but not here!)

I'm so touched that you are concerned for my health! What a turnaround for someone who was happy to allow "little old ladies" to feel intimidated!

Actually, you seem rather taken with depression. You thought my mother suffers from it. You also talked about "emotional blackmail" in your own life. You thought I suffer from paranoia. Perhaps I suffer from sensitivity. Are you transferring your own problems into my psyche?

Come to think of it, as I've just re-read all your posts, you have jumped to an awful lot of conclusions about me, and I don't think a single one has been correct.

As for your last sentence, if you could actually point me to where you tried to help, rather than mock or scorn, I'll even thank you for it. (I don't count advice such as "Please try to keep things in perspective", as that was one of the condescending bits I referred to before!)

Why do you want me to change my attitude? Because I question the way one local authority speaks to its people? Wow! You do draw all these conclusions from very little evidence. Just like that local authority, in fact.

ailuro2

The " we're watching you" ads?

imho they are justified - there are a lot of people limping around who don't always use the same leg, iyswim, and a lot of single parents who have a 'friend' who stays over most nights of the week - like about 7! but don't report it to the relevant agencies.

I do appreciate the most hardened fraudsters will pay no attention to the ads, but if it saves a percentage of the billions of pounds every year, then maybe we'll have enough left over to allow council employees to do proper checks on people living alone instead of using electronic checks that aren't always accurate?;)

droopsnout

ailuro2 wrote: »

Well somoeone HAS to say it -

you brought it on your elderly mother by having a current account and a savings account registered to her address even though you admit you EMIGRATED to France.

Check the small print of your account, I think you'll find you need to be resident in the UK to hold most UK bank accounts.;)

Stop whinging about it - maybe it's time you took your mother over to stay with you if she is so old and frail that she cannot cope with a standard letter form the council double checking she is there on her own.

I'd suggest you close the accounts and have your other mail redirected too, in order to prevent this happening again.

Oh dear. Well, ailuro, please read back through this thread. But you do say yourself that you should be resident in the UK to hold MOST bank accounts. Not all.

Of course I admit I emigrated. (Why the capital letters???) I did!! As many Britons do every year. I do know that this annoys some of those who don't, some of whom have stereotypical images of gin-swigging rich folk spending all day in the sun with glamorous people all round them. For the huge, huge majority, mostly just ordinary folk, it isn't like that.

And once again, I have to repeat - but I'm not going to do it again - that I have nothing against the council doing its job and checking on fraud. My complaint concerns the way they did it on this one occasion, and I am concerned about state access to private info.

Thank you for telling me how to look after my mother. It's really none of your business, but she comes whenever she wishes, and her next visit will be in September. She is welcome to live with us, but she doesn't wish to emigrate mainly because of language difficulties and the fact that she is extremely happy where she is now, quite independent and self-sufficient, and with a lovely group of friends and close relatives around her. So please don't make me out to be the uncaring son who abandoned his poor old mum. We moved with her blessing, and if and when she needs us urgently, we can be there in next to no time, either by plane or by car. I hope that you are reassured.

droopsnout

ailuro2 wrote: »

The " we're watching you" ads?

imho they are justified - there are a lot of people limping around who don't always use the same leg, iyswim, and a lot of single parents who have a 'friend' who stays over most nights of the week - like about 7! but don't report it to the relevant agencies.

I do appreciate the most hardened fraudsters will pay no attention to the ads, but if it saves a percentage of the billions of pounds every year, then maybe we'll have enough left over to allow council employees to do proper checks on people living alone instead of using electronic checks that aren't always accurate?;)

You said it. The words of Big Brother. "We're watching you."

You are, of course, totally entitled to your opinion. But I disagree with your reasoning and conclusions.

I think someone once said words to the effect that each country ends up with the government it deserves. There may be some truth in that.

droopsnout

Mojisola wrote: »

Do you think fraudsters should be left alone to cheat the system?

Please read my posts. My views are quite clear.