Boiler & stairlift advice?

catye

Hi all,

not really sure if I'm posting this in the right place, maybe someone can point me in the right direction.

My grandparents both have significant disabilities and health problems. Because of this they need to use a stair lift in their home. Also, because of my grandad's condition the temperature in their home must always be above a certain level.

Recently their boiler & stairlift both broke down at the same time! Neither could be repaired, only replaced with new ones! They were entitled to the full cost of replacing them due to their health, however they would have had to wait for weeks for this. They have subsequently ended up spending all of their savings (around £6000) to get them replaced themselves!

I think they should be able to claim the money back somehow - does anybody know if this is possible & how to go about it?

It just seems such a shame that they have both worked & paid taxes all of their lives & then ended up spending all of their savings when they were entitled to help.:(

I would be grateful for any advice/suggestions.

Many thanks for reading this,
Catye:)

dmg24

Surely if someone has the money, they would want to be self sufficient and pay for them themselves?

Mojisola

I don't think they can claim retrospectively. I can understand how it must be worrying to have used all their savings. My parents were always concerned about keeping enough money in the bank for two funerals. They have now got pre-paid funeral plans so having to spend out when something breaks down isn't so much of a worry.

It would be worth getting the Pensions Service to visit your grandparents. It's possible that they aren't claiming everything they are entitled to. The Pensions Service advisor did a brilliant job for my parents and they are now much better off than they were.

Also, make sure their gas and electric suppliers know they are disabled. My parents are on a low tariff and get a very prompt reaction if they have any problems with the heating.

Have your grandparents been assessed by an OT recently? If not, get a visit arranged. An OT should be able to show them all sorts of things around the house which will make their lives easier. If they are on a low income, a lot of aids can be provided for free.

catye

Hello, thanks for the replies.

Dmg24 I understand what you're saying & they are happy that they were able to (just about) pay for it them themselves. However, they now have nothing at all left & I feel bad for them when they were actually entitled to help in the first place but the help could not be provided fast enough, if you see what I mean.

Mojisola thanks very much for the advice, I will speak to my grandparents about the points you made.

dave030445

Why the wait? What a shame. How long did they tell them they would have to wait?

Mojisola

When my parents needed a stairlift, the waiting time was 18 months!