Mooloo's New Home, New Year and New Start part 3

MatyMoo

Mooloo wrote: »

Ido worry for them as a group and understand the pressure they are under, but i do feel that they also just firefight and therefore there is little time for quality in thier work.

I would say that is another nail on the head or bullseye remark Mooloo.

I think it is one of those jobs where they must always be under so much pressure, the worry is that they are looking after the vulnerable in our society and, in an ideal world, you would want them to have the time to dedicate to each person in their care.

Molly41

You only have to take one look at DGD with her Granny to see that she is a happy, well cared for and very loved little girl. So perhaps that it is all he had to do. Take it as a compliment my friend xx

jackieglasgow

I think you are probably right Molly, however he does have a duty of care to DGD, and making sure everything else is sorted out as far as his remit goes is also a big part of what he should be doing. Its also easy to hide neglect/abuse/illness on the carer's part if the SW is overworked and only running in and out of the door. I don't blame him, I blame the system.

gizmo111

Mooloo wrote: »

Well that was a waste of space!
The SW arrived somewhat late, walked in, said hello to DGD, and then said "well thats all I came to do was to say hello to you" and said he had another appointment. He said he would "re issue the cheque" so thats still not even been started! That he had had a note from someone higher up saying it had been authorised and to get it sorted and that was some time ago!! no kidding.
He asked me to get my twin1 to see a solicitor and to get a letter written to say that she is happy for the Guardianship to go ahead, and if we could do that we would make his "christmas". He has my daughters details, and he has her land line. I told him to ring her and to leave a message. Its a house phone so it doesnt cost to leave a message! Although I also told him she was in now.
then he was - Must dash got to go to Daventry. Whats the best way to get there?

Now if I say I think he is as much use as a chocolate fire guard, please please understand me, I dont mean to insult him but come on?
what was the point of that visit. To say he had seen DGD?

Cheeky so and so - its up to the LA legal dept to chase twin1 solicitor to chase her not you. She needs to write a proper statement with proper legal advice not a letter on the back of a fag packet :eek:

Very quick pointless visit - he should be seeing DGD around every 6 weeks for half hour or so and on her own as well.

Savvy_Sue

Mooloo wrote: »

I have come home to a council letter, saying about my benefits. I am not allowed my rent overlap as I didnt actually move in here the day of the tenancy start.!! So because the Housing delayed my start, and the removal men couldnt fit me in, they are not prepared to pay duel benefit. So that has set me back just short of £200. Whats new. I seem to always fall through the gaps when it comes to allowances and entitlements.

floss2 wrote: »

Will you speak to them about it? And also to the Housing team of the HA who changed your start date in the new house? They may be able to persuade the Council to review their decision.

agreed, definitely talk to HA because it was not your fault you could not move in!

Savvy_sewing

Oh hec!
Just lost my post.!

Now I will have to think about what it was I answered!

Re the Social Worker, Gizmo, he has never seen her on her own as far as I can remember.!
He was only here for 3 minutes at the most yesterday. He must spend more time in the car driving between people then he does in thier houses. Although thats probably my fault for moving so far away!
I do think that asking me to chase the twins is annoying, and its not the first time, a SW has asked me to chase either twin1 or twin2 for something.

I will talk to the Housing Officer this afternoon about the garden, and about if she thinks I could appeal about the decision for the rent.

We have the morning at home, so I can take things at my pace instead of dashing around.
I ended up going to bed at the same time as DGD yesterday as I was struggling with the extra pain of the sciatica! So after 10 hours relatively flat on my back, my neck etc and the leg are feeling much better. When the Meds kick in properly I hope we will have the pain control, back under control!

This afternoon we have another session at the Nursery where I stop with DGD, and then next week she will start properly.
We have to leave early though as the Housing Officer is coming at 3pm.

The housing Officer knows us quite well, from dealing with the twins in the hostel. She knows DGD too. I am hoping that she will do something about the garden when i show her all the hazzards out there. Things that I alone couldnt move. Sheets of broken corrugated iron, and broken bricks and glass etc etc. Lets keep our fingers crossed that they are able to do something about it. I want it to be a safe environment for DGD and she loves to be outside.
Right this time I am going to copy my post, just incase it dissappears again!!.

Eager_Elephant

Hi Mooloo

I don't think there is any point appealing the decision not to award HB from the start of your tenancy as you are not entitled to it.

For HB to be awarded at a new property you actually have to have slept there overnight and as you did not do this until a week or two later you are not eligible. (There is an obscure rule for people moving into a home for the first time which relates to Community Care Grants etc but this does not apply as you already had a home)

It is quite a complicated rule for leaving an old house and moving to a new home and your Housing Officer from the HA should have explained it to you.

The basics are that if you had moved your bed in on the first night and stayed there they would have paid HB for the new place from that night and up to 4 weeks at the old property if you had to give notice.
You could have then moved items in at your leisure.

I'm sorry about this but I think the best thing to do is make an arrangement with the HA to pay the arrears back over the next few weeks.

You could ask the HA to move your tenancy start date if things were not up to scratch when your tenancy started and so you were prevented from moving in.

When we moved into our LA home we signed the tenancy but when we came to paint the walls the wattle and daub came off and the wall started crumbling :mad:. The LA came and replastered and changed our tenancy start date.

EE

Savvy_sewing

Well I have just had a visit from the Doctor allocated to do my medical from the DLA application.
Apparantly he had written to me at the old address, and was there when he rang me. So he came straight here to see me. 10 minutes later. I only just had time to get dressed, (Hurriedly), before he got here. DGD is still in her PJ's.
He was here for about 45 minutes! Now I have to wait for the next stage. I should hear in about 4 weeks he said.
So that will be about 5 months from my original claim date!

Re the housing, I think your right Eager, and I should have remembered that, from when I moved to the big house from Oxford.
Oh well. We will just have to pay them in installments for the HB. They cannot ask the landlord as it was paid to me in the first place.

cazscoob

Hi Mooloo another lurker here!
Here with the local council we have a discretionary(sp?) payment fund, it can be a one of payment or a help for shortfall of rent. We applied a few years ago when we had a similar problem and it paid the weeks rent we were short, it was a form filling exercise but it may help.

Savvy_sewing

Housing officer has been, very late but she has been.
She said she came earlier but I was out. (2.20!) Said we were at nursery. She said that she had seen the garden. I am not sure how far up it she went but I told her about the top of the garden etc, and she said that she would get the inspector back out!!
She said if I put a letter in writing about the wanting a larger shed they usually agree it. And as my neighbours have huge outbuildings then they cannot really refuse me.

I have a few issues to still sort with the benefit people. I wish I hadnt been so honest now.! Told them they had worked my intitlement out incorrectly as they hadnt worked it out on my income of Tax credits. They didnt believe me! As they used what the Government tell them as a figure. I told them what I get and have proved it before, but they have lost that information and basically are calling me a liar. The daft thing is if they went on my figures they would be saving themselves half the rent and a chunk of the council tax! Cos I get more then they say!
Now its dig it all out and go back all over again. I am not impressed. But I dont want to be over paid and then have to give it all back! I am already paying back some from their previous mistakes!!!!

DS has been intouch, at last. Via a text. Only cos I text him and his mate- Yesterday- He then said he would come home tonight, but he needed picking up. For the first time in my life, I have told him No. I cannot go. Get a bus. But he reckons he cannot. So he is not coming today now.
Sad in one way, but glad in another. I am far too sore to go out today.
I am in a lot of pain now.
its been too hectic a week for me, and i am struggling.

Biggest of Mooloo has now got the sickness bug bless her. (she is worried about Minnie bean (baby) having been deafened by the noises her stomach has been making! Also she has been so sick that she is only bringing up water now!. Bless her).
Her car was a complete burn out! The surveyor said it was just a shell, and has offered her £2,000 for it. I doubt she will get another one for that. But we will have to see.

DGD was excited to go to Nursery. Didnt want me to leave her, but didnt even notice when I slipped into the staff room for a cup of tea. Wouldnt come home when I wanted too either!
She will settle in there well I think.
She will start on Tuesday next week.
So I must remember to do a packed lunch for her. The other nursery provided meals.
DGD has broken the TV by poking a pencil in the place where the buttons are supposed to be. (She broke the button earlier in the week, so the TV has not been switched off just on standby! But I cannot get it to do anything now.
It was old. With a Video player in the bottom of it. She was trying to get her Postman Pat video to work.
She went across to the sofa to hide her face, and has fallen asleep!! I cannot let her sleep long or we will be in trouble. But I shall just leave her long enough to go and see if I can find the old TV anywhere. In the mountain of boxes that are my bedroom. But it will only be looking in the topboxes as I am in too much pain to do much.! if not its an early night for the pair of us. (Well I have the laptop I can watch things on, but I am often in bed early anyway. We really do need a new(er) TV!