Disability and Heating Oil

mardatha

You might try a crisis loan for oil RD ?

Oldernotwiser

Red_Doe wrote: »

I don't receive housing benefit or the like (used to though) as they calculate we are just a few pounds over the limit. And we cannot move because moving costs a great deal of money...month's deposit, removal money, etc.

Wow - Belgian disability benefits must be a lot more generous than ours!

Red_Doe

mardatha wrote: »

You might try a crisis loan for oil RD ?

Thanks mardatha, is there a link please for info on how to do this or who to approach for one? I'm wondering if they would give me one if I claim no other benefits, or if, because my OH's benefit comes from Belgium, they would say we don't qualify. But I'm willing to try.
Re moving, it really isn't doable. There are no council houses anywhere near us and I'm given to understand you must at least live in the area that you apply for a council house in?
I have written to the scottish msp's linked to Fuel Poverty in Scotland. So far I've had nothing back despite repeated emails from me (polite!)
OH's disability is permanent, won't improve, and in Belgium he is classed as over the sixty six percent disabled.

Red_Doe

Eek, scrap that! Just looked up crisis loans...apparently they are only for smallish sums, the last time we could afford heating oil it cost £300 for 500ltrs, so don't think it would make a dint there. Also looked at Budgeting loans but since we don't get the 'right' benefits, that's unlikely too. Back to square one it seems!

MissMoneypenny

Molly41 wrote: »

I would also suggest that you lobby, lobby and lobby your MP so that he can assist you. There must be a way for you to either move or get heating. Imagine the scandal it would cause if the the unthinkable happened because you suffered from hypothermia. I would urge you to fight this and keep fighting until you either get oil or more suitable housing.

From what I have read on the many EU internet forums: if her partner is living in the UK under EEA rules (as oppose to UK immigration rules), I wouldn't be too keen to draw attention to themselves if he is using the NHS for free; unless there is some special reciprocal agreement for disabled people just between Belgium and the UK.

EU laws say state that only those EEA citizens who work for employers in the UK, can have free NHS for themselves and their family, while they reside in the UK. Those EEA citizens who reside in the UK and are self-sufficient or students, have to have a fully comprehensive health policy that includes full cover for existing conditions.

Red_Doe

unless there is some special reciprocal agreement for disabled people just between Belgium and the UK.

There is. For someone on permanent disability, he is as entitled to free NHS care as any other British citizen which he now is, having registered here. We've filled in all the forms, dotted all the I's and crossed all the T's. Took forever to do but all of that kind of thing is sorted.

Red_Doe

menher wrote: »

Have you not thought about going green?

Used cooking oil, filtered and cleaned can be used instead of heating oil. Loads of info on the web about it.

I have a heater on my farm that uses ANY old oil. The local garages supply it to me FOC and I store it after it has been filtered

Not entirely sure of that. For one thing where would I get supplies of cooking oil here? We really ARE as remote as you'll get. And if it meant installing another kind of heater, not sure the landlord would agree.

MissMoneypenny

Red_Doe wrote: »

There is. For someone on permanent disability, he is as entitled to free NHS care as any other British citizen which he now is, having registered here. We've filled in all the forms, dotted all the I's and crossed all the T's. Took forever to do but all of that kind of thing is sorted.

Good.:D I know that there are a lot of threads on EU boards, where EEAs are coming unstuck when they try to register for UK citizenship and can't produce a comprehensive health insurance.

MissMoneypenny

On the LPG & Heating sub board, there are many threads on other ways to heat properties
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=78

Having just read some of them, 55p a litre is horrific.:eek: I remember when I lived in a rural area and paid 8p a litre (and moaned when I paid 23p a litre).

If you are in rented, you realy need to move to somewhere with gas heating. Can you ask your local council for help with moving costs; or perhaps a local charity would move you?

Red_Doe

The trouble really is geography. Being this rural has it's own problems. There is no council housing anywhere nearby (we are just down from Cape Wrath) and the nearest sources of it are sparse, as is common in these areas. The council are fairly unsympathetic, I have explained the situation to them more than once and asked for help just to be met with a "not our responsibility" response.