MOOLOO'S continuing saga Part 4

Savvy_sewing

Please remind me that if things go quite from the family, it does not mean that things are fine. They are not.
I went to see Twin2 and DS today. Again I am in dispair. We finally got the meter reading sorted out for the gas that had been capped!. They owe over £100. So with my Dad's help we paid the debt and then as the information has to go to the machines at the shop where she tops up her card, we have had to then go and add £24 to it, to get £7.21 worth of Gas tomorrow. When someone comes to turn the The house was Freezing, except for the room that DS was in, as he had the one and only plug in radiator on in there, but they were already on emergency electric with no money. So I spent another £20 on that one. I loaded both the Keys/cards myself so I know the money didnt go on anything else.
But when I got home the next issue was food.
There is hardly anything in the house. The eggs that are there are dated the 12th November to be used by.
There was some boil in the bag rice, some mixed vegetables. So I said to them that they will have to tentatively check the eggs (I have had eggs OK passed the suggested date before). And make an omelette for tea.
There was a chicken in the freezer so I have taken that out, and told them to defrost it, and that tomorrow when its defrosted. (if it does in the cold house!), they can make at least two meals each out of that, along with the mixed vegetables and rice.
Thats the total amount of the food, except some sugar and tea. No milk, butter/marg, or anything like that in.
Neither of them will get any money, as both have been Sanctioned by the DWP for missing appointments. Problem is that neither have managed to go, either as they were not aware of thier appointment or becuase its £7.30 for the bus to go and they have rung to say they cannot go, but still got sanctioned. So how are they going to survive this????
I am so fed up of it.
I rang the Social Worker that supports the girls, and tried to get her to help them. But it appears that there is a dispute as to when they will support twin2, due to DS being there, and his friend?? who I thought had gone, but he was there today, I was told he was visiting. So the twins tell me one thing, housing and the careres another. They will not support Twin2 if the friend is there, but the friend wont go as they are vunerable and being used. I give up. What can I do to get these girls a safe environment to live in?
They have bailiffs knocking on the door for a debt from twin2's previous partner, from a sky account that he didnt cancel, and she cannot cancel, nor could I as we are not the account holders. I tried to tell them but the man on the phone said that they wouldnt talk to me, and best to put it all in writing. Well thats OK for me to go and intervene in, but it doesnt mean that they will act! Great.
The vunerable made more vunerable all the time by the systems. ARGH.
Twin1 is ill yet again, and cancelled her carer! But telling me that the carer cancelled on her! I dont know what to believe anymore. The Social worker said that if they cancel then the carers wont go in. I treid to explain that they will cancel if the place is in a mess, or they are depressed and cant be bothered, but that that was the whole point of having a carer to go in and to help them with motivation, and getting the place clean, tidy and and its slumped all over again.
The food and money is an issue but not quite so bad as she had been doing ok with food when the carer was coming in, she was putting it in the freezer etc but it doesnt take long for it all to go wrong.
I feel as if I am back to square one today.
I am worried about my own bills and wonder if I will actually manage to clear my credit card when the bill comes in, as I had put my food order on it, that is coming tonight. Its around £180 between two deliveries but they are my months main shopping for December.
My Dad bought me a freezer so that I don't have to go out if I dont need too, and that we will have the advantage of offers etc when they come in. So I am topping that up.
I spent the day yesterday re-arranging the rooms a bit more to take all the things that used to be in the cupboard under the stairs.
My steam mop was broken the other week, it leaked into the motor. Then the little carpet sweepers power pack has broken at the wire so that wont charge.
Wonder what is next??? tHey say it comes in three;s dont they?

So, breathe deep, and make sure that I dont panic. There will be some sort of solution somewhere along the line. I will just have to take each problem as they come and remember that there are a lot of people out there that are much worse off than we are. (but it isnt always that easy to feel that way!).
I think that i will just have to take a good look at the shopping when it arrives, and make sure that I do not waste anything. That when my ESA is paid I put half of the money straight into the CC account so that I dont overspend any further.
This evening while I wait for the delivery I think I will turn my mind to the Christmas and see what I actually have managed too get, what is on order and what I can make still. Have a positive evening if I possibly can.

minimoneysaver

Sounds like the twins are in a right mess again! Can you put in a formal complaint with social services? If people are conning her to stay at her place, then maybe she needs a home that offers more security? It's such a shame that they aren't getting looked after by their carers too. The girls are bound to cancel them, as the carers will be coming in and getting them to tidy up and keep themselves clean etc, so cancelling shouldn't even be an option. I am sure that you are feeling so frustrated.

Savvy_sewing

Frustration and Dispair in equal measures.
Here is a copy of the letter I wrote back to the MP.
Dear
Thankyou for getting back to me.
My Daughter's name is ......
She has to sign on at The Northampton Jobcentre, which is situated on the Mounts, but I do not know the full address.
There are no other Jobcentres in or around the area, so Northampton should find it.
It is a disgrace that those who live so far out, have to get a bus to sign on, which is £7.30 out of thier benefits before they start. Then they are also expected to find the same amount of money to go to these extra job places.
It is obvious that my daughter has problems, it has been highlighted and she is in receipt of the disability part of the Job seekers. (In my opinion she should not even be on jobseekers, as it is plain that she cannot hold down a job).
Her sanctioning etc has not only stopped her benefits, but stopping those benefits has stopped her housing benefit as well, putting her into arrears on her home of some £500+. I noticed the letter yesterday when I went to see her.
I found her sitting crying on the sofa, with her coat on, a duvet wrapped around her, and with no electric or gas. There was no food in the cupboard that could make even a simple meal.
She was crying as it will be her sons 5th Birthday on the 30th and she cannot see him as Social Services took her children away from her, and put them up for adoption.
This girl is rock bottom and the system has done this to her.
She cannot help her caotic life, as she has these learning difficulties. But they are being compounded by the way this government is dealing with people on benifits.
I have had to pay £106 in gas standing charges to get her Gas reconnected, and a further £24 on the gas key, to enable her to have £7.21 in gas when the gas is reconnected today.
I cannot have my daughter in these sistuations and sleep at night.
I also paid a further £20 for electricity so that she could put on the one electric heater that she has, and gave her £5 to get enough food for over night.

I am at my whits end, and as I am on ESA I am not exactly rich myself, and it has meant juggling my food deliveries and putting that and my fuel on to the credit card, so that I can help my family.
Please please can something be done about this. I cannot afford to pay the rent arrears as well. (And I should think there will be a letter saying that her community tax will be in arrears too).
What next for our young and vunerable?
The system is not working.

End of the letter.

Now we see what they can do, if anything to help. But I doubt that there is much that can be done. Not one little persons problems will change the DWP's way of doing things.
How many more are out there with these problems.
Oh I wish I was rich enough to get a campaign up and running, and to support those unfortunate like my daughter. I would fight to the hilt, if I was able too.:eek:

Now its time to think of getting DGD up and then doing the school run etc.

I did talk to the social worker yesterday afternoon, and all she said was that she would talk to the supervisor of the Carer and see what can be done. That they plan a meeting at the Citizens Advice with Twin2 next week. But its always next week, next week, etc. We need the action NOW.
I left the mobile phone there last night so before i go anywhere else, or do anything else I will have to drive over to Twin2's again and get it back.
I was talking to twin1 on the phone, and she too really needs a visit. I wanted to go to the shop and do some work there, but it looks like my family need me even more at the moment.:o

Molly41

Sorry things are bad for the twins and you financially again.
At least you managed a break in Paris and have some nice memories to sustain you. Hugs x

minimoneysaver

Honest to god, I can't believe how bad things have to get and yet still no action from social services!!!! It makes me so angry! I'm sat here in tears for your daughter. Life is so unfair.

Savvy_sewing

I couldnt post yesterday, i was just too emotional. I broke down in tears at the school gate in the afternoon.
I went to see Twin2 and DS around 9.30 as I had left my mobile phone and bank card behind the day before.
I was there when the engineer came to reconnect the gas, and we had heating in the house before I left.
I started to make a few more revelations, as in the door was a letter from the TV licensing, who had tried to visit the night before.
So we have had to get throught to them to sort that out. As they do not have live TV at the moment, we have applied for the No License. If we get a ariel etc sorted out, then we will have to deal with that later.
I made several calls.
There was the housing. I rang them to find out what is going on from thier prospective. As to DS's status etc.
They confirmed that the friend must not be there. That there is no reason why DS couldnt be, unless the housing officer has an issue, or the social services have an issue, with the care package.
The support workers who have not been around had written a letter to say they were terminating thier support as they were turning up and Twin2 was not in, or answering. etc. That she had also cancelled appointments. So I have persuaded them to come out again, and see if we can get, twin2 to engage with them. (Of course Twin2 is denying that she cancels etc, but I know that she does, she forgets I know her and her ways!).
Then I spoke to the charity that I have been volunteering for, who are supposed to be giving her a care package. They actually did talk to me this time. They were not willing to start caring for Twin2 as the friend of DS had been around, and they were not willing to put the carer at risk??? What harm he would have done to the carer is beyond me, and him being around proves the point that Twin2 is vunerable to be used. However I dealt with him as well. (or at least I hope so).
I have managed to get the housing officer, the two support workers, to come to the same meeting at twin2's on Tuesday next week. I will be there as well.
I contacted the jobcentre, but they were not very helpful or understanding. They said I should take her in and see if we could have the decision overturned, but he was not particularly helpful, and he even hung up on me.
The new rules are that the Housing Benefit and the Community Tax benefits are also stopped when a benefit is sanctioned.
This has lead to twin2's rent being over £700 in arrears, and this has also meant that they have started proceedings to repossess her house.
I was finding this out, at the same time as a call came back in from the Supervising Officer for the LAC review of the boys.
I had rung to find out why they hadnt given us the date of the review. Alas Twin2 answered the phone as i was on the line to the housing, and was told that the boys had actually been placed in an adoptive home, on the 19th November!. (Her birthday), the cries of dispair from her were terrible. I felt so angry and helpless that it was blurted out to her that way. Tomorrow is DGS1's 5th Birthday, so its not an easy time at all.
What has the poor girl got thats good in her life at the moment?
Everything is collapsing around her.

Tomorrow she will come and stay with me so that she is not alone on this vunerable time,(DS is helping out at a party tomorrow, he is doing the DJ stuff).

I am so fed up of the fight. I wonder where the hell I can find the strength to battle them.

Errata

I wish you luck in getting all this sorted out, it's going to be challenging for you.
The only thing I can offer is would Twin2 be amenable to some bereavement counselling? Do you think it would help her?
The other thing that doesn't seem quite right is the £700 rent arrears; I understand HB will have stopped when she was sanctioned, but wasn't that only a couple of weeks ago? Perhaps this is something that you can clarify with Housing and ensure the figure is correct?
HTH

minimoneysaver

Mooloo I really hope that you can find the strength to fight this!!! I am so angry and yet so upset by the mess that the girls are in yet again. What's the point in support if it can be withdrawn at any time? As I said before, Twin2 shouldn't have the option of cancelling her visits from the carer. The carer should be going regardless. If Twin2 is going out, then surely it is up to the carer to ensure that she goes in early enough in order to catch twin2 at home. The carer needs to ensure that personal hygiene needs are met and home cleanliness. These carers sound less than useless. As for the deficit of over £700, as above, that doesn't sound right at all. How on earth can people with additional needs be treated so poorly by our society? It's disgusting!!!!

Errata

minimoneysaver wrote: »

. As I said before, Twin2 shouldn't have the option of cancelling her visits from the carer. The carer should be going regardless.

Twin2 has the right to cancel if she chooses to, she has capacity, and carers can't impose support if the client wishes otherwise. It's a difficult situation all round, which I hope can be resolved at the meeting.

Brighton_belle

Mooloo, I have nothing helpful to add but I had to say how I utterly despair at your situation with your girls. Our society's care of the vulnerable is a disgrace.