CAB - anyone got any tips on how to.......

skeggysteve

..... get them to answer the phone?

I need advice on a DLA appeal hearing and have looked around for ages.

Law Society website list firms that help but call them and they don't do.

CAB website lists local CAB who only do appointments one day a week, call to make an appointment but they don't answer the phone.

Other CAB can't/won't help as we are not in their area!

I know the CAB is very under funded these day but any advice on how to get help would be much appreciated.

I did find one solicitor that would help if I paid, so I said 'Yes' - turned out they work for the DWP as well so can't help!

pmlindyloo

Where abouts do you live?

You could try to email them.

The best time to ring is when they first open. You just have to keep trying.

Have they not got a drop in centre?

If you could tell us a little bit about your appeal (eg why it was refused, why you think you should be awarded it ) we may be able to suggest some alternative help.

swingaloo

We saw them about 2 months ago re DLA forms. It was a central number we rang and they asked which office then told me just to turn up at a drop in session.

I have to say though that they were useless, I had to almost force the guy to give us the forms rather than letting them post them on because the spelling was attrocious, the grammer terrible and so many mistakes I would have been embarrassed to send it as it was.

One scentence which should have read -'When I put weight on my left leg' was written 'When I pull weight on my left peg' ???

Waited 2.5 hours, £3.50 to park and my nephew could have done a better job. I have no faith in them now for anything else.

tomtontom

OP if you live in/ near Skegness there are drop in sessions on Monday and Wednesday mornings. They can then arrange for a specialist appt if needed.

swingaloo wrote: »

the spelling was attrocious, the grammer terrible and so many mistakes I would have been embarrassed to send it as it was.

One scentence ...

The irony!

skeggysteve

tomtontom,

Sorry but my user name is a throw back to many years ago, I now live in East Yorkshire.

As I said the CAB not local have just said 'you're not on our area so we can't help' so I think a drop in session would be a waste of time.

swingaloo,
Very sorry to hear your bad experience, but I have to say I'm not surprised.

If they don't have the funds to answer the phone how will they have the funds to give good and proper advice?

Don't worry about your spelling error - my keyboard can't spell either;)

tomtontom

Where is your closest town?

skeggysteve

Driffield.

Willing to travel to Brid or Beverley but 'we are out of their area'.

Appeal is in York but again 'out of area'.

tomtontom

e-advice.eastyorkshire@cabnet.org.uk

Try this address - you are definitely within their area. You could also visit the drop in at Brid and ask them to book you an appt - be polite but basically don't move until they do it.

Is this for an Upper Tribunal hearing? If so, it may be that no one there can help. You could ask questions on here - someone may know the answers.

skeggysteve

Thank for the link - will send an email.

The Driffield phone goes through to Brid when Driffield don't answer and they said 'not in our area' but as you say, we are in the East Riding.

The trouble with a drop in is that (the appeal is for my wife) it would be very difficult for my wife and as I'm sure you know they will just say we can't talk to you we must talk to to your wife.

Having said that as we are desperate we may try it - will look to see when they are open.

I/we are not sure if it's Upper Tribunal - applies for DLA, refused, asked DWP to re-consider, they said no, appealed and now an appeal hearing at York County Court.

Don't really have a 'question' more a 'help, please' - my wife is even now getting very stressed about the hearing as she gets very confused - GP assured us it's not dementia (sp) but stress and or Fibromyalgia (sp).

Whilst I feel she is eligible for DLA, I will accept what the court decides but I want help so she doesn't have the stress that she is suffering now.
A big part of me is thinking that it may be better for her health to just give up and cancel the appeal.
But it really shouldn't be like that, should it?

Anyway many thank, of to bed now.

pmlindyloo

Here is a link to the CAB services in your area.

http://www2.eastriding.gov.uk/EasysiteWeb/getresource.axd?AssetID=381373&type=full&servicetype=Attachment

It looks like that they have welfare and benefit specialists in some of the larger CAB so if you telephone they should be able to direct you to the right office.

Where you live they have an outreach service which is why it is only open one day by appointment only. This is probably dealt with by a generalist advisor. You need a benefits specialist or at least a bureau where one is available to support the generalist advisor.

Most generalist advisors are trained volunteers whereas the specialists are usually paid.

Hope you are successful in getting some help.

skeggysteve

Update

Decided to call in at the Driffield 'office' (Portacabin!) on the off chance.

Explained that as the phone hadn't been answered I hadn't be able to get an appointment.
The lady says 'Sorry, it's a rubbish system, how can I help'.

Got a good bit of advice and told that if I needed help in the future to just drop in.

Tomtontom - Not had a reply to the email I sent to the link you posted.

Many thanks to all that posted.