Council refused to renew BB for a disabled 74 year old woman

Flugelhorn

don't need anything from the GP for a BB unless appealing

Danday

Flugelhorn wrote: »

don't need anything from the GP for a BB unless appealing

If you had read my postings you will see that I am appealing against the closure of the claim because I did not return the full form AND the evidence they have asked for within 28 days. I had made the claim online as directed to by the council in their email but the council then wanted me to complete the full form etc as well.

When the evidence comes I will then send in the full form in with it and hope that they will reopen the closed claim.

cantcope

If all the medication to help your wife's mobililty isn't helping i'd stop taking it.
I applied for BB on a paper form with county council as thats who the renewal came from. A week after my badge expired i got a letter saying that as i'd moved the county council no longer would issue my badge but my local council would...
I filled out the forms again, online this time, and low and behold a few weeks later my badge came through the post...

Was a massive drama i can tell you! I had a couple of weeks where i had to risk using my old badge and carry my entitlement PIP letter around with me and a copy of application just in case it was queried. It wasn't thankfully.

Fill in the forms and stop moaning. Could have had the badge by now if your wife is entitled to one.

Danday

cantcope wrote: »

If all the medication to help your wife's mobililty isn't helping i'd stop taking it.
I applied for BB on a paper form with county council as thats who the renewal came from. A week after my badge expired i got a letter saying that as i'd moved the county council no longer would issue my badge but my local council would...
I filled out the forms again, online this time, and low and behold a few weeks later my badge came through the post...

Was a massive drama i can tell you! I had a couple of weeks where i had to risk using my old badge and carry my entitlement PIP letter around with me and a copy of application just in case it was queried. It wasn't thankfully.

Fill in the forms and stop moaning. Could have had the badge by now if your wife is entitled to one.

Thanks for your comments but I must correct you on a few things.
The medication my wife takes that relates to her walking ability due arthritis in her hips and legs is strong pain relief medication only. Without that not only could she not walk but would not be able to sleep due to the burning pain in her legs at night.
As you had moved it is normal to apply to the new council and not the one that issued your original badge.
My wife's application was online to the County Council (we have not moved) and then they said that in addition she needed to fill out the normal printed form as well (no idea why she was instructed to do it online in the first place?).
My wife does not claim PIP or DLA as she was too old when she realised that these benefits were available to her. She eventually was granted Attendance Allowance at the 3rd time of applying - awarded the highest day and night care award indefinitely
I have filled out the full printed form for her - it just needs her signature. The form cannot be sent in yet as it is not a normal application process - I am appealing the closing of the online application as I was out of time in sending the printed fom in AND the medical evidence they need to see to prove entitlement.
Once this evidence arrives everything will be sent off to back up the appeal already lodged. My hope is that they will then reverse the closure and accept the reasons why I could not submit what they wanted within the 28 days they gave her (waiting for 3rd party evidence)
As for the evidence, I am waiting for Social Services to get back to me to arrange an updated needs assessment. The medical evidence I picked up this morning from the GP where it says that my wife does suffer from arthritis in most of joints of her body but does not go any further to lay out (a) the distance she can walk and (b) the manner in which she walks. That has to come from an OT at Social Services.

welshmoneylover

Sounds like a FloandAndy job to me!!

cantcope

Danday wrote: »

Thanks for your comments but I must correct you on a few things.
The medication my wife takes that relates to her walking ability due arthritis in her hips and legs is strong pain relief medication only. Without that not only could she not walk but would not be able to sleep due to the burning pain in her legs at night.
As you had moved it is normal to apply to the new council and not the one that issued your original badge.
My wife's application was online to the County Council (we have not moved) and then they said that in addition she needed to fill out the normal printed form as well (no idea why she was instructed to do it online in the first place?).
My wife does not claim PIP or DLA as she was too old when she realised that these benefits were available to her. She eventually was granted Attendance Allowance at the 3rd time of applying - awarded the highest day and night care award indefinitely
I have filled out the full printed form for her - it just needs her signature. The form cannot be sent in yet as it is not a normal application process - I am appealing the closing of the online application as I was out of time in sending the printed fom in AND the medical evidence they need to see to prove entitlement.
Once this evidence arrives everything will be sent off to back up the appeal already lodged. My hope is that they will then reverse the closure and accept the reasons why I could not submit what they wanted within the 28 days they gave her (waiting for 3rd party evidence)
As for the evidence, I am waiting for Social Services to get back to me to arrange an updated needs assessment. The medical evidence I picked up this morning from the GP where it says that my wife does suffer from arthritis in most of joints of her body but does not go any further to lay out (a) the distance she can walk and (b) the manner in which she walks. That has to come from an OT at Social Services.

I had moved less than 5 miles away, same county so no it is not common to then have to apply to the local council as most are dealt with by the COUNTY council.

I don't see how you can appeal that your claim was closed when YOU missed the deadline.
I think you have nothing better to do than fight councils, DWP, and whoever else doesn't bow to your expectations then rant about it on here.
Perhaps both of your lives would be better if you just followed what you were told to do and stop expecting people to roll over for you.

Pain medication doesnt qualify someone for a BB and having read your posts before i'm surprised you thought this would be sufficient to qualify just because your wife qualified 3 years ago

missile

Councils have come under criticism for issuing BB to many who did not qualify. Many have reviewed and revised their procedures. Your wife may or may not now qualify.

Perhaps the time you have wasted on this forum could be better spent doing what council have asked.

Danday

cantcope wrote: »

I had moved less than 5 miles away, same county so no it is not common to then have to apply to the local council as most are dealt with by the COUNTY council.

I don't see how you can appeal that your claim was closed when YOU missed the deadline.
I think you have nothing better to do than fight councils, DWP, and whoever else doesn't bow to your expectations then rant about it on here.
Perhaps both of your lives would be better if you just followed what you were told to do and stop expecting people to roll over for you.

Pain medication doesnt qualify someone for a BB and having read your posts before i'm surprised you thought this would be sufficient to qualify just because your wife qualified 3 years ago

Of course you can appeal. The grounds of the appeal are that the 28 days given was unrealistic owing to the fact that the evidence needed to prove entitlement has to come from a 3rd party over which I have no control.
Of course I will fight any authority if I believe that they have been unfair or unjust.
I don't expect people to to do as I say. What I do expect is that fairness and understanding should be given at all times - rules are rules but unfortunately a one size fit system can never be right.
Pain medication is given BECAUSE of my wife's difficulties in mobilising. Otherwise all of the applicants who are claiming that severe arthritis should not be awarded any disability based benefit.
My wife failed her first assessment when she had a mobility test for the council. Not because of her inability to walk more than 50 metres - she couldn't, but because she was seen to get out of a car that she had borrowed from a family member to get to the assessment in a car park which was a low (to the ground) vehicle.
In fact the report, of which I have a copy, says that no one who claims to be virtually unable to walk could drive such a car - there is no mention of the difficulties she had when her walking was tested.

Danday

missile wrote: »

Councils have come under criticism for issuing BB to many who did not qualify. Many have reviewed and revised their procedures. Your wife may or may not now qualify.

Perhaps the time you have wasted on this forum could be better spent doing what council have asked.

I absolutely agree with you. The testing should be more rigorous. Hence why proof should be sent in to establish (a) the nature of the disability and (b) an independent OT assessment carried out on the difficulties claimed.
Whether she is or is not entitled to a BB is not for me to say. But what I do expect is that the assessing authority does not apply a 'one size fits all' determination.

I will comply with what the council wanted but I am being limited in doing so because I am having difficulty in getting the evidence together to prove entitlement. Is my wife the only claimant that is having problems in gathering evidence to support the application in particular arranging for an OT assessment to be carried out by Social Services? Maybe others around the country have a better system in obtaining the evidence that should accompany the application from.

This is identical to the PIP assessments - should claimants just 'roll over' and accept what has been reported by the assessor?

missile

Good luck with your appeal