Take it from me, don't become disabled!
 

As many of you are already aware, my poor wife became seriously disabled on 22nd June this year.

So far:Zero help from NL modifying the house for her disability.
Had to agitate loads of times before we even got any response from the so-called caring team.
Had to fight them to get the specialised shower chair we were TOLD by Pinderfields Spinal Unit that she needed. Eventually got it after involving Rob Waltham, Council Leader and chair of Health and Wellbeing.
Have had a scrap to get the Oswestry Standing Frame she also needs. Without it, most of the physio and the progress she has made will disappear.

Apparently I cannot have carer’s allowance, despite being “on call” 24/7, often putting in 16 hour days. This is because I already GET a benefit: my state pension, into which I paid for forty years…and unlike other benefits, on which I’m taxed!!!! My eldest and I have laboured long and hard to convert what was a small utility, and an even smaller toilet and washbasin area, into a downstairs wetroom with disabled accessible toilet. We were TOLD that the job should have been VAT free, and even the VAT man said so, and that we would need to reclaim all VAT from each and every supplier.Sadly, we have been misinformed, we CANNOT reclaim even a single penny, because…and wait for this…WE DID THE WORK OURSELVES! So had we been able to AFFORD to have the work done, we’d have saved 20% on everything! It stinks.
And yesterday I was forced to apply for Universal Credit for both of us since her SSP stops on 07/01/2020 And it took over an hour and a quarter, including two lots of identity checks…and HOW intrusive is it all????
Any responses alluding to Brexit will be ignored, and will show the poster as a selfish person.;)

The supplier should not have charged you VAT in the first place, there is a form that the supplier will give you to fill in

Girlfriends mother had fall last xmas time , broke hip . Fortunately she was visiting grand daughter in Aus at the time , and therefore treatment was actually available ( there were complications discovered she had hep c , therefore icu for days) . The bill came to £60,000
Through some miracle the surgeons concerned pulled strings and reduced that to £6000.
Rodney ( husband to grand daughter ) grand mother needed hip op , this was back in zim, - she was told to go and sit in the corner for rest of her days ..

Somtimes you have take a step back to see how well off we are here . Even if youve contributed next ta nothing youll still get served

WOW, that really sucks. You just never expect everything to be this hard do you but in my experience too when you're at your lowest you still find yourself having to push for everything with every fibre just to get the basics that you are supposed to be entitled to. That really sucks.

So sorry to hear about this.

It's unforgivable that people in your unfortunate situation should have to go through all this. Hope you get it sorted quickly.

Sadly until you are in this situation people do not realise(as i did myself) how hard it is to get heip in these circumstances so i wish you all the best and do not let them grind you down.

The consultant at Pinderfields Spinal Unit drew us an interesting picture one family day.
It was an iceberg.

The bit at the top was marked "I cannot walk". That's what everyone sees.

The large bit beneath was "Everything else", which includes double incontinence, spasms, pain, inability to feel cold/heat, so danger of cold/burning, skin sores, can't easily move from one seat to another, muscle wastage, ageing speeded up, pins and needles, etc etc etc etc.

Just awful.

Already had one row with an Asian guy who parked "just for a few minutes" in a disabled space in order to pick up a child from nursery, leaving us to park on mud much further away. He couldn't understand my problem.

Life changing. Really feel for you.

People who park inconsiderately like that and just have no thought or consideration for others really get my goat. I'd have given him a mouthful too.