Fighting every day just to exist

[Tibby3a]

I didn't think at any stage that it would result in this as I thought when I appealed it had some process to go through and I thought I was still in some process. Now I can see I was but Redbridge Council did not inform me. I never had any letters from Redbridge Council at any stage.

I was told on Monday 10.12.12 by the bailiffs and the CCTV person that the onus was on me to track the process but I am not a mind reader and I have read many council documents over the last three days and I can’t find the information that the onus was on me to track the process of appeal.

As a physically disabled person, I am now housebound. My car is my independence and an integral part of every day. I have two medical appointments coming up on the 18.12.12 to test for none alcoholic fatty liver syndrome and 21.12.12 to find out why I have developed tremors and that I now have very little fine motor skills in both hands. As my car is clamped I worry that I will not be able to make these important appointments. I suffer from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibrous dysplasia, grade 3 chondromalacia of the lateral compartment of the patella femoral joint, a fissure of the medial femoral condyle and osteoarthritis of my left knee, achilles tendonitis of my right ankle, polymyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and polyarthralgia. I use two crutches to walk with at all times. So I would not have let the appeal get this far if I was told two months ago that the onus was on me to trace and track the process that the council has no duty to keep the appellant informed.

The car is not just an fundamental part of my life, it also is the way in which my carer helps me to live as independent as possible, a way in which I am able to go shopping, a way in which I can put electric on my key, a way I can go to work, a way in which allows my carer to get to me in 20 minutes rather than two hours.

As Christmas is on its way and the cold bites, I become less able to do things physically and the responsibility on my carer becomes greater. Yet I am now housebound and the long journey my carer has to make, results in me not having enough food, milk and bread and that my electricity runs out and this means I am without hot water and heating relying on candles.

So you can see from the brief explanation above my car is my lifeline and now it’s been taken away. In my defence I did not know two months ago I had to follow up and track my appeal. An appeal is a when you disagree with a decision and want to dispute it. My understanding of an appeal is that a petition which can be done by filing a written complaint or verbally in court against a decision. I appealed and time went by and the council obviously won and the result was doled out and found me in this position of me losing and the council winning. I have realised this week that the individual alone, has no chance of winning against the council/system and that an appeal is pointless.

We can’t fight the system and yet when we do what the system asks we still are defeated.

[SuzyB]

Sounds awful. I hope you manage to get things sorted soon. Can social services or your GP not help in anyway?

[Tibby3a in reply to SuzyB]

Social services won't help becasue I don't get DLA and have been appealing since 2010. On my third appeal.

[Hidden]

this sounds terrible. how about copying your blog to your local paper? they might like to do a human interest story!

[Tibby3a in reply to Hidden]

I have done but no reply yet.

[tettridge]

Hi Tibby

I am so sorry to hear of your troubles and the more I hear stories like yours the more I feel that we have gone back in time to Dickens time where no one cared about their neighbours and fellow man, the Government were so corrupt and there was no health service.

We are in the 21st Century and things are getting worse, the poor and disabled are being trodden roughshod over by the government and the councils and what can we do?

We get told that by voting we can change things but when all of the parties have the same agenda we have no chance.

I am really starting to panic that people like yourself Tibby can be left high and dry there is no hope for the duty of care these people are supposed to have.

I am so sorry for ranting but this is how I really do feel things are going and it scares me sill for people like you Tibby and all the rest of us disabled people who are going to become like you have been left to fend for themselves with no help at all.

I think I have said enough now.

Kindest regards

Terry

[Tibby3a in reply to tettridge]

Thank you. I have said for a while now that we are going backwards.

[hamble99b]

hi, I've looked up advocacy services in your area, I had an advocate help me and she was really good. It's up to you if you want to use them, but I'm glad I did.

www2.redbridge.gov.uk/cms/c...

regards,

sandra.

anyone can type in their local council + advocacy

it's free and they work for you not the council.

[Tibby3a in reply to hamble99b]

Hi Sandra

The building these people were in has closed, I tried to get an advocate to help me with the DLA but they only work for PMLD and MLD people now as they lost a lot of their funding. But thanks I will try again.

[Hidden]

Tibby did the bailiffs clamp your car because if so the following might apply to you -

'The Bailiff cannot clamp or immobilise a vehicle either displaying a valid Disabled Badge or, where there are “reasonable grounds to believe that the vehicle is used for the carriage of a disabled person”.'

Tibby did your car clearly display a Disabled Badge?! This could be a loop hole for you if it was clearly visible.

This info was found on the website 'Bailiff Advice Online' -

bailiffadviceonline.co.uk/m...

It might be worth looking into Tibby! Hope this helps.

(((hug))) xxx

Libs

[Tibby3a in reply to Hidden]

Hi Libs

They can apparently, I am housebound now and a car which is all leagal outside my flat is clamped. The website above was the one my local Cllr and my MP sent to me and there were three of us hear reading and making notes on everything. To newlyn baillifs a blue badge is not a reason to clamp and charge 200 pounds to take it off plus the 800 pounds they wanted off me on Monday. Leaving me stuck in my falt and worried about my bills as I pay a lot of them in person that way I get proof.

But thanks for your kind help and encouraging words.

[Hidden in reply to Tibby3a]

What was wrong with the car for it to be clamped Tibby, surely they wouldn't clamp it showing a blue badge for no reason?! xxx

[Tibby3a in reply to Hidden]

It was clamped because I didn't pay a PCN, one I appealed against. As I'd heared nothing i though I was in some process, unbenown to me the onus is on the appeallant to chase it up through each stage of the process. No where was I told this, or nowhere was it written down.

My blue badge was on display, the only problem was I was on a loading bay park, I'd asked a traffic warden could I just park there in order to post a letter in a GP surgery as I want to be kept on their list when people either move or well the rest is not said. The only other place for me to have parked was on a corner, I chose the wrong one. But as the flat cap had sais yes with a wink the CCTV (which is not advertised on the street anywhere) got me.

[Cat53]

Write to your local MP.

[Tibby3a in reply to Cat53]

Thank, I have done he was the first I emailed.

[pinot]

How sad I feel for you tibby yet how encouraged I am by the actions of our fellow sufferers, they have responded in a lovely helpful and positive way to you and this awful sittuation you are in. I hope you get the help you need'god bless.xx

[Tibby3a]

Well yesterday (Friday), my car was stolen... the end to a crap week.

[Hidden in reply to Tibby3a]

My goodness, so your car was clamped and then stolen?! That is incredible Tibby, are you sure it wasn't impounded (taken away) by the council. Who would steal a clamped vehicle?! Doesn't make sense?!

Sorry to ask so many questions Tibby, trying to find out all the facts to try to help you with this.

(((hug))) xxx

Libs

[Tibby3a in reply to Hidden]

I know. But opotunists do these things (apparently) as anything that they get up to comes right back to the owner - ME!

I also get a feeling that my neighbour has more involvement than he is letting on to.

The car is now secured on my neighbours drive (locked up and SORN)!!!

I am now worried that I will end up with all this falling on my head and its something I could do without. I have two hospital visits this week and could have done with the car, one of the appointments is to test for Parkinson's and a trip on four busses there and four back is not something I am looking forward to at all.

When I appealed and got nothing back from the council I was supposed to know that I had to send proff of my disability/s and GP/Consultant letters. This request was never made by Redbridge Council, I can only shake my head in disbelief. The stress has finished me off.

But thanks for all your help.