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Finacial review by council

tina1148
tina1148 Community member Posts: 21 Connected
I have had a finacial review that has been incorrectly calculated.  

I have asked for it to be reviewed.

They are reviewing it and are disputing my DRE.

I am in debt and have evidence of this but they will not give a DRE allowance for this because they say it is not significant debt.  Can they do this. I am 6 thousand pounds in debt.

They will not allow pa petrol money for my pa.  They say this is part of my  pip mobilty allowance.  I have a car and need to pay for petrol servicing repairs insurance etc.  They say if my costs do not exceed 60 pounds a week I cannot claim the pa petrol money as an allowance.  Can they do this? 

An allowance should be made for extra washing powder to wash soiled clothes because of incontinence and extra toiletries fir our personal care and extra toilet roll.  Reciepts have been sent to them but they have ignored this.  Can they do this?  They keep ignoring my emails.

I pay a neighbour for garden maintainance and they will not allow it because they say that they have looked up my garden and it's small.  Can they do this?

They have wrongly calculated my household outgoings and expediture and utility bills.  I have sent up to date details but they have ignored this and not updated it.  I emailed them about this and he has ignored my emails for a few days  and sent the revised finacial review without looking at them.  They have done this so that I cannot dispute the figures fir a second time after the letter is sent I think.  Can I dispute  it for a second time?

They say that DRE is not a right but discretionary and up to the council if they will consider it.  Is that correct? 

They are knowingly  overcharging a vulnerable person for care and asking me to pay more than I can afford.

They have already sent me the  second letter.  Can I still dispue this

What do you advise.

Comments

  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @tina1148   Pleased to meet you.
    I am one of the team of community champions. We guide, advise help members  I am going to tag in my friend @poppy123456 who is a member of the community champions team, be able to advise you.
    I am sure has knowledge and expertise on the question you are asking. 
    Please take care.
    @thespiceman .
    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi,

    I remember you posted about this a few weeks ago.

    It's very unlikely they will take your debt into consideration. For this have you spoken to step change? They will give you advice regarding your debt https://www.stepchange.org/?channel=ppc&&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=270049&WT.seg_1=step change&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjZ7klrWW5gIVQrDtCh2GaQD9EAAYASAAEgJVgPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

    Petrol money for your PA, they will only take that into consideration if the costs of your car exceed your mobility component, if they don't then this is the reason why they have refused those costs. If you had a mobility car then you could argue that all of your mobility allowance goes for your car and you need extra money for the cost of fuel.

    Whether or not they take that expense into consideration will depend on your conditions. If for example you can prove that you need extra money for washing powder and toilet roll etc then they should allow for this.

    Garden maintenance should be allowed if you're unable to do this but again it will depend what maintenance you're talking about.

    If you share your house with other adults, they take that into consideration.

    Without seeing your expenditure and the figures, it's very difficult to give advice on this on an internet forum. I'd advise you to get some face to face advice from an agency near you.


    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • tina1148
    tina1148 Community member Posts: 21 Connected
    Thank you for your reply.  It is very helpful.

      I am incontinent and have sent reciepts but they have ignored them and sent the final contribution letter out.  They have ignored my correct outgoings as well.

    Because I disputed the first review that was completed without my knowledge can i now dispute the updated review?

    What agency would you suggest I talk to?  I have talked to citezens advice clover leaf and health advocate and they cannot help me?
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @tina1148   Please may I suggest try these to do with finances.

    https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk.
    https://www.stepchange.org

    Helps with financial advice and anything money related. 


    Please take care.

    @thespiceman .


    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    I'm not sure if extra toilet roll is included in those costs. For a DRE with your washing then it will depend on how many loads of washing you do each week and whether or not your incontinence is included in your care plan, if it isn't then they can refuse it.

    For incontinence pads these are available free on the NHS. Were the receipts that you sent for the cost of washing powder?

    For garden maintenance as advised, it depends what needs to be done and the size of your garden and also if there's no one else that can do the maintenance for you.

    For the petrol costs, may i ask if you have Enhanced mobility or high rate DLA award that has at least 12 month remaining on the award? If you do and your car is costing you alot to maintain, have you considered a mobility vehicle? It maybe cheaper to do this. Then claim for the cost of fuel.

    Have you also read the link i posted above? They can often be very strict with what they will allow for a DRE and whether they allow it will depend on your circumstances and reasons for the extra costs.

    If you have a welfare rights in your area, you could try them. I don't know if you can request another review for them to look at it again, as they've already done this.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • tina1148
    tina1148 Community member Posts: 21 Connected
    Hi Poppy 

    Thank you fir your reply yes incontinence is on my care plan.  Extra toilet roll toiletries and washing is included in DRE and I have sent reciepts but they have not included it.

    I do nit want a mobility car.  I have my own.  The care act says that travel costs can be included.  They have ignored the fact that I have a car and the subsequent coats.   The review has been very badly done.

    I sent my outgoings over a month ago and they have not adjusted their made up figures.  Hundreds of pounds underestimated.

    I telephoned welfare rights and they said that they could not help me as it was a conflict of interest because they work at oldham council.

     They originally sent the letter without letting me know they were doing the review with a backdated bill.  I then sent DRE to be added.  They have added some.  However can i now ask fir that to be reviewed as they have not included DRE listed in their guideline.

    What concerns me is that they are saying that the do not have to consider my DRE at all it is not a right?    Can they do this?
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    Travel costs can be included yes but you receive the mobility part of PIP to cover that. If your costs are not more than £60 per week then they can refuse those travel costs.

    They are correct that they don't have to consider your DRE because not all costs will be considered eligible.

    Difficult to give any further advice on an internet forum because we can't see any of your paper work and no one knows anything about your financial situation. There's only so much advice that can be given on a forum.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • pollyanna1052
    pollyanna1052 Community member Posts: 2,032 Disability Gamechanger
    tina1148 said:
    I have had a finacial review that has been incorrectly calculated.  

    I have asked for it to be reviewed.

    They are reviewing it and are disputing my DRE.

    I am in debt and have evidence of this but they will not give a DRE allowance for this because they say it is not significant debt.  Can they do this. I am 6 thousand pounds in debt.

    They will not allow pa petrol money for my pa.  They say this is part of my  pip mobilty allowance.  I have a car and need to pay for petrol servicing repairs insurance etc.  They say if my costs do not exceed 60 pounds a week I cannot claim the pa petrol money as an allowance.  Can they do this? 

    An allowance should be made for extra washing powder to wash soiled clothes because of incontinence and extra toiletries fir our personal care and extra toilet roll.  Reciepts have been sent to them but they have ignored this.  Can they do this?  They keep ignoring my emails.

    I pay a neighbour for garden maintainance and they will not allow it because they say that they have looked up my garden and it's small.  Can they do this?

    They have wrongly calculated my household outgoings and expediture and utility bills.  I have sent up to date details but they have ignored this and not updated it.  I emailed them about this and he has ignored my emails for a few days  and sent the revised finacial review without looking at them.  They have done this so that I cannot dispute the figures fir a second time after the letter is sent I think.  Can I dispute  it for a second time?

    They say that DRE is not a right but discretionary and up to the council if they will consider it.  Is that correct? 

    They are knowingly  overcharging a vulnerable person for care and asking me to pay more than I can afford.

    They have already sent me the  second letter.  Can I still dispue this

    What do you advise.

    I advise you to dispute this charge. I was recently told I have to pay £82.22 a week towards my care. Thus was from a nil charge!

    I rang up and asked to speak to the manager, as I was getting nowhere with his assistant.

    We disputed and the bill was reduced to £57.22 a week.We said we had no receipts as I was never asked to keep any.


    The final charge was reduced to £39.22 a week.

    We agreed, reluctantly, on that.


    I was given allowances against laundry costs due to incontinence, bedding, clothing, heating, water and electricity usage.


    I also argued that I am paying off a loan for a wet room (£9k), which they wouldn't fund as a DFG for too long.

    Was you loan DRE related?

    Good luck with the fight!xxx
  • tina1148
    tina1148 Community member Posts: 21 Connected
    No it was not related.  I am glad you have got yours reduced.  Mine was on. O.00 contribution and suddenly went up to 71 pounds per week.

    Pollyanna if they say DRE includes garden maintainance can they refuse my DRE of 20 pounds per month.  They have refused it saying that I have a small garden.  Surely they cant do this 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    Yes, they can refuse based on the size of your garden. Haven't you already disputed the decision once, so they looked at it again?
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • tina1148
    tina1148 Community member Posts: 21 Connected
    No i haven't disputed any if it yet.  I asked them to add toiletries toilet roll soap powder softer body wash  and using the electric more for the washing machine and using more electric fir the blow up pillow I have fir the bath but they ignoted me.  I have messaged the court of protection to dispute the DRE.  Not sure what will happen next.
    They even incorrectly calculated my utility bills and household outgoings.  I'm not sure if the court of protection will correct this because they deal with DRE
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    For your electric, have you sent in the last 4 bills? if you haven't then you should do this. I have no idea about court of protection, sorry.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • tina1148
    tina1148 Community member Posts: 21 Connected
    Thank you fir your advice 

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