Windscreen cracked.

[Bob Williams]

Right in the lower centre of the screen, about 8″ long and spreading, started as a tiny chip and just cracked before I could report it, thanks to lumpy bumpy Lincolnshire country roads. Not had this since about 1980, but was quite surprised how easy it was to sort out with Motability and Autoglass, they will only fit a new screen. All done online, Email confirmation of a Monday appointment within an hour. I was going to buy some new wipers anyway as Motability will not buy them, until 2 years old. Autoglass do proper Bosch ones for less than anyone else, so I’ll have them as well.

Only fly in the ointment is the £50 excess. GRRRRR!

 

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

You got off lightly Bob.

I have some sidewall damage to both front tyres, probably some of the many massive pot-holes around here are to blame. The Suzuki garage wanted £160 each, found a place closer to me that do them for £110 each.

Both places confirmed the damage isn’t dangerous but it’s a sooner rather than later type thing. Most annoying of all is there is about 5-6,000 miles of tread left on both. 2 weeks wait with the alternative garage, 5 weeks with the Suzuki dealer. 😕

[Bob Williams]

I had thought you were with Motability Nolan, obviously wrong. Are you able to claim for PIP (DLA as was) with any disabilities/conditions you have? It is listed as “for help with getting around” but the definitions for that have just got wider under new reg’s. Excuse me if I am incorrect here, just a thought. Maybe speak to your consultant/GP?

I forgot to mention that I need new front tyres as well: a few months ago I noticed tread wear on the inner edges of both fronts, which to me means “Toeing-in” in old Sweaty-Mech talk. Took it up to Grimsby Kwikfit and they checked, not enough tread gone. They carried out steering alignment, asked me to call again in a few months. So a Grimsby trip sometime this week, as soon as the screen is fixed. I hear all the Kwikfit bad reviews, but tbh I have never had anything but good treatment from them since they took over tyres and steering issues from dealers. When I had the C-Max I had a Kwikfit fitter come to my house, fit new tyres and tracking, all in the dark and with snow on the ground. Big arc lights outside my front window, what a hero! We fed him hot Oxo, home made cheese scones and coffee, gave him a warm inside after he finished and wanted to go. During a trip to Dulwich relatives, road works overnight threw me off my way to the M25 and I got lost became detached from my route. Called in to a Kwikfit place, manager gave me the best route back.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

Bob, I get P.I.P.

Took over a year and 4 tribunals to finally get awarded it. I get the standard rate for care and mobility.

I didn’t qualify for the high rate of mobility because I can get around a bit on crutches. My last interrogation, sorry, assessment ,  was about a year ago before my  fibromyalgia diagnosis.  After taking advice from the good people at the Integrated Autism Service I decided to let the current award run it’s course as I don’t have the spare mental or physical energy to fight another long battle at the moment. I have until the second quarter of 2021 before another interrogation.

Had a voice mail message when I was in the gym, the tyres had arrived a fortnight early! Popped in this afternoon and now have 2 new tyres.

[Bob Williams]

It should be backdated to your first claim Nolan. Keep all paperwork, from DWP and all the papers you signed. I photocopied everything after a tip from Welfare Services. Eventually I scanned everything and saved to computer. I still have the details of my first claim in 1995 and was able to correct things said at Tribunal 13 months later, from their own documentation. They hate that: “This is what we said.” – “No, this is what you said, look.”  “This is what you said.” – “No, this is what I said, and this was the date I wrote/said it, read please!”

Took me 13 months to get Incapacity and Higher Rate Mobility. It cost us a house, because Dianne was also having problems after a failed operation cost her the use of her hand and arm and her job as a PA to 3 directors. In the space of just over 15 months, we went from home owners with a very good combined income from very good jobs, to broke. It almost broke us physically too, but it’s true what they say: what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. To say I heartily dislike the DWP and their so-called Medical experts, is the biggest of understatements. “Put down your crutch and stand on one leg please.”  –  “I will fall over.”  –  “Of course you won’t: do it!” BANG! “And now you can help me up. If you are a doctor, you had better have a look at me, because I now have paralysis to my left side limbs. If you are not a doctor, I will lie here until you fetch one. I may sue. What is your full name please?”

That was my last Tribunal, I won a hollow victory and they had to back pay me, because I had all the first claim paperwork. Two years later I was living here in Lincolnshire, receiving my DLA as a car and my Personal Care DLA paid into the bank. The Personal Care payments stopped. It took 3 months and the intervention of the Minister for DWP to discover that Blackpool had sent my payments as a payments book to the PO in my old village, where I had not lived for two years. A year or so later, they paid my PC DLA to another Williams in another town. It only took 5 weeks to get that back.

The DWP is a creaking, incompetent, inefficient, uncaring system run by bureaucratic morons. Those are my kindest words for it. When you consider that it is a system created to help the most vulnerable, it really makes you want to punch something.

Sorry, didn’t mean this to turn into a rant.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

Bob, it was backdated.

After the 4th tribunal judge personally intervened when the DWP told me that the claim was only valid from the 4th tribunal date. I knew that was bow locks but they wouldn’t listen.

A letter to the judge and 4 days later a letter form the DWP informing me that it was going to be backdated to the original claim date.  A clerical error was blamed. I’m not that daft or naive.

 

[Bob Williams]

That’s the problem, right there: the staff working at the DWP benefits have always been under pressure to keep down the number of successful claims. They wriggle and twist, massage numbers and try their best to deny people their just rights.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Author]

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