Disabled (Burnley ) Slightly OT Request for Advice

[Whyperion]

Right then, serious hat on and one is in a bit of confusion outside my knowledge ( Maybe Colin/Nolic can help - and I am asking advice of some other friends ). The wife didn't totally fill me in on the details last night so sorry its a bit late on asking. I understand she is also contacting Keith Whipp/Barry Matthews by phone if there is a spare minute in the morning.

The situation . Gentleman (ex Burnley Grammer School / Loughborough University and Lamberts in Burnley) for what its worth - moved over to Spain a few years back. Now he developed Type 1 diabetes and had a leg amputated over there. I understand that Spainish Medical systems/ medications are not free at point of delivery and subsequently his money has diminished and was effectively homeless with a deadline of 1st July to get out of the squat (can a 1 legged man do such a thing ?) he was in.
Anyway through 'friends' in UK he was encouraged to return to UK,and was advised that he should return to the area he last had association with (Burnley), which also suited hime as he does not think being near his friends further south will be benificial. Although he does have siblings in UK (Lancashire area I understand), one is not benificial for him to be in contact with , and the other is not beneficial to him for the chap to be in contact with ( thats even more of a long story - its a bit obscure but I dont want to breach confidences on a public forum ). Anyway the chaps 'friends' arranged and paid for flight into Manchester yesterday (Weds) in good faith with the assurance of suitable accomodation at Emmaus in Burnley. Now, either someone got their wires muddled or in part as apparently Emmaus Burnely and Emmaus Preston have merged (admin wise) and the supposed reserved disabled accomodation is unavalible (re-decoration/ refurb apparently). We have not checked out with Emmaus as yet due to time pressure - we were working through generally a working relationship with Emmaus Burnley but that got put on hold with the mother-in-laws death a while back which personally we have only recently sorted out to getting head around what we should be doing in Burnley in more recent weeks!

Now, I understand, for benefit claims in UK (or is it just Lancashire with Universal Credit / PiPs) that UK Citzens who have been out of UK for 2 plus years need (13 weeks /3months ?) waiting before a valid claim for assistance is eligible- I have not check the present rules so am not up to date - this is the main bit if anyone else knows for me quicker than I can find out.

So anyway, after a taxi picked the chap up from airport (with hand luggage) we ensured he got into B&B(national chain hotel) for Weds night, now it has been frustratingly protracted today getting anywhere with Burnley Social Services / Doctors at Park Surgery Burnley (Ohh we only have one doctor, whats your address - there aint one (!!) - the admin person is only on half day - can you come back tomorrow ), and he only has a very short supply of medication left. Meantime the national chain let out the room as the idea of reserving again for tonight (thurs) didnt occur to anyone - but he is in for 2 nights at another national chain ( which annoyingly we find has social services in burnley funding for last 3 months a Romainian? family - honestly I don't wish ill on their circumstances but one can see why more than a few people got the views they did last week). Our community funding is (relatively expensively) being raided for the accomodation costs and a friend/church member we hope can fund for Sunday night if needed. The immediate plan is to go through the doctor registration process again(**) / try to get sense out of Burnley Social Services /Figure out what Emmaus are actually doing in the whole plan going forward. He is not overly tied to Burnley and If need be I am checking out possible long term solutions down here in London , and/or we can see if St Andrews in Barnoldswick or St Peters in Leeds have a space IF the Emmaus situation really is a no-go for now.

I cannot remember what the older persons flats were run by in Barnoldswick I seem to recall they normally had a couple of vacancies at any one time - If anyone knows current situation that will be helpful to let me know.
(**) If Drs no further clued in then we're up to Barnoldswick, I think we will get better response there !)

Anyway , as said the main bit of Advice I need is on the benefit claim entitlement as many places will not take persons without funding , and I am not certain if our own Manchester Housing Unit has any suitable space for a 50year old disabled person either which would normally be our preferred choice if Emmaus are unable to help.
If he stays in the Burnley/Pendle area we can - maybe with other churches - give the general community support he may need, but ideally he wishes to be independent, but simply needs accomodation suitable to his needs asap.

Thanks and sorry for asking here, but I have never got a similar community forum in Burnley sussed out as yet.

[Whyperion]

x hours searching internet ( and Burnley web links to Lancashire CC are broken - I might need to use Pendle's) I think I have the worry of ineligibility solved - though Govt websites manage to answer questions one didn't ask rather than how, and how much.

The Benefits bit not so bad for someone who can clear the 'Habitually Resident Requirment ( basically introduced to prevent by UK citzens 'benfits tourism' of coming back to britain for short term or because really still have a home place somewhere outside UK ) so the three months drops to one day ( of Interest some rules stay at three months for EEA persons in respect of Child Benefit/Tax Credits )

The Accomodation , basically if Burnley Housing Department get their act working quickly at least they have to find suitable (temporary) accomodation. And depending what he wants it could be long term to Older Persons , or other disabled supported accomodation - though I get the feeling he would rather be independent in a nice bungalow for a preference - (our local bungalows have steps down from them seems a bit unuseful). I note for housing Burnley, Pendle and some other LCC adjoining areas a working on Housing Association choice lettings on a partnership basis - which Ithink is good )

[Wendyf]

Sorry I can't help Whyppy, but I would suggest contacting the Open Door Centre in Colne for advice and help. Link

[David Whipp]

Housing section at Burnley Borough Council may be a good place to go...

[Nolic]

I've replied via email but not much advice I can give. Nolic

[Whyperion]

Thanks to all, for individal and board replies. It took silly time last night fighting IE on the laptop to get most of the relevant information. I dont think it helped on Thursday that the man's 'friends' - I describe as such as he considered they were trying to run his life too much - had wound up with duff information and we were trying to prioritise the medical immediate need over the housing immediate need, this may flag up to local policitcos here than the supposed NHS Wellbeing and LA housing etc
integration is not working properly as yet - and the dependence on some stuff on internet assumes reliable , affordable, connections - which even the libraries do not have when searching for mulitple solutions. I aim to report back some postitives this evening , but forgive me if I don't have time to do that (I'm running the remote virtual end inbetween doing other stuff for some refugee organisations down in London !!)

[Whyperion]

Not so positive, mostly as (I somewhat expected) , going round in circles between housing and social services, neither of which have quite understood the situation (the wife missed the point I made too re DWP and ESA/PiP processing at the office in Burnley), quite simply, in my opinion, it is the responsibilty of (Burnley) housing to provide suitable accomodation, ( Health Service still bleating on cannot help as no permanent address - we wait on that til the morrow for now ). In part fairness to Housing they had been spoken to in the last fornight by Paul's friends ,and interpreted that Paul would be staying with them in Wiltshire (no one pointed out they live in 2nd floor flat with stairs only access ). Meanwhile in between his frustration Paul has been getting the local media in ( and keeping the missus down to a low profile fortunately ) ( the journalist I think has got the general gist, the item about his family is a bit of a simplification ) http://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/loca ... -1-7993046. I do think he is being let down by supposed professionals though as its fairly clear what the sitauation is, particulary with my wife weighing in with her (reasonable) point of view. We have paid for the national chain hotel accomodation until tomorrow night at least.

[chinatyke]

“When I lost my leg, my employer lost any interest in having me back at work. I literally had no income and no way to support myself." - Phil Regan

Read more: http://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/loca ... z4DCnSzzqJ


Sorry, I couldn't help but see the humour in Phil's statement.

[Stanley]

That's a matter of a pinion China.
(Sorry, couldn't help that either.....)

[Whyperion]

I think that journalists look out for adding in puns to stories. But I did think EU discrimination policies applied in all states ? Or are the British (theoretically , in law, ahead of thinks with the DDA ? - but that only asks for reasonable adjustments in the workplace and I dont know what his immediately previous work was - by degree its engineering but the money came from IT - quite what one does in Spain with that is beyond my understanding - software engineer on a rollercoaster maybe?)

[Nolic]

Not nice comments China. Any more like that keep them to yourself. Nolic

[chinatyke]

Not nice comments China. Any more like that keep them to yourself. Nolic

Ooops! I did apologise before posting and I apologise again for offending anyone.

I know it is a serious subject but black humour is still humour.

[Tizer]

I like black humour as much as anyone but there's a time and a place for it. It's not appropriate in a thread started by Whyperion when he needed some help and support.

[chinatyke]

OK. Point taken.

[Whyperion]

Housing section at Burnley Borough Council may be a good place to go...

Or not..... Probably ruffling councillor feathers this afternoon.

As a result of the article his ex-partners brother-in-law has contacted him. He happens to be in Blackburn Hospital and his wife has taken Paul over to see him. We have agreed funding for Sunday night accomodation, which takes him up to Midday Monday. (hopefully Burnley Council will re-imburse at least those costs then we can recycle the cash into other charitable needs should they arise). Burnley Hospital wont dispense prescriptions unless 'acute need' (medical persons will realise the specific definition of that), I don't know if he wants to lean on Blackburn and see what their response is while he is there.

I have possiblities of suitable accomodation, but it is some distance away from the north-west as I dont know of specific charity/sheltered or independent living supported accomodation around Blackburn/Burnley/Pendle, and I dont know what travel assistance is formaly avalible. The Burnley website link to http://www.calicoenterprise.co.uk/ does not work on their housing website.

It might be worth / interesting having threads for the role in C21st for Social Housing, and for Disabled Support Issues. I understand attitudes in China were considerably behind what the supposed official UK bringing into the community such individual, until the paralympic games which started to change things. I say 'supposed official' as despite (Tory introduced) DDA and similar regulations planning of new housing, etc is still Disabled appropriate only at a minimum, rather than being designed in flexibility from the outset.