It is good to know that some councils, may be all councils are un undertaking measures of this nature, but how do people in those situations know that some help may be available.
Where is this information published or is it published. If it is, is it in areas where people in need will see it, are there posters in doctors surgeries, Pharmacists, council hosing offices open to the public, if they still exist or anywhere else.
A few months ago I attended a meeting hosted I feel by Healthwatch Sheffield, or a voluntary organisation on PIP/UC where 2 persons from the DWP where giving a presentation.
They mentioned that within the last year some additional areas were added to the PIP process, one including the opportunity to receive advance payments and other aspects to minimise hardship while claimants were in the application process.
This prompted a flurry of questions about, if this is so why are there so many reports of continuing hardship and even deaths being reported.
Their response that these were a small fraction of the cases going through and in the majority no hardships were being felt and that many of the reported cases were historic, being over a year or two hold and this will not be occurring now.As in many of these reported cases dates are not mentioned, their comment could not be effectively challenged.
Except they were asked, if hardship was now not being experienced and, at least, they appeared to be honest and advised that there were most likely some but may be less than 1% of the cases being processed.
This led to more questions on the lines of one case is one too many and they did go away knowing they had been challenged and promised to feedback on the points raised.
It is now approx two months since this meeting and I have yet to receive a note of any feedback, but to be generous we have had Christmas and New Year.
But i do fear that this promise will not be fulfilled.
So again no change there, so we all need to keep challenging at every opportunity.
61chrissterry 