Disability related

I rang council to ask what being registered disabled was about. She had to go ask. Apparently no one knew for sure what it means. It is no more helpful than if I approached each council department on my own with my needs. So, I still don't get it!

In the last few days they have posted parking restrictions on my dead end street. Supposedly it protects the residents spaces from shoppers at a new shopping area about a 15 minute walk away. SO the only way they can tell if your car is allowed to be in front of your home is...TA-DA!...pay for a parking permit. Wait, it gets better. I have carers four times a day. NOT from a care agency. I don't own a car and have to pay for registration and scratch off parking cards so I can be cared for. I now will have to time my visits to exact minute so I can use as few cards as possible. You are all pretty smart and can figure out how crooked and exhausting the details are as it is too ridiculous and I am too tired to type it all right now!

I am by no means an expert but have you thought of talking to your doctor's surgery first.  I am suggesting this because from what I understand to get the blue badge you have to start the process from the surgery.  I also do not know if your Council provides or not but you might ask if they do special disabled parking bays in front of your house.  Because they do here in Kent.  Just a thought.  Also all road issues we have are done through the County Council and not the City Council.  Please note I am going off of how things are done in Kent your authority might be different. 

I wish you all the luck in your endeavour. 

I've seen cars in N. Devon with a "nurse on call" sign in their car so that they can park in restricted areas when visiting patients. Hopefully there is something similar for carers .

I'm so disappointed that you aren't getting the help you need, and second the advice to contact your doctor's surgery for assistance. Wishing you the best of luck.

I'll second the GP thing. Again, not sure if "registering" is for anyone outside the realm of visual impairment, but that's how I got started with the whole process. I had to get a referral from my GP to an ophthalmologist to examine me and confirm my condition (which I've had since age 12) and send through the paperwork.  You might also check with any disability charities /interest groups relevant to your condition. Obviously I've got a heavy hitter like the RNIB to turn to and they have been extremely helpful. I'm in Wales, so we've also got organisations like Disability Wales who provide info and whatnot.  I'll have a look through my dissertation research and see if there were any other organisations I came across that you might be able to contact.  Your other option could be to consult with a community care solicitor. I know a few, but there are located  the Cardiff and Hereford areas I think., though they might know someone nearer to you or have better suggestions for you.


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I am by no means an expert but have you thought of talking to your doctor's surgery first.  I am suggesting this because from what I understand to get the blue badge you have to start the process from the surgery.  I also do not know if your Council provides or not but you might ask if they do special disabled parking bays in front of your house.  Because they do here in Kent.  Just a thought.  Also all road issues we have are done through the County Council and not the City Council.  Please note I am going off of how things are done in Kent your authority might be different. 

I wish you all the luck in your endeavour.

Thank you!
Now the housing association woman is telling me that this carpark doesn't belong to the council! So glad I didn't buy the registration and cards! I lodged an invalid complaint based on their own incorrect information!

I've seen cars in N. Devon with a "nurse on call" sign in their car so that they can park in restricted areas when visiting patients. Hopefully there is something similar for carers .

I'm so disappointed that you aren't getting the help you need, and second the advice to contact your doctor's surgery for assistance. Wishing you the best of luck.

Thank you for your kindness. I will keep asking. It has been a very rough 4 years here. If you don't have family and friends to rely on you are basically screwed. I remember thinking whilst looking up things in the US for the UK, I was impressed with all the carer support given. HA! Now I get it. Free help from family and friends! No wonder the carer is cared for!

I'll second the GP thing. Again, not sure if "registering" is for anyone outside the realm of visual impairment, but that's how I got started with the whole process. I had to get a referral from my GP to an ophthalmologist to examine me and confirm my condition (which I've had since age 12) and send through the paperwork.  You might also check with any disability charities /interest groups relevant to your condition. Obviously I've got a heavy hitter like the RNIB to turn to and they have been extremely helpful. I'm in Wales, so we've also got organisations like Disability Wales who provide info and whatnot.  I'll have a look through my dissertation research and see if there were any other organisations I came across that you might be able to contact.  Your other option could be to consult with a community care solicitor. I know a few, but there are located  the Cardiff and Hereford areas I think., though they might know someone nearer to you or have better suggestions for you.


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I am so glad things have gone well for you!

I have never heard of community care solicitor! I will research this and disability specific organisations.

Thank you!

Thank you for your kindness. I will keep asking. It has been a very rough 4 years here. If you don't have family and friends to rely on you are basically screwed. I remember thinking whilst looking up things in the US for the UK, I was impressed with all the carer support given. HA! Now I get it. Free help from family and friends! No wonder the carer is cared for!

I am so sorry you are finding things difficult.  As you have careers I am making an assumption that you are open to Social Services.  They might have a list of all the different third sector support available.  Have you thought to ask them?  I know when we dealt with social services in respect of my husband's mother they were helpful.  It might take a few tries to get the information.  I think it comes down to finding the person who had the information.  If you ask a wide enough circle I am sure you will come aways with the correct information.  It is a matter of just staying the course and keep working on asking the same question of as many people as you can. 

I know it is difficult but just stay strong and keep trying.  I wish you all the best in your endeavour. 

Well this all completely sucks. 

 I, too, thought there was a lot of services available for the asking in the UK, but it seems to be (as in the USA) a long and exhausting process to identify them and get set up. I know when my father and I were trying to source services for my grandmother, and before her, my late husband, we had to keep a huge document/log detailing all the people we talked to and all the organisations/agencies, because one does forget the details when speaking to so many people! It can become a full-time job!

Dealing with parking restrictions here is a nightmare. We live on a small, twisty cul-de-sac, across the street from a hospital and other large medical facilities. We constantly have people parking on our street to avoid the hospital parking charges. I can understand that, but again, the street is very small. We've had our car blocked in many times, as have our neighbors. They also park on the paths, the blind bend, the footpath leading to town, etc. Nightmare. The council does nothing, not even when a child was struck by a car speeding around the corner to cop some free parking.  If I had to have someone visit me four times a day, I'd go mental with the parking situation here.

I don't know how you've put up with all the hardships you've endured over the past four years. I'd be riding both ends of the spectrum, from a full-scale pity party (nobody will help me.....waaaaaaaahhh!    ) to a stark-raving b*tch ( Can I get a bit of *bleep*ing help here, pul-lease! ), so you certainly have my sympathies.

I don't know what the answer is, I'm afraid.  Have you asked your carers if they know any resources?

ETA:  What area of the country are you in?

Well this all completely sucks. 

 I, too, thought there was a lot of services available for the asking in the UK, but it seems to be (as in the USA) a long and exhausting process to identify them and get set up. I know when my father and I were trying to source services for my grandmother, and before her, my late husband, we had to keep a huge document/log detailing all the people we talked to and all the organisations/agencies, because one does forget the details when speaking to so many people! It can become a full-time job!

Dealing with parking restrictions here is a nightmare. We live on a small, twisty cul-de-sac, across the street from a hospital and other large medical facilities. We constantly have people parking on our street to avoid the hospital parking charges. I can understand that, but again, the street is very small. We've had our car blocked in many times, as have our neighbors. They also park on the paths, the blind bend, the footpath leading to town, etc. Nightmare. The council does nothing, not even when a child was struck by a car speeding around the corner to cop some free parking.  If I had to have someone visit me four times a day, I'd go mental with the parking situation here.

I don't know how you've put up with all the hardships you've endured over the past four years. I'd be riding both ends of the spectrum, from a full-scale pity party (nobody will help me.....waaaaaaaahhh!    ) to a stark-raving b*tch ( Can I get a bit of *bleep*ing help here, pul-lease! ), so you certainly have my sympathies.

I don't know what the answer is, I'm afraid.  Have you asked your carers if they know any resources?

ETA:  What area of the country are you in?

Fallgal, I completely and utterly sympathize/empathize with you parking situation. We have a similar issue, although not as bad as yours by the sounds of it.
I'm thinking the topic deserves a whole grumbly thread of it's own perhaps?

Blahblah, you are doing an amazing job managing as well as you do to live alone in the community with the help of your carers. Don't loose heart.
I am my husband's sole carer and I hate to think what would happen to him should anything happen to me.

ETA:  What area of the country are you in?

It's not only the area of the country you live in, but also which of the four countries that make up the UK, that you live in.

In theory, there should be more money for services in NI, Scotland and Wales due to the Barnett Formula (they get given more money per head for public spending than England) but it depends what they spend that extra money on.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/1580787/How-the-Barnett-formula-works.html

Then within each of the four countries of the UK, there are all the councils and they too decide what to spend their budgets on. They also set their own Council Tax rates, decide who they will give a CT discount too and how much that discount will be.

It's a postcode lottery, depending on what services are most important to the individual.

I am my husband's sole carer and I hate to think what would happen to him should anything happen to me.

I really feel for carers of family as they get so little support.

Blahblah, I don't know how you cope without family.

It's not only the area of the country you live in, but also which of the four countries that make up the UK, that you live in.

In theory, there should be more money for services in NI, Scotland and Wales due to the Barnett Formula (they get given more money per head for public spending than England) but it depends what they spend that extra money on.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/1580787/How-the-Barnett-formula-works.html

Then within each of the four countries of the UK, there are all the councils and they too decide what to spend their budgets on. They also set their own Council Tax rates, decide who they will give a CT discount too and how much that discount will be.

It's a postcode lottery, depending on what services are most important to the individual.

I understand. I asked on the off chance that the OP is near me, as I know a few nurses in this area, and thought I could pick their brains.

I am so sorry you are finding things difficult.  As you have careers I am making an assumption that you are open to Social Services.  They might have a list of all the different third sector support available.  Have you thought to ask them?  I know when we dealt with social services in respect of my husband's mother they were helpful.  It might take a few tries to get the information.  I think it comes down to finding the person who had the information.  If you ask a wide enough circle I am sure you will come aways with the correct information.  It is a matter of just staying the course and keep working on asking the same question of as many people as you can. 

I know it is difficult but just stay strong and keep trying.  I wish you all the best in your endeavour.

Thank you. My social worker, when I first got here, (and my last) harassed me over my visa status and was just a self-centered snotty b*tch. She never pointed anything out to me. I keep asking everyone that will give me 10 minutes of time! I can't afford agency carer rates as I live off US money and lose a lot when I spend it here. I pay carers out of DLA and I can't even get the highest level of rate with that! Severely disabled people have to become expert manipulators to not only survive but to have a bit of joy. Britain's way of doing things has pushed me into outright lying. Sick.

Well this all completely sucks. 

 I, too, thought there was a lot of services available for the asking in the UK, but it seems to be (as in the USA) a long and exhausting process to identify them and get set up. I know when my father and I were trying to source services for my grandmother, and before her, my late husband, we had to keep a huge document/log detailing all the people we talked to and all the organisations/agencies, because one does forget the details when speaking to so many people! It can become a full-time job!

Dealing with parking restrictions here is a nightmare. We live on a small, twisty cul-de-sac, across the street from a hospital and other large medical facilities. We constantly have people parking on our street to avoid the hospital parking charges. I can understand that, but again, the street is very small. We've had our car blocked in many times, as have our neighbors. They also park on the paths, the blind bend, the footpath leading to town, etc. Nightmare. The council does nothing, not even when a child was struck by a car speeding around the corner to cop some free parking.  If I had to have someone visit me four times a day, I'd go mental with the parking situation here.

I don't know how you've put up with all the hardships you've endured over the past four years. I'd be riding both ends of the spectrum, from a full-scale pity party (nobody will help me.....waaaaaaaahhh!    ) to a stark-raving b*tch ( Can I get a bit of *bleep*ing help here, pul-lease! ), so you certainly have my sympathies.

I don't know what the answer is, I'm afraid.  Have you asked your carers if they know any resources?

ETA:  What area of the country are you in?

It is exhausting being disabled. People's bad attitudes toward disabilities keep all types of barriers in place. Nothing has really improved for decades. (One example that crap new film, You Before Me. Hollywood and all media forever portray us wrong-quite like they keep women and blacks in bad roles.) There is extreme biases in law and medicine too. Anyone one can become a member of our community in a heartbeat so it behooves all nondisabled to make the world MUCH more user friendly place.

Ha! Be a demanding b*tch. Men act like it all the time and it is acceptable. You don't have to wait to be disabled to give the local authority the finger (or now we are bilingual-two). I do all the time! They expect me to be thrilled when they treat me like sh*t? Don't think so. I was even told they were analysing my motives behind the scenes. I already knew that and gave them one. You should see how crippled up I am. Girl, wait til I tell you about my biometric enrolment! WOW! Good thing I had read their own workers guidance notes as I had to tell them how to do their job.

After I get my citizenship I will reveal a bit more. I don't trust the internet. Have a feeling that in US perspective on distance, I am not far from you! (: