Suzanne Fletcher's Blog

The winter heating allowance problem remains unsettled.  I wrote on 2^nd May that I thought I had got the right agency to sort out the winter heating allowance for my constituent.  However I hadn't heard anything so started to chase, and chase and ......

I was not able to get a phone number of the Government Department in Cardiff (grr) where my letter and attachments had gone, on May 2^nd on the advise of the (0845) Winter Fuel Help line, but they did put me through.  When I eventually got to speak to someone he said "best if he rings me himself" and I explained this was a man not well, had been thoroughly confused and let down by the system, and in any case he only had a mobile phone and it was expensive to ring 0845 numbers on such and I had already been on a long time myself.  He finally told me the letter had been forwarded, but he couldn't say exactly where, and I needed to ring the Incapacity Department, giving me an 0845 number to ring.  When I asked why nobody had responded to the paragraph asking for an acknowledgement and timescale for reply he told me that the department does not read letters, just forwards them.  Grrrr.

So I rang the 0845 number.  After much pressing of buttons and waiting I was told that was the wrong number, gave me another 0845 number and said "wouldn't be better if he rang himself" I explained, NO it wouldn't ...........  Grrrrrr.

So I rang the this 0845 number.  By this time I was on Teesside, but more hopeful.  They did accept that it was not possible for the man to ring himself and that I had sent a form giving his permission to me to act for him on this issue.  Some hasty faxing, and she said she would pass to her supervisor to look at as soon as possible. 

We will see. I am beginning to see why the MP gave up in December.