Forum Topic

Information for the disabled/permanently sick by HBC

Appeared earlier in Chiswick web site.  Original posting.'Just telephoned HBC to find out price for residents' visitors' permits and to ask whether they had gone up in price.  During the conversation said I was spending a fortune on the darn things having been ill and having visitors, extra help, carers, shoppers etc.  Finally 'dragged' the information from them that I could buy for £15. a yearly visitors' permit (unlimited) which would allow my visitor to stay even for a few nights.  This was NEWS to me as I have NEVER seen this advertised in any of the self-aggrandizing leaflets published by HBC, or through the Blue Badge holders.  Obviously they want to keep it a secret!  When I last bought my visitors' permits I had gone personally to the Town hall to get a Certificate de Vie signed and sealed, the clerk had seen I was disabled and offered to help me back to the car, but still accepted my money for permits and did not give me the above information!  He even made a comment on the amount of tickets I was buying!  ..............'Since this posting, I have received a form from the HBC, had it signed by my GP and received a 'Residents' Permit to cover carers, shoppers, essential visitors etc for the sum of £15. per annum.  A considerable save to £10 (for Chiswick) per visitors' parking permit!  On questioning the District Nurses, and also the MacMillan nurses neither knew anything about this scheme.  The HBC when questioned said that in the ORIGINAL leaflet sent out for Residents' permit something was written about 'IF you were permanently disabled or sick.....' ot something to that effect, but most people have by this time thrown out the original notice, and the council only send you a reminder letter at the time of renewal of the next permit - nothing whatever about 'perhaps you are now ill or needing help.......etc'I think this is just another example of how HBC is letting down the 'disabled' community in our area.Other comments see Chiswick website

Lois Westby ● 7213d8 Comments

Thanks Sarah, as you will see from my Chiswick postings, I have tried e-mail Councillors at Hounslow and these have been returned.......so much for there 'uptodate' addresses.  Below, latest offering to ChiswickW4. I just find it SO extraordinary that neither Macmillans nor Distric nurses have any knowledge of these parking permits, and the below contribution (partially reprinted from the ordinary Residents' parking renewal!) shows that it is almost impossible for anyone to truly understand if one is entitled.  I should think most  people would consider they were NOT!  Hounslow is not kind to the Disabled Driver and Bob Charig Nov 04 (Chiswick websitd 04) shows another example and I have joined him in the past in hitting my head against the brick wall over numbered bays.  I wish someone would take them on!Have received, by coincidence a reminder of my Residents' permit.  Interesting, but uninformative.  Under prices for Chiswick, we have firstly the number of vehicles owned and prices for them, then motocycles, then Medical, Carer, Vistor and Long Term Visitor.  Finally Business charges. This is written under Long Term Visitor and above Business for Main Hounslow area, 6 months under Brentfodr, 1 Month under under Chiswick, Nothing under Gunnersbury!  Confused? you bet, and English is my mother tongue........goodness help the rest!  As it is written, it can only make the disabled person think that they are NOT entitled, only carers and visitors?  and do they then have to  pay extra, and why pays the carer or the visitor?  So I suppose I have to telephone AGAIN, or ask for one of their original booklets.  I might add that nothing whatever have I found in any of the various magazines published by the Mayor about facilities for the disabled as I posted above.

Lois Westby ● 7212d

Lois, sorry to hear that you haven't been well.  I hope that you are on the mend and it is nice to see you posting on TW8.Some areas at the Fortress are very clued up on information and do their best to help and give an answer.  I have had some contact with the school music service this week, and they have rung me back and followed things through for me.  Makes life so much easier.  My husband on the other hand is still waiting for a reply from trading standards about a company in another area.  The initial response from the section was quick and detailed, but since we have asked that they check the reputation of the company with their trading standards, we have heard nothing, not even a card to say it is still in progress.  This will mean another call and a message taken, and the more calls you get, the less work can be done.What we (I … !) really need by customer service is a good all round seller of what is on offer when we make an enquiry.  A good place to start might be to look at the enquiries being dealt with by the front line staff and check out the leaflets available and try to provide the basic information for people to read.  This might answer many of the questions and reduce the need for contact by phone.Can I slip in here that if somebody were to do an overview of information supplied via leaflets, whether a few of the leaflets they do produce, are anything other than a waste of paper?A while ago I was sitting in the buildings of West Sussex CC and was pretty impressed by the range of leaflets they held.  They answered a lot of general information about planning and enforcement (all locally produced information to answer general enquiries) which just weren’t available from the leaflet stands at the Civic Centre here.  They even stocked the Police leaflets which included a smashing one to go in the window for trick or treaters (it was near to Halloween).  It would be nice to have access to the range of leaflets through the information point at the local Library, so I don’t have to trek into Hounslow.Maybe you could ask HM magazine to do an article on services available for the disabled?  They could carry some information about the £15 yearly permit – or ask the Council to tell you how many of them have been issued – which would give everyone a fair idea if the permit is widely known about - you may turn out to one of only 2 people in the Borough to have one!  Is there a Councillor responsible for disability services?  Perhaps they could ask the question for you?  .. and follow that with, how can you claim a refund for overpaid fees?Hopefully the information service will improve with the work they are doing on the service desks at the Civic centre – I hope that the idea is to tackle all sources of information, not just the arrangements for visitors.Does anyone know if this is the idea?

Sarah Felstead ● 7213d