Tag Archives: carers

Disabled girl ‘lost in the system’ by Birmingham City Council for four years

March 20, 2014   autism, Carers, disability, special needs

Birmingham City Council “singularly failed” a disabled child “lost in the system” for more than four years, the Local Government Ombudsman has ruled.

A report said the authority failed to contact the girl’s mother from November 2006 to March 2011 to assess support payments.

It added social workers had not identified the girl’s “complex needs” and left her mother to raise her alone.

The council has agreed to pay £5,000 following the ombudsman’s report.

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West Suffolk: Husband’s love helps keep Dorothy’s dementia at bay

March 19, 2014   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia, Parkinsons

Brian Atkinson and his wife Dorothy are backing our Forget Me Not campaign

Emma Brennan West Suffolk chief reporter
emma.brennan@archant.co.uk
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
10:00 AM

Brian Atkinson and his wife Dorothy are backing our Forget Me Not campaign 

During the past six years of their long and happy marriage, that promise has certainly been put to the test after Mrs Atkinson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2008.

Two years later, the condition developed into Lewy bodies (DLB), a type of dementia that shares symptoms with both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Since then her memory has been deteriorating progressively.

Mr Atkinson, 86, who is supporting our Forget-Me-Not campaign for West Suffolk Hospital, said: “Dorothy can remember family history and things like that, but not what happened two hours ago.

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Sick and disabled made to wait for more than six months to know if they will get benefit

March 18, 2014   benefits, Carers, disability

Controversial new benefits system.

People with disabilities and severe illnesses are being made to wait for more than six months to find out if they are eligible for financial support from the Government under a controversial new benefits system.

In a highly critical report, a committee of MPs described delays in processing the Personal Independence Payments (PIPs) as “unacceptable”. They called for ministers to invoke penalty clauses for the delays on the two private companies, Atos Healthcare and Capital Business Services, which provide the assessments.

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