How disabled do you have to be then?

[Danthus]

http://www.crewechronicle.co.uk/news/dwp-take-adapted-car-away-10381255

A teenager who had her leg amputated because of bone cancer faces losing her mobility car on Monday because the DWP says she is ‘not disabled enough’.

Olivia Cork, who has helped raise thousands of pounds for cancer charities, needs her specially adapted vehicle to get to school every day in Alsager.

Now, with her family and friends, she is frantically trying to raise £5,500 by the end of this week so she can buy the car before the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) takes it away on Monday.

“They’ve told me I’m not disabled enough to require an adapted car because I can walk a certain distance,” said Olivia, speaking from Alsager School. “I can’t remember what the distance is, and I don’t have the details here now, but it’s not very far. Because I can walk that short distance they say I can’t have the car.”

Surely we should be supporting people like this, not making their life more difficult in order to save a few thousand pounds?

 

[platypus]

And yet there are people who get help with cars on the motability scheme that don't need them. Go figure.

 

[millsy888]

Seeing as she's raised money for charities, she deserves something in return. I just pledged a few quid on her page.

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/keep-olivias-wheels

 

[Uther]

The changeover to PIP was never intended to help people, but to cut costs
Surprised she didn't appeal the decision TBH, but I think they dramatically cut the distance down that you can walk without discomfort from what it was on DLA.
She was probably trying to do the right thing and being honest. Or naive.

 

[MooMoo444]

Guy who lives near us has a motability car because he has back problems, yet oddly enough I see him working in his garden all the time. It's a funny old world.

 

[currob]

The changeover to PIP was never intended to help people, but to cut costs
Surprised she didn't appeal the decision TBH, but I think they dramatically cut the distance down that you can walk without discomfort from what it was on DLA.
She was probably trying to do the right thing and being honest. Or naive.

This ^^ sadly.

 

[bushmins]

With so many people surviving accidents, living through what was once terminal illness but coming out with horrific disabilities. Things have to change with the times.

We are all disabled but some of us are more disabled than others.

 

[cainer]

 

[atpbx]

How would she get to school if she wasn't disabled?

 

[robfosters]

****

*** I agree; but no *** - WG

 

[Richard_16v]

In this instance she may have a case. I think losing a limb would count as disabled.

In general though, Mobility cars and disabled badges should be reduced. So many pretend bad backs, selective walking with a stick and plain fat people seem to get them it's a joke. If we cut down on the scammers we would be able to give to the genuine people and still save money.

 

[Glaucus]

What adaptation does she need?

 

[ubersonic]

“They’ve told me I’m not disabled enough to require an adapted car because I can walk a certain distance,” said Olivia, speaking from Alsager School.

In that case the test was done wrong by somebody incompetent and she needs to appeal it. Using a prosthetic limb is not walking unaided, she should quality for the highest level of mobility but the person doing the test has screwed it up because they didn't know what they were doing >.>

 

[Threepwood]

Hmmm.

So reliant on the car, Olivia did not appeal the desicion.

Does not compute.



If Olivia had appealed, and still been rejected I would put a few quid in.

But as it stands, I believe she is on uneven footing with this one.

 

[ubersonic]

What adaptation does she need?

Normally for her disability it would be a hand controlled throttle/brake lever, steering ball (probably with indicator buttons if not voice controlled) and an automatic gearbox (though the last one isn't an adaptation).

 

[LeeUK]

Guy who lives near us has a motability car because he has back problems, yet oddly enough I see him working in his garden all the time. It's a funny old world.

There is a local bloke that my family have known for 30+ years. Has never worked and has a new motability car every 3 years. Claims to have various back problems and stuff so can't work. Yet he runs a chop shop from home doing up old cars and I often see him on his knees and back under a car.

I thought all this AtoS nonsense was going to sort these types of people out. Obviously not if you know how to play the system.

 

[atpbx]

Miss Cork appears in the news a couple of times a year since she had her operation when she was 14.

She was trying to raise 50k for a bionic leg for when she was 18.

 

[ubersonic]

as it stands, I believe she is on uneven footing with this one.

 

[Glaucus]

Normally for her disability it would be a hand controlled throttle/brake lever, steering ball (probably with indicator buttons if not voice controlled) and an automatic gearbox (though the last one isn't an adaptation).

Why? A) people drive normal cars with one prosthetic leg, depending where its amputated. 2) an automatic only requires one leg to controlled.

Why would she need, voice, steering ball etc, she hasn't lost am arm.

On the surface of it, this is exactly the stuff we should be cutting back on.

 

[Gilly]

A spokesman for the DWP told the Chronicle: “Ms Cork was given the opportunity to appeal the decision regarding her claim for PIP but chose not to.

Seems... odd?