Read this without shaking your head in despair!
 

I challenge anyone to read this next article without wanting to shake your head in disbelief at the depths to which local government has sunk. Just when you thought it couldn't get worse, along comes a story that lowers the bar.

ONE-LEGGED SOLDIER IS TURNED DOWN FOR A DISABLED PARKING BADGE

A HERO soldier who lost a leg fighting the Taliban was told he was not injured enough to get a disabled parking badge.

Lance Corporal Johno Lee’s application was turned down three times by council officials.

The 27-year old, whose heart stopped twice following injuries he suffered in Afghanistan, has had more than £800 in parking fines for leaving his car in disabled bays.

Last month he was forced to hand over the money when a council bailiff arrived at his home threatening to take his belongings if he failed to pay. The first time Johno applied for a blue badge, Nottinghamshire County Council told him he was young and might get better.

The stunned soldier said: “What do they expect – my leg to grow back? I told them they didn’t quite understand the situation.”

Johno had served two tours in Iraq with 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment before deploying to Afghanistan, where his right leg was amputated below the knee after he was blown up in Helmand province in 2008.

He had been in a snatch Land Rover on a patrol around the town of Gereshk when an explosion flipped the vehicle on its side, catapulting him into a minefield.

He ordered his comrades not to rescue him until it was safe, spending two hours in the minefield bleeding profusely while bomb disposal experts cut a path to reach him.

Johno “died” twice, once when his heart stopped on the helicopter taking him to the base at Camp Bastion and again on the operating table, but he was revived each time.

When he returned to his home in Coddington near Newark, Notts, he applied to the county council for a disabled parking badge. To his astonishment his claim was turned down – and so were two further applications.

Johno said: “Sometimes the stump swells so badly I can’t even get the prosthetic leg on. Then I have to use a wheelchair and other days I can’t walk far. I have to park in disabled bays otherwise I can’t get into Newark town centre but then I get a ticket. When I got my first ticket I rolled up my trouser leg and showed the warden my prosthetic leg but he just said ‘Sorry mate, it’s more than my job’s worth’.

“If I live another 60 years am I expected to continue to have to struggle for all of that time?”

All Johno’s applications have been backed by Blesma, the limbless ex-servicemen’s charity. Spokesman Ernie Stables said: “I have never come across a case like this. All the others I know of have been given blue badges.”

Guy Parckar, acting director of policy and campaigns at the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability, said: “For many disabled people, a blue badge is vital. Attention needs to be paid to make sure that people who might struggle to get out and about get the support that they need from the system.”

The Royal British Legion has also offered its support.

Last night Nottinghamshire County Council’s service director Paul McKay promised to carry out a review. He said: “We will urgently assess whether Mr Lee meets the eligibility criteria for a disabled parking badge. We will progress this matter as quickly as possible.”

Don't you sometimes want to weep"!

Re: Read this without shaking your head in despair!
 

Nottinghamshire Council have shown that peeing on a war memorial is not the only way of insulting the efforts of our armed forces.

What really annoys me about this story is the fact that there were so many chances for the Council to put things right, which were missed. The Council bailiff who called round to the soldier's house should have been straight back onto his employer to warn them of the cock up, but he didn't. Why? Obviously because he was a jumped up jobsworth.

The traffic warden who the soldier showed his stump to should have been straight back onto his employer to warn them of the cock up, but he didn't. Why? Obviously because (by his own admission), he was a jumped up jobsworth.

But worst of all, the service director Paul McKay is guilty of the worst possible act of jobsworthiness. Obviously terrified about covering his back, he couldn't admit to the mistake, but instead comes out with a totally insulting comment. “We will urgently assess whether Mr Lee meets the eligibility criteria for a disabled parking badge."

Absolutely shameful!

And, incidentally, to all the people at Hyndburn wallowing in the Audit Commission assessment of our Council, be aware that the Audit Commission thinks that Nottinghamshire Council "performs well"!

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Don't worry Gynn, those of us who have eyes in our head realise that the 'Excellent Council' badge has a somewhat hollow ring to it.

That isn't to knock the people who do the actual work, but those select few who have been voted in as the controlling group up at Scaitcliffe House have a long way to go before I consider Hyndburn BC to be anything like 'excellent'.

Perhaps removing the dictatorial element might be a good start.

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What really highlights the injustice of this case is the large number of relatively fit people who, by deceit & with the connivance of their doctors manage to get blue badges AND free cars under the motability scheme. There are deserving cases but I know several who aren't.

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'Breaking news... The Advertiser understands that hero amputee soldier Lance-corporal Johno Lee has been granted a disability parking badge after a two-year fight.'

Two-year fight for disability parking over for hero soldier | Newark Advertiser

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That says it all.........a 2 year fight.:mad:

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We should be bending over backwards to help troops injured fighting their country, not put every bloody obstacles in their way:(

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I really think the Government should step in to that Council and investigate how things reached a point where the bailiffs and traffic wardens didn't immediately report the error to their superiors.

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I think, as the rules stand currently, the decision is based on how far you can walk.

As some amputees run marathons, having one leg doesn't automatically qualify you for a blue badge.

Heather Mills took part in the American version of Strictly Come Dancing. So it's doubtful she'd be eligible.

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You mean she wouldn't have a leg to stand on?

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If you can walk 50 yards with the aid of false limbs, as the rules stand you won't get a blue badge, but considering some people who you are using them at super market etc, really makes you wonder:(

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In defence of the traffic wardens/baliffs, they were following the letter of the law.

This man parked in designated disabled parking spaces, without the badge that would have entitled him to do so.

As reported, if he sometimes needs the use of a wheelchair, and should have qualified for a blue badge, that is a different matter.

As far as I know traffic wardens aren't medically qualified, and able to diagnose whether someone without the legal right to use a disabled parking space, fulfils the requirements set down in law.

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Not being medically qualified, and not having X-ray vision, I'm always wary of judging whether people are medically entitled to said parking badge.

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G you actually missed my point I was only stating what the law is as I know it not commenting on any one particular case, sorry if It came across wrong :o

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The point is that if you ham it up with your GP and the doc who assesses you for disability benefit you can get away with murder. An acqaintance who has a bad ankle was encouraged by the council to apply for disabled living allowance. He did so just to get his 'badge' but ending up getting a free Nissan X-trail to add to his 2 other cars. He is early retired from BT and his wife earns 50 grand a year !!

(Ps. He walks the dog for miles, engages in outdoor pursuits & trains at the gym.)

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Then you should bloody shop him

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Copied from another forum:

I also have a neighbour from hell, she lives in the flat above me..supposedly has really bad feet but can run like Linford Christie, is classified as Severely Disabled but always wears stiletto shoes, has full care and mobilty allowance and a Motability car...yet has 2 paid jobs and still gets income support, housing benefit, council tax rebates etc etc etc...it makes me sick! I have reported her to the so called DLA fraud squad numerous times yet she still has her benefits! Their excuse? They haven't got the staff to cope!

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...and the reason why you haven't reported this benefit cheat, is?

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Do you read her mail, and open her bank statements?

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The guy only had his assessment a couple of months ago - if he could fool them then he can fool them again.

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So If you can walk 50 yards you are fit.Ha.If I was in my kitchen and the electric went off that would just get me to the meter and back.:confused:
Should I set off from my front door It would get me to the middle of the road and back.:rolleyes:

Not much use really unless there just happens to be a street fair on that acts as a post office and allows me to top up my gas and leccy.

Having said that people that abuse the help available should be shot,in my opinion.:mad:

As I said at my tribunal I can walk 50 yards on the moon If someone takes me there.:D:D

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The problem with these medical assesments are that people with real disabilities or chronic sickness can be deemed to be able to do "some sort of work".. but of course even the worst afflicted can do "some sort of work".. Stephen Hawkins works but he would not be much use as a hod carrier!...all this re-assessment from this Government has nothing to do with helping people back to work, nothing to do with "weeding out" the cheats.. it's about cutting benefits for some genuine sick people by transfering them onto the dole.

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Right.

So you know of an actual act of criminal fraud, but through lethargy you'd rather let it carry on, and just have a bit of a moan about it on here.

Cool.

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Your neighbours sound like a right moody bunch!

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Sounds nice.

Very neighbourly.

All of them knowing each others business, and what they have going into their bank accounts, and when and where they've been, and for what.

Sounds like the 'good old days'.

They're probably all are free to leave their doors unlocked.

Let's here it for those sixties new towns!

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Mancie even though your a plastic Manc I think your a real nice guy (honest) but at times you do talk utter b******s So what your saying is its okay to have benefit cheats then, because to carry out cheeks is about attacking the genuinely sick, being at risk of being accused of repeating myself, I have always said, as a person deemed to be chronically sick, I will attend any medical or tribunal, to justify what I receive from the taxpayer in benefits, and as far as I'm concerned it shouldn't be problem for any one else. The only people that need to worry are those who are taking the p*** out of the rest of us by pretending to be sick and making fraudulent claims end of story, and if you remember rightly the previous Labour government had promised to do the same if elected

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Actually the guy is quite a good friend of mine & I don't grass up my friends (except for serious crimes!). He didn't think anything at all about DLA until he was encouraged to apply for it by the council officer dealing with blue badges. The fact that he was able to apply AND qualify in the first place is a major fault with the system. The docs doing the assessments are not thorough enough.

I will talk to him - because if someone DOES report him in the future then the longer it goes on the more serious the fraud. Of course, one could always say 'Well, I've got a lot better over the last couple of months.'

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They ARE NOT my neighbours - this was just a quote from another forum indicating that the resources put into investing benefit fraud are probably inadequate for the task in hand.

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There was mention that these people themselves where indeed to be investigated for allowing Benefit Fraud.A move that I would welcome because there does seem to be a case of not what you know but who you know.Or indeed what circles you move in.

Again don't say it doesn't happen because it does.:rolleyes::mad::mad:

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When have I ever said it's ok to have benefit cheats?..I remember you telling me I was also talking b******s when I posted this Government would cut cold winter payments.
I've got no problem with claimants for sick benifit having a medical .. the problem is what they define as being "able for some sort of work"...like I say even those with chronic illness are able to do some sort of "work"..seems to be that if a person can walk 50 yards they may be classed as able to work and placed on jobseekers allowance.. saving the government around 30 quid a week.

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Criminally defrauding the State, and the tax payers of the country, isn't a serious crime?

You wouldn't 'grass up' someone because he/she was a friend.

It's people like you that have made this country the immoral mess it is today.

So, you won't report this fraudster, because you'd just rather come on here, and have a moan about 'people' milking the system.

People like you are as bad as those that abuse our benefits system.

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And so you outline your "mates" situation to let us all know that the system can be conned.. nothing new there..to be honest I would not as you say "grass" on a mate.. but then again I would not post he's/her personal details on a web site that can be seen all over the internet.

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Benefit fraud is a serious crime and the fact that you don't class it as such speaks volumes to me:( There are many genuine claimants struggling to get their rightful benefits whilst people like "your mate" make a mockery of things.

And as an aside what about the people who are not going to get better at all but still are denied benefits they are rightly entitled to????

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I suggest you get your facts right, before shooting your mouth off.

You don't get a 'free' car, along with a blue parking badge.

If awarded high level Mobility Disability, you have the option of help with a car.

Hopefully the new government will weed out these fraudulent claimants, and their friends who turn a blind eye to their crimes, besides a bit of moanining on public forums, and the money can be directed at those genuinely in need.

As for grassing, you can bet your sweet bippy I would.

Stealing is wrong, and there's always a victim. Which in this case is those who are truly deserving, and the public at large who are footing the bill for these frauds.

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This thread started by bringing to light the plight of some people that find themselves in need of back up from from a system they have worked for and for some nearly died for.. a man cannot get the basic benefits he is entilted to.. and I say there is worse to come.

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Please Mancie don't turn this into anything but what it should be, Benefit Fraud is wrong irrespective of which colour you back (if any). I for one have no allegiance to any party but have seen genuine claimants miss out on benefits whilst shysters seem to get the lot (again under both main parties). I put it to you that anybody with a genuine claim (and a lot of fraudsters) will carry on getting benefits. Our system needs a massive overhaul but I can't see it happening in the not to distant future, unfortunately:o Why are people so bent on getting here rather than settle in other EU countries??? A benefits system that is to soft IMHO, and that won't change any time soon either because NONE of our political parties are brave enough to make a stance!!!!

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Honour amongst thieves, brought on by greed.

You could have been a M.P. in Thatcher's Britain.

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whatever you make of it.. nothing to do with honour amongst anyone.. just normal life with with normal people having a life in the hard times ahead.. thieving?

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A bloke who lost a leg fighting for this country can't get a parking allowance..we can argue all day about the in's n out's but that is the reality.. and it must be obvious by now that the last thing on this governments mind is to give any help for anyone who may be haviing a bad time health wise..if I'm again taking Bollocks then fair enough.. we will see.

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Yes, defrauding the benefit system is stealing, and you say wouldn't 'grass' on a friend.

Honour amongst thieves.

Thatcher's greedy, out for what you can get, society, and to hell with the rest...those in real need.

Makes me sick.

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That's the sort of sad excuse those defrauding insurance companies, or shop lifters, say.

'It's not really stealing, because there isn't really a victim.'

'I wouldn't mug an old lady, for her purse.'

Pathetic.

Everyone in this greedy, turn a blind eye, society, is a freakin' victim.

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Do you know of people who claim benefits they should not have?..lets all be real here.. I don't know of anyone myself and would not report anyone for fraud without definite evidence.. not just heresay from whoever.
but all this talk means nothing in the Witch Hunt ahead.. no talk of weeding out the 32 Billion lost in "self employed" tax billionares.. I might get glued in the gob but I say again.. those on benefits and low wages will bear the brunt of this Governments new economy... same old Tories same old policies.

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You said it.

Backtrack, and try to diffuse the issue, all you like.

Child of Thatcherism.

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No I would not grass on a mate if he /she were claiming benifits they should not have.. and I suspect niether would you.. there has been talk of cheats in the benifets system since it was intrduced in the 50's.. but now we have yet another attack on anyone receiving or seeking help with the cuts on eye tests.. the cuts on possible cancer patients.. how long does it take normal people realise that this Government will destroy anything we have left?

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As stated earlier, yes I would.

I don't tell lies.

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And I don't tell lies... but this Government tell lies and it may take time untill they are exposed.. but they will be exposed ;)

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I believe I DO have my facts right - and it's not just a free car!. The higher level of DLA gives you nearly £200 per month and for that you can lease a car under the motability scheme. You get EVERYTHING (car, road tax, insurance, servicing, repairs, even tyres - and a new car every two years) all you need to do is put petrol in it and drive it.

Benefits fraud is rife & it's obvious that even when it's reported the 'authorities' are too stretched to effectively control it.

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Garinda - as for you saying I was shooting my mouth off - Well! Words like pot kettle and black leap instantly to mind.


Oh! - by the way. The conditions for getting a blue badge & qualifying for DLA are probably different. I don't think the walking 50 yards bit figures in the DLA assessment. But if you get DLA then you can automatically get the blue badge (with this council anyway).

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Yeah, yeah.

Dress it up however you want.

If I had my way you'd be done for Aiding and Abetting a crime.

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You're right - I ought to have a public flogging - or maybe even be stoned to death?. If we went your road I think there'd be more of us in jail than on the outside!

PS - I ran a red light the other day & went 5mph over the speed limit. Please add that to my charge sheet.

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If there were more people prepared to stand up and do the right thing, and not turn a blind eye, when they knew the public purse was being robbed, and criminal fraud was being carried out, then there would be less people doing it.

Then again, I suppose as the situation is at the moment, it allows those who don't 'grass' on their thieving friends the opportunity to come on public forums, to tut, moan, and say how terrible the abuse is.

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The difference is that I believe actions are stronger than words.

I would report benefit fraud, regardless of who was doing it.

If I didn't I wouldn't be so pathetically hypocritical to post on a public forum that the abuse was wrong, and widespread.

Happily I did grow a pair.

Unlike some weaker creatures.

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I once lived amongst a community which had more than its fair share of benefit cheats.

I worked at DHSS, and used to dread anyone being caught, because they would automatically assume it was me that 'shopped' them. Two once did, and made my life 'unpleasant'.

I had to make clear that I operated a 'no grass' strategy.
Otherwise living there would be rendered impossible, even dangerous.

I used to help people fill forms in. I clearly stated that genuine cases got help, but cheaters didn't. I survived.

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And of course that last Government were whiter than the driven snow

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Hang on a minute here, its you who actually started all this clap trap about this bloke you knew who was claiming DLA fraudulently, then went on to say he was a mate, don't be surprised if people jump all over you for being just a tad hypocritical

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As this has been a two year battle for the gentleman concerned I fail to see how the present goverment can be held accountable. Cutbacks will have to be made and I still maintain that genuine claimants have nothing to fear, fraudsters will get caught and so they should be:(

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As we both know, those genuinely in need are very often made to jump through hoops, not literally (:D), and struggle to get the benefits they are legally entitled to, after having paid into the system for years.

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and the moon is made of green cheese.

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Your wasting your time Bernie, Mancie has tunnel vision, all the ills of the last 13 years became the present governments fault in the first week of May this year:rolleyes:

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If it has taken 2 years to get so far, it has been stated that it must be the present Government's fault. What happened before the last election? I cannot believe that the policies were changed so quickly by the coalition and feel sure that the particular departments were operating under Labour policies/rules - after all they had 12 years to sort them out and get them right.
The original poster needs to get his facts correct - I worked for a short time at DHSS, Warbreck Hill, Blackpool, where this subject is dealt with.

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I don`t mean to be heartless but some one who can walk a fair distance with false limbs doesn`t need blue badge award.
There again if pain is suffered and a wheel chair is needed then certainly they should get the award.
Again people who have suffered heart attack can get blue badge award.
The disabled spaces are wider ..... Why ?? .....so the wheel chair can be brought alongside the vehicle..
My wife who is disabled ,in a wheelchair and we get her in the car by a ramp (the car has been modified , we have this car for 5 years and not the normal 3 years) we try not to use the disabled spaces as we don`t need the extra side space so leave for those who do.
When using the blue badge the disabled person must be OUT of the vehicle.