VERSION|0.5.1|SUBJECT|It&#039;s a big day today|CONTENT|[img=images/car400.JPG popup=false width=200 float=right]No, not the state funeral of Baroness Thatcher. Let me introduce you to Terry&#039;s car. It has a pneumatic ramp at the back that allows us to get his electric scooter and/or his wheel chair in and out easily. It also has specially adapted pedals to make it easier for him to drive while minimising the use of his right foot, the one with the crushed nerves that cause him constant pain.

It has made the most wonderful difference to both our lives. To Terry, it has given him a level of independence undreamt of since his accident. He can go anywhere he likes without anyone to help him. It&#039;s enabled him to start a university degree, to join social clubs and even to do a few hours teaching art at a local old folks home. To me, it has probably saved my back, as once or twice I nearly did myself an injury trying to get his scooter into our old van. It has also meant I could have a reasonable level of independence too, not constantly having to cancels things because Terry needed me with him. We&#039;ve had to endure the occasional tease from relatives about our &quot;Postman Pat&quot; van, but thanks to the benefits it has brought us, that&#039;s nothing.

For all these reasons, I&#039;ll be really upset when they take it away today. Terry has to be reassessed to see if the nerves in his foot have magically rearranged themselves into the correct position. In the meantime, the Motability lease has expired so the car has to go. We&#039;re not allowed to keep the car while they decide. We&#039;re not even allowed to rent the car ourselves while they decide. It&#039;s the rules you see.

Now we don&#039;t have a [i]right[/i] to that car. It&#039;s made available to us through the generosity of UK taxpayers. We&#039;re very lucky to live in a time and a place where that kind of technical assistance is even possible. The government is quite right to see that the money is wisely spent and to see that the system is not abused (as it is widely perceived to be). But this is the third assessment in just a few years. There&#039;s always the worry that the assessment will be failed. We hear horror stories where they won&#039;t allow any evidence other than the assessment form itself. Then there has to be a lengthy wait for an appeal, where the x-rays, MRI scans and surgeons opinions can be presented.

It all seems so ludicrously inefficient, not to mention the distress and inconvenience for those of us on the receiving end. The cost of all these assessors, doctors and appeal judges must take a huge chunk out of the disability welfare budget. 

I&#039;m sure there are disabled people who spontaneously get better but I&#039;d bet they&#039;re pretty rare. On the whole, people get worse once their mobility is impaired. Lack of exercise and a restricted range of postures leads to all sorts of other problems. How many assessments does it take before the DWP believe that Terry isn&#039;t going to get better? Believe me, we&#039;ve spent enough money on quacks and snake oil salesmen to know that that&#039;s a fact that we have to accept.

So, as they take the car away today, we&#039;ll both be able to sit in the house and watch £10m being spent on Baroness Thatcher&#039;s state funeral. I know it&#039;s silly, but I can&#039;t help thinking, couldn&#039;t they just have spent a few grand less so we could keep the car for a few extra weeks?|CATEGORIES|11|IP-ADDRESS|94.168.119.214|CREATEDBY|admin|DATE|1366188806