December 2023

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Welcome to December 2023, well where has this year gone??   Really it has gone in the blink of an eye….. (See what I did there bro)

This week I attended a tribunal hearing for a #Stroke survivor who had their stroke in June 2021, they applied for Personal Independence Payment and they were assessed in January 2022, they had a further operation to close a hole in their heart but they were declined any help. We’ve appealed so please bear with me for an update. However what they have endured on top of the Stroke is hard enough but this tribunal, the panel were more concerned on the size of the house, who did the shop at Tesco (other supermarkets are available) and why they were concerned about having another Stroke. These people have no clue absolutely no clue whatsoever, I was and remain truly gobsmacked.  I received a recording of the hearing on the day of the hearing and I received their decision 3 days after the hearing.   It has been refused, so we go again, Ive today requested a full statement on the reasons why it refused and I have also asked for a transcript of the hearing so please check back soon as I will provide an update.   We will appeal because there was several things incorrect during the interview hearing which the panel have ignored and not fully investigated. In fact the panel were more concerned on how the claimant did their weekly shopping (When it was confirmed on several occasions that their partner did this).   It was also confirmed that the survivors partner also undertook food preparation along with washing duties including washing of their hair.   However get this, they been awarded an extra point for managing their treatments or health condition.   The reason this and many other hearings get refused or declined is because the people undertaking the hearing and impacting the Stroke survivor’s recovery journey is simply because they have no clue and no compassion, no understanding what its like to endure a Stroke.     

So today Ive launched a Just Giving Campaign to allow you to support what we do and its simply called Why?

Well since my own severe stroke in 2012, I soon discovered that there is very little help and support out there, so I started this thing which became a registered charity in April 2016 and we have helped hundreds of Stroke survivors and their families since. Whether it be, applying for benefits, appealing a benefit decision, getting the stroke survivor back into employment or at least part of something once more, making them feel worthy and they still have a purpose. We dont believe in plateau and can give lots of examples where the Stroke patient and their families have been told “Oh, they will never walk again” or “That arm is rended useless” or No you cant drive………All we would say to that is YET…….We help them achieve those goals, why? well quite simply We Care Because Weve Been There

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/why

We get NO FUNDING Whatsoever, so please consider helping us so that we can help lots of other like the Stroke survivor referred to above.    Thank you and behalf of the wobblers of StrokeInformation, we wish you a merry Christmas and a great year ahead.

                                                                                                                     HEALTH ADVISORY SERVICE OF THE YEAR 2023