Posted on 07/11/2011 4:35 PM
"You don't pay VAT when you buy a house so there's nothing to claim back."
"Interesting Peggy, not heard that one."
Not only is there no VAT on houses, most are bought from private individuals so they wouldn't be VAT registered.
One of the things that makes bulildng on extensions etc disproportionately expensive is VAT on building works (except in some circumstances) but not on new houses.
Don't forget, unless the house is very cheap you have to pay stamp duty.
Posted on 07/11/2011 12:58 PM
"can you claim VAT back on buying a house"
You don't pay VAT when you buy a house so there's nothing to claim back.
Posted on 03/11/2011 6:16 AM
"I'm not familiar with NI payments"
Having paid sufficient NI contributions qualifies you for some benefits, eg Retirement Pension.
Posted on 28/10/2011 5:42 AM
xsparksx
I believe Mencap give advice or produce factsheets about leaving money in trusts in such a way that it doesn't interfere with benefits.
Posted on 27/10/2011 8:51 AM
"representatives in parliament for the disabled"
A lot of people are not happy with the turn of phrase 'the disabled'. It lumps a lot of disparate people together as if being disabled makes disabled people all the same.
I don't think representatives in parliament should be *for* the disabled. They should be disabled people themselves (albeit, informed and insightful people who understand other disabled people's needs as well as their own).
A very important issue impacting on disabled people's participation in the workplace and in life in general is accessible transport.
Posted on 26/10/2011 7:10 AM
Lankylonglegs
"that till is normally chock full of idle able bodied who just can't be a***d to walk another 2 feet to the next till"
How can *you* tell whether or not someone has an invisible disability just by looking at them? No one else can.
Posted on 07/10/2011 5:36 AM
Disabled child element of Working Tax Credit: £54 a week.
Severely disabled child element of Working Tax Credit £22 a week.
Total: £76. This is a maximum. The more the parents earn the more is clawed back.
Disabled adult element of Working Tax Credit: £51 a week.
Severely disabled adult element of Working Tax Credit: £22 a week.
Total: £72 a week. This is a maximum. The more the individual/couple earn the more is clawed back.
Children don't have to be working. Their parent(s) do. Definition of 'disabled' is different for adults and children. Adults have to be at a 'disadvantage getting a job'.
(The rules are complex. The above is an overview.)
Posted on 06/10/2011 10:06 AM
"You've raised an interesting question, though - what
would be the appropriate thing to say to an acquaintance who suddenly turns up in a wheelchair?"
I think if someone has very obvious signs of a *recent* injury, eg a broken leg, they almost expect people to comment. If a wheelchair, crutches or whatever are a permanent aid, any slightly sensitive person would realise it is tedious in the extreme to be constantly asked about them. Distinguishing between the two can be tricky but anyone with any social graces should try.
(Unfortunately, many people don't even try to be even 'slightly sensitive'.)
"I totally reserve the right to either want to talk about it or not want to talk about it depending on circumstances, including what sort of mood I'm in at the time."
Jockice, I endorse your sentiment entirely.
Posted on 06/10/2011 9:54 AM
" I was then forced to walk home with a nice big graze on my knee"
"Falls have to have serious implications, such as a likelyhood of broken bones due to an additional condition, such as osteoporosis, or be incredibly frequent, such as many times a day, which increases the probability of falling and injuring yourself.
Infrequent falls, or falls that dont carry a serious risk of injury, are not enough."
I fall every couple of months or so. Having grazes, scratches, bruises etc is more or less normal for me. On a number of occasions I've probably cracked something because the pain's been very bad, lasted for weeks and comes back sometimes months or years later. My big problem is that I can't get up again. If I'm at home I might be able to wriggle to the top of the stairs, put my feet down and get up that way. When I'm out, I just have to hope there's a friendly, hefty man around to help. I just hope and pray it doesn't happen when I'm crossing the road. It's always been obvious to me that this doesn't nearly meet any DLA criterion.
Posted on 27/09/2011 10:22 AM
Penny, that's really helpful. I think I've read bits of it in print at some time. I didn't know it was available online.
Posted on 27/09/2011 10:12 AM
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Help! I’ve
offended a whole lot of parents of disabled children by criticising a Jeremy
Kyle programme about some disabled children.
I didn’t
like the way Kyle treated the disabled children as if they were a sort of peep
show. He was extremely patronising (constantly referring to them as ‘brave’ and
‘inspiring’ and treating them as much younger than their true ages) and
perpetuated the common media stereotype of disabled people as dependent
recipients of charity rather than people with rights.
Of course I
didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. I thought I was expressing shared views
but these parents think the, in my opinion, awful programme was ‘lovely’. They
don’t seem to ‘get’ where I’m coming from. What can I say?
(Thank
goodness I wasn’t subjected to a programme like this when I was young.)
Posted on 21/09/2011 7:22 AM
"I guess what I'm asking, are any of y'all on a med to help with the same feeling of tiredness and lethargy like I am? And if so, what is it? This feeling is absolutely miserable"
Tiredness can be a symptom of depression.
Posted on 18/09/2011 11:25 AM
"On the one hand we are supposed to be protected by the
Disability Discrimination Act and so it might seem reasonable for a
prospective employer to ask the questions you mentioned in message one.
In order to fullfill their obligation to make reasonable adjustments
employers have to know about things like health issues. If a person has
had mental health issues in the past related to for example depression
caused by stress, reasonable adjustments can be put in place to monitor
the level of stress at work and prevent a downward spiral of abscences
and further ill health. As I write this I can feel my own hackles rising
against what I just said after all do employers actually care?
I
think the most likely explanation for you receiving the questionaire is
yet another occassion on HR having procedures in place that they believe
meet DDA."
It is appropriate to tell applicants that if they are short-listed they
will be asked if they need any 'reasonable adjustments' to attend the
interview. (N.B. *tell* them they *can request reasonable adjustment*
not question them about their medical history.)
It is appropriate to ask anyone who has *accepted a job offer* if they
need any reasonable adjustments, not question them about their medical
history before they've even been interviewed.
The DDA has been superseded by the Equality Act 2010.
Posted on 15/09/2011 8:04 AM
"I though"
Of course, I mean 'I thought'.
Posted on 15/09/2011 8:03 AM
" if health care professionals upset you, or make you angry ..."
"if"?? "if"?? I though that healthcare professionals thought it was part of their job to upset you. They've *never failed* to upset me.
Posted on 10/09/2011 9:55 AM
"do you have enough pension credits?"
I think Hurtyback means 'do you have enough National Insurance credits to eventually qualify for a retirement pension?'.
Pension Credit is a means tested benefit which people on retirement pension can qualify for if their income is low.
Posted on 09/09/2011 9:01 AM
"Has anyone ever been assessed by medical students?"
In the 50s and 60s you got no choice. If they wished to display you to medical students they did. They just talked over you. This happened to me many times, including when I was a student myself. I was not best pleased because I didn't know when I might meet the same students in a different context, such as on a dance floor.
However, nowadays they tend ask politely I'm usually happy to agree. (i) students have to learn some how. (ii) I'm unlikely to be involved in student type social activities. (iii) you can learn a lot about your condition from listening to the discussion.
Posted on 05/09/2011 6:30 AM
"Social workers are taking a couples children of them because there children are to fat"
The decision will be made by a family court.
These hearings are held in private for the sake of the children.
The Social Services do not discuss individual cases. (quite rght too).
Anything you read in the press will be speculation. If it's the gutter press they won't bother to let any facts they do know get in the way of a 'good' story.
I don't think it's apropriate to discuss young children like this. We can't possibly know the full facts.
Posted on 24/08/2011 6:55 AM
"This site is dedicated to the memory of (Born January 23, 1962; Died June 2010) "
Who?
Posted on 18/08/2011 7:34 AM
"Is it usual for surveys to take time to arrange?"
The people who bought our place kept sending different surveyors round. They (the surveyors) were rude and thoughtless and caused me a lot of hassle.
"There was a bag full of old photos which I haven't looked at for years and they are making me cry."
Of course this is sad for you. It probably seems worse because you were feeling fragile to start with. In my experience, sometimes despite crying over sad losses, there's still a pleasure in remembering the happy times you had together and how the people and pets who have gone enriched your life while they were here.
