For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
#1837756
johnm wrote:I seem to remember that the Stag engine was basically two Dolomites configured in a V and had horrendous cooling system problems. A standard mod was to fit a Rover V8.


That was sort of correct. The Dolomite slant-4 engine was half a Stag V8. The cooling problems were legion and people did, indeed, use the Rover V8 (Based on an old Buick block) as an easy replacement. Now people are busily replacing the Rover V8s with Triumph ones for originality (but adding more efficient cooling)

Rob P
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#1844908
Colonel Panic wrote:Four days of lack of productive output won't effect anyone.

#situation_normal_for_DVLA


based on personal knowledge, or just standing prejudice against public servants ? :wink:

[I couldn't be bothered to look for pertinent detail in this annual report:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... o-2020.pdf ]
User avatar
By Pete L
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1844922
So you haven't tried to get an HGV tested recently, kanga? There are some good, efficient and helpful public services, but this might not be the strongest ground on which to defend them. (I did read the report you attached).
By avtur3
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1844936
kanga wrote:
Colonel Panic wrote:Four days of lack of productive output won't effect anyone.

#situation_normal_for_DVLA


based on personal knowledge, or just standing prejudice against public servants ? :wink:

[I couldn't be bothered to look for pertinent detail in this annual report:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... o-2020.pdf ]


Let me tell you about public servants (very raw subject, unapologetic rant follows, personal experience, completely off topic ), I am in a complete rage abut Mrs A's experience of a 'public servant' today.

Mrs A's mother (who has lived with us for the past 3 years in order to receive the 24/7 care she needs) passed away a very short while ago, the lady isn't even buried yet. We're attending to all the things you have to in the mean time.

Today Mrs A phoned the DHSS to inform them of her mother's passing and ask what was the correct way to deal with finishing the carers allowance she had been receiving. The conversation that followed has left Mrs A feeling as though she is a criminal and it has been suggested that she has been fraudulently claiming her 'carers allowance'. Inhumane doesn't even begin to describe this and it is the direct result of a conversation with a 'public servant'

Mrs A's mum was hospitalized several weeks ago, when an elderly person goes into hospital no one has any idea how long they will be in (communication in these covid days makes it even worse trying to get information out of a hospital). After four nail biting weeks the lady was released from hospital to a nursing home, within a few days we were told that she was receiving "end of life care", we lived from day to day wondering if it would be the last day. The last day arrived and she passed away, very suddenly, in the nursing home, we live just 10 minutes away from the home, we didn't even make it before she passed away.

So today Mrs A calls the DHSS, this is the fourth or fifth time she has tried, having previously given up when the phone system told her she was 35th or 41st in the queue. Today she persisted and got trough. On explaining the situation Mrs A was immediately told she was at fault for not contacting DHSS the day her mother went into hospital. As the conversation unfolded Mrs A was told several times that she may be guilty of making a fraudulent claim for the carers benefit because of the delay in making the call. The conversation closed with the DHSS operator (a valued public servant!) telling Mrs A that they would be sending her an invoice for the overpaid allowance and suggesting that action may be taken regards making a fraudulent claim. Her mother isn't even buried yet ...

I am angry with this public servant and make no apologies ...
#1844992
avtur3 wrote:..
Let me tell you about public servants (very raw subject, unapologetic rant follows, personal experience, completely off topic ), I am in a complete rage abut Mrs A's experience of a 'public servant' today.
...

I am angry with this public servant and make no apologies ...


My condolences, avtur3, and I agree that that experience sounds dreadful. It sounds like more than enough reason to complain to your MP (as this would presumably have been a central, not local, government employee). Unfortunately, the 'Ombudsman' can investigate only matters referred by a MP:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ombudsman#United_Kingdom

[our experience of fairly recent but pre-Covid dealings with DHSS over carers' allowance for my late mother-in-law, and notifications after her death, was completely different: officials were simultaneously efficient and sympathetic]
By MikeE
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845014
That's awful @Avtur3, so sorry to hear that. There is a service called 'tell us once' that you can use to avoid notifying individual departments. Details are here https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death/organi ... ll-us-once

The person your wife spoke to was completely wrong in saying what they did and there is absolutely no reason for suggesting that anything 'fraudulent' has taken place. Sometimes with these things an overpayment may occur, but that is not the result of any criminal activity. I would definitely go along with Kanga's suggestion of writing to your MP, asking him to take it up with the relevant Minister and, if unsatisfied, with the Ombudsman. I appreciate that you will have other things on your mind at the moment, but the civil servant involved needs to receive further training as a minimum if they are to stay in a public-facing role, especially in such a sensitive area.

With best wishes

Mike
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By avtur3
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845235
MikeE wrote:That's awful @Avtur3, so sorry to hear that. There is a service called 'tell us once' that you can use to avoid notifying individual departments. Details are here https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death/organi ... ll-us-once

The person your wife spoke to was completely wrong in saying what they did and there is absolutely no reason for suggesting that anything 'fraudulent' has taken place. Sometimes with these things an overpayment may occur, but that is not the result of any criminal activity. I would definitely go along with Kanga's suggestion of writing to your MP, asking him to take it up with the relevant Minister and, if unsatisfied, with the Ombudsman. I appreciate that you will have other things on your mind at the moment, but the civil servant involved needs to receive further training as a minimum if they are to stay in a public-facing role, especially in such a sensitive area.

With best wishes

Mike


Thanks for your message, and also @kanga

I've already initiated the 'tell us once' service, that seems like a good idea. You do need a large amount of information to hand to make best use of the service, but that said, the information only has to be entered once and all government and local government agencies are supposed to be informed; time will tell, but hopefully that should save us a lot of phone calls.

Unfortunately Mrs A's carers allowance falls outside the the scope of 'tell us once', while the benefit is dependent on her Mum's condition (and yes we're telling them that Mum has passed away) this is not linked to the 'tell us once' information. Carers allowance is claimed by the carer themselves and requires that the carer is the one who assumes responsibility for any communications about the allowance.

We have no problem with the financial balance being calculated, the allowance should be paid for 8 weeks after a persons passing, but it is actually abut 11 weeks since Mum went into hositpal, the point at which we should have informed them, and that would have stopped the payments until she either returned home or passed away.

What is distasteful beyond belief is that the DHSS operative has left Mrs A in a no man's land, as to whether action will be taken about making a fraudulent claim, when the operative knew full well that Mum hasn't even been buried yet. I mean just how much cr @ p is a person supposed to put up with??

Having seen the distress this had caused Mrs A, I'm all for complaining and writing to our MP and anyone else who would listen or take an interest. However, that is unlikely to result in any peace of mind for Mrs A, who, quite understandably wants this matter to go away as quickly as possible. This is likely to be achieved by writing a cheque for about £150 when the invoice arrives. It causes me some concern that the operative should 'get away' with such an approach, but obviously my ultimate loyalty is to Mrs A.
By MikeE
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845279
That is entirely understandable, @avtur3, this must be such a difficult time for you both and of course you want to put this particular matter behind you. But for your own peace of mind I still suggest you contact your MP, asking him or her to take the matter up with the DHSS Minister. You don't need to involve Mrs A who is clearly upset enough, but could quietly email your MP with a cut and paste of your posts above. And please reassure Mrs A that this is almost certainly not going to lead to allegations of fraud - the operative was completely out of order even suggesting it. Even if it is looked into further, which I very much doubt, then that will simply establish that there was no intention to make any false claim (I was a DHSS investigator, albeit many many many moons ago, but I doubt that things have changed much!).

I do hope things are sorted out soon so you can both move on.

Best wishes

Mike
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#1845291
MikeE wrote:.. quietly email your MP ..


.. or even write a letter (envelope, stamp, ..).

A serious suggestion. MPs are now so easy to e-mail that, even with (now) relatively generous staffing costs allowances (there once used to be enough to cover about half the cost of a London-based PA), the inboxes are overwhelmed. I have heard that much is (deservedly) instantly deleted by staffers, or a 'holding' reply is automatically sent with no follow-up. Whether it's better or worse during 'lockdown' I do not know. In any case, there is scope for 'finger trouble', deletion in error or by misjudgement of staffer. A physical letter, on the other hand, is these days at least much rarer, and I gather for that reason alone more likely to get staffers' and thence MP's attention.

Oh, and it may be easier to compose (and edit before printing) an articulate but factual and courteous letter than a 'stream of indignant consciousness' e-mail before hitting 'Send'.

[I see in today's news that Post Office is introducing commemorative stamps for the "Second Barons' War", (weak) King vs Peers' Parliament. ONe outcome was the Simon de Montfort legacy of an English [sic] Parliament answerable, albeit slightly, to some of the people (adult freeholder males), as well as to Peers, for the first time .. </history nerd> ]
#1845296
avtur3 wrote:What is distasteful beyond belief is that the DHSS operative has left Mrs A in a no man's land, as to whether action will be taken about making a fraudulent claim, when the operative knew full well that Mum hasn't even been buried yet. I mean just how much cr @ p is a person supposed to put up with??


Given the vast sums of money that are fraudulently claimed from various welfare budgets in the UK, I would be very (very) surprised if any action beyond reclaiming any overpayments was taken. I doubt that the evidence, including the fact that it was your wife who brought the matter to attention and the relatively short period involved, would pass either the threshold for court action or that of the public interest.

That doesn't in any way excuse the way in which your wife was treated at an already emotional time and it should be brought to attention so that the individual involved can receive either retraining or redeploying to a less sensitive post.

PW