My partner called THT Direct to find out what help was available with his form, see previous post.
He asked what help was available to facilitate filling in the form. The response was, and I quote
"Unfortunately, THT doesn't really assist in terms of what could be helpful to put in the form or even helping people to go along with the form"
The operator then looked to see if there was other services that might have been able to help in our area. After conferring with a colleague and looking at the information on their system. He suggested, the Riverhouse Trust. This is local HIV support organisation.
He suggested that as they have the CAB attend on Wednesdays, by appointment only, that the CAB might be able to help.
He also suggested we approach our Social Worker. That they may be able to help.
He gave the phone number for Riverhouse Trust.
Then asked my partner if he could answer one last question before the call ended.
He asked my partner "What is your year of birth? we need it for our FUNDING"
You must of course draw you own conclusions from this. By all means approach THT for advice. After all Lisa Power of THT is listed as a member of the Disability & Carers Service Advisory Forum. THT therefore are fully briefed on this review.
At the very least your call will help with ensuring they get the funds to support you from central government as a person living with HIV.
The call was recorded and because of Data Protection Law I cannot make it available for you to listen to. However I will make if available to THT if they request it.
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Congratulations on setting up this blog - the first thing you seem to learn with hiv is that when it really counts the one thing you can always be sure of is that you're usually on your own!
I am in the same situation regarding the DLA review, trying to access some guidance concerning the DLA556 form, and had the same experience with THT - although they tried to be as helpful as possible on the telephone (I found myself feeling sorry for the guy, who spent ages trying to locate someone), the organisation's management doesn't seem at all interested in providing the kind of support that people living with hiv are looking to them to provide - but I guess that that is hardly a new story! The excuse is funding as you say, but I did a research project involving the archives of a major funding charity for hiv nad AIDS a couple of years back and alot of orgainsations in the past seem to have done tremendously valuable work focused on the needs of people affected by hiv with access to far poorer funding than THT currently enjoys.
The only resource available to me in Harringey, in north London, is also on a single opportunity, once a week, basis for 3 hours. You can't book, and their answerphone message announces that they will not respond to messages - I can vouch for the fact that they don't!
With time running out to complete and return the 36 page form, I've realised that to have any chance of a fair review I will have to pay a minimum of £300 to a solicitor (I bought my home years before I got the boot from my job, so have too much equity in it to qualify for legal aid - but obviously you can't eat bricks and mortar and you need a roof over your head). This is a very stressful and unhappy situation, and I know that I, at least, feel badly let down.
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