- Mr. Geoff Raw: Acting Chief Executive Brighton & Hove City Council
- Mr. Keith Glazier: Leader of East Sussex County Council
- Cllr Dave E: Deputy Leader East Sussex County Council
Dear Gentlemen,
CALL OFF YOUR DOGS.
Please Sir, I implore you, call off
your dogs...
I’m an law abiding citizen, born and
bred in Brighton and Hove. Orphaned in 2001, I'm now a father of two
young children, living in a council house in Moulsecoomb and eking
out a living as a freelance copywriter.
Entitled to take on work to supplement
my freelance work, between September to October 2015, I took on
agency employment working for the Royal Mail in Brighton.
Due to tax paid during this period the
housing benefit which was paid on my council house was stopped.
The broken promises made by Royal Mail
of guaranteed work up to Christmas/New Year and an offer of a job in
2016, turned to nothing and after 6 weeks I found myself with no job
looking for work.
It was during this six week period that
the housing benefit was stopped and rent of £86.00 was charged on a
weekly basis.
This was during this period that I got
walloped with a massive fine for £719 from the Brighton and Hove
Parking Department.
Since the new parking permit rules were
introduced in 2013, I found myself in difficulty in completing the
necessary paper work.
I had completed the necessary form and
having taken it to the appropriate office to get a permit, was told I
needed a V50. For the life of me I didn't know what a V50 was. (It
turned out I needed a V2; perhaps its due to my dyslexia that I
hadn't a clue what either a V50 or V2 was. The DVLA confirmed the
vehicle was registered in my name; what more was required?)
It was also during this period that my
mother-in-law was dying from Cancer and the relationship with my
partner was breaking down.
I was under considerable stress and
strain and repeatedly wrote letters and made telephone calls to the
Parking Department asking for help and assistance in completing the
necessary forms to obtain a parking permit.
While this was going on I was
repeatedly being issued with parking fines between £30-£70, even
though my vehicle was legally parked outside my house, MOT’d,
insured and taxed.
Again I repeat, on numerous occasions I
appealed the parking fines on the grounds that I didn't understand
what was required to obtain the parking permit and appealed for
assistance to help me.
On numerous occasions the parking fines
were dismissed but still the parking fines continued to be issued
causing me considerable stress and strain, compounded with the death
of my mother-in-law and the relationship breakdown between me and my
partner.
I refer to this because the rent could
have been paid during this period if Brighton and Hove Parking
Department haven't towed away my car forcing me to pay £719 to get
it back.
Again I reiterate; the vehicle was
legally parked outside my house, fully insured, MOT’d and taxed but
still I was continually fined for not displaying a parking permit,
which I didn't understand how to get and which I had asked the
parking department on numerous occasions to help and assist me.
I intend to make further complaints on
this matter with the goal of having a full refund of £719 in due
course.
Back to the Housing dispute.
Having stopped working for Royal Mail
in November I returned to copywriting in which I wasn't earning a
living wage and took on any freelance work I could get my hands on.
It was during this time that I was
notified by the housing department that the housing benefit had been
stopped and that I'd have to make a new claim to continue having the
housing benefit paid.
I duly made a new housing benefit
claim, providing the comprehensive information which was required on
the claim form.
Weeks later I was issued a Notice of
Repossession due to the fact that the Housing claim hadn't fully been
processed.
Since then it was been one thing after
another.
First you required all my wage slips
from Manpower (The agency I worked for via Royal Mail).
- I provided a summary of the wage slips which was accepted.
Second the summary of wage slips was
deemed to be insufficient and every individual wage slip was
required.
- I provided each and every wage slips and requested and this was accepted.
Thirdly a P45 was required from
Manpower. While Manpower said they had sent me my P45 I hadn't
received it and was informed a replacement could not be issued. This
was explained to the Housing Benefit via Christopher Percival and an
email stating my end date was said to be acceptable.
- I provided an email from Manpower stating the start and end date.
Fourthly an email from Manpower stating
my start and termination date was required and I had to explain that
this information had already been sent and had been accepted.
Now baring in mind I was assured that
the Housing Benefit would be completed once a summary of my Manpower
wage slips was provided, I was becoming exasperated that further
additional information was required.
It was during this period that I had to
file my Tax return. The Working Tax credits had contacted me
demanding I justify my work rate in claiming for Working Tax credit.
Consequently both myself and partner had to complete considerable
paper work detailing what we did to earn money for the last 12 weeks.
No wonder I had no time to concentrate
on finding self employed work when all my time was being spent on
completing bureaucracy for the Government.
So when Christopher Percival demanded
both my partner and I had to complete a self employment form, I found
myself at the end of my tether and feeling somewhat victimised
against.
But still, I put on a brave face, and
considering there is a possession order hanging over us which could
result in our council house being taken away and my children made
homeless, I completed the Self Employment form as required.
Now, Christopher Percival wants even
more information. Having made a web search on my company name and
picking up now defunct websites advertising for chauffeur and
cleaning services which I advertised years ago, I am being made to
explain myself further, to provide all my bank statements since 2013
and explain why I earn such a pitiful amount as a copywriter.
I'm at the end of my tether and feel
suicidal.
I have nothing to hide by making my
application but feel I am being made a scape-goat to justify
Christopher Percival employment.
Where's my right of privacy?
Christopher Percival is saying jump;
and I'm replying “Yes Sir, how high?”
Then he says jump higher, “Yes Sir,
how high?”
Now jump higher; “Yes Sir, is this
high enough?”
Higher, higher, higher...
I'm feeling victimised against,
harassed and played like a fool.
Because the Council house is registered
in my name, I'm unable to sign the property over to my partner and
I'm unable to move out and claim assistance from the Council in
finding alternative accommodation because it would mean declaring
myself intentionally homeless.
If truth be known I am existing in a
verbally abusive relationship, in which my ex-partner hates my presence in
the housing and wants me out ASAP.
I’m positive I can earn a suitable
income as a freelance writer if I was able to write. I find myself in
an impossible position of wanting to move out but unable to. I need
to find suitable employment and I’m happy to stop my self employed
status forthwith.
It doesn't help me in anyway to suffer
the constant harassment of Christopher Percival continually demanding
more and more paper work to justify his own existence. We all know
jobs will be lost in Brighton and Hove City Council and it seems to
me that Christopher Percival is using me as an excuse to justify his
own job and contribution to Brighton and Hove City Council.
Having to explain myself further and
obtain my bank statements since 2013 will incur extra costs for me
and waste time when I should be looking for work to feed my kids.
This is infuriating and I'm at the end
of my tether.
- My sister is homeless sleeping on the streets.
- I've been defrauded out of £719 by Brighton and Hove Parking Department, for legally parking my car outside my house, fully insured, MOT’d and taxed.
- I am being harassed by Christopher Percival from the Housing Benefit department to provide paperwork for no other reason to justify his own job.
- I'm in an abusive relationship which is having a detrimental effect on my children, myself and Karina.
- I have a Notice of Possession order hanging over the house.
- And now you want me to explain why defunct websites are still on the Internet, 3 years worth of back bank statements and to explain why I’m earning such a pitiful income...
Thanks for nothing Brighton and Hove
City Council, you sure know how to make a man feel suicidal.
Please can you do me a favour and call
of the Dogs....
Geoff Raw
@GeoffRawBHCC
@BBCPeterH
Acting Chief Executive Brighton &
Hove City Council
Keith Glazier
@CllrGlazier
I am the Leader of East Sussex County
Council
Cllr Dave E
@CllrDaveE
Deputy Leader East Sussex County
Council ,
BrightonHoveCouncil
@BrightonHoveCC
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