Cautioned by Council

[smptrds]

I have been receiving Council Tax Rebate since 2002. Recently, I was cautioned for not informing them, WITHIN ONE MONTH, income we received in 2004 and I had to repay over two hundred pounds back.

As I am disabled and have been taking strong pain and depressant tablets as well as suffering from C.F.S./M.E. since 2000, I had forgot that I wrote to them about our increase WITHIN the month of receiving it. I have the letter stamped by the council by 4 different departments that proves this and it has been in their files all the time.

The Council state that my capital has never altered since September 2003, which is impossible. They have been ignoring my letters, emails and when I phone, I am told that they are not to communicate with me.

As I have been declaring increases in my income twice a year since Sept. '03, I think they have lost my documents.

I am trying to get my 'Caution', which is held over me at the Council and the D.W.P. for five years, removed and a written apology from the Council. They haven't got the decency to call me in and talk about this declared income. The Ombudsman is now involved with my case.

Any further advice such as Libel etc.

[smptrds]

Our local 'Welfare Rights Department' here took three years attempting to get me a disability award. They also lost my files, an officer left and shelved me records, a second stopped communicating with me after she failed and finally, after complaining through the Ombudsman about my treatment, this same Council awarded me a mere �200 compensation.

I went to my C.A.B. who filled in my disability claim form for me and I was awarded the 'High' disability within weeks. I estimated a loss of over �10,000 in disability payments over the years the Welfare Rights handled my claim and a similar amount in savings to keep me alive.