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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel offended when referred to IE Hub by United Utilities? Re: Disability

5 replies

LurkingAndVenting · 15/03/2024 11:06

Recently, I underwent a separation from my husband, who now resides elsewhere.

As part of this transition, I've been handling the household bills, transferring them into my name and ensuring everything is sorted.

Dealing with United Utilities has been a bit challenging. Initially, they weren't very cooperative when it came to separating our accounts. Additionally, we are on Watersure due to our son's condition; he is autistic and faces continence issues. Our son receives full care Disability Living Allowance (DLA) until 2028 because of his needs.

Despite our ongoing situation, United Utilities now requires me to provide a recent letter from a medical professional confirming my son's continued incontinence. This requirement is distressing for both him and me. I worry that scheduling new appointments to meet their demands might negatively impact the progress he has made in managing his condition.

I find it frustrating that United Utilities cannot simply transfer our Watersure status from the previous account. I've expressed this concern to their customer support representatives, but they haven't been very receptive. Instead, they enrolled me in "IE Hub" for assistance with payments.

In my opinion, Watersure should be based on need rather than means testing. I've already provided substantial evidence of our need in the past. I'm hesitant to subject my son to further embarrassment by arranging new appointments related to his continence.

What would you do in this situation? And does it seem appropriate to be directed to a payment assistance organisation when seeking entitlements that aren't means-tested?

OP posts:
anotherrainyday · 15/03/2024 12:06

Call up the clinic / hospital / Nurse / GP etc and ask for updated letter re. Continence issues.

or get a letter from school for them?

If they have EHCplan that could be useful if it sets out his care needs.

No need to stress him with an unnecessary appointment.

LurkingAndVenting · 15/03/2024 12:25

I did submit his EHCP as well as DLA. But United Utilities wanted a more recent letter from the past 12 months.

I did contact GP and they referred me to the Community Paediatrician.

Also, its not like his Autism and continence issues have gone away, iykwim!!!

OP posts:
anotherrainyday · 15/03/2024 15:11

Know it is frustrating as these companies have their systems and it is so tiresome getting up to date evidence when you know things haven’t changed. There is so little logic in the systems snd it is always so inflexible.

Dealing with bureaucracy is an never ending task when you have disabled kids and I know how it can get you down…

Good luck with getting the evidence you need.

DysmalRadius · 15/03/2024 15:19

Is there someone that you can deal with via email? I find companies are a lot less willing to put stuff like this in writing, so if you can contact them to say e.g

'Can you confirm my understanding of the current situation: you acknowledge that you have details of my son's conditions on record but you want me to take him for a medically uneccessary appointment to provide you with the same details in order to access the support you know we are entitled to due to his disability?.'

Sometimes spelling it out can yield a slightly more flexible approach as they don't want to say anything that might end up in a formal complaint.

LurkingAndVenting · 19/03/2024 05:04

DysmalRadius · 15/03/2024 15:19

Is there someone that you can deal with via email? I find companies are a lot less willing to put stuff like this in writing, so if you can contact them to say e.g

'Can you confirm my understanding of the current situation: you acknowledge that you have details of my son's conditions on record but you want me to take him for a medically uneccessary appointment to provide you with the same details in order to access the support you know we are entitled to due to his disability?.'

Sometimes spelling it out can yield a slightly more flexible approach as they don't want to say anything that might end up in a formal complaint.

Top tips there, thank you for your suggestion!

OP posts:
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