Latest news with #BictonHeath
BBC News
01-08-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Shropshire army veteran to fight 'inhumane' review after losing Motability
A 56-year-old army veteran has said he will "fight" to keep his Motability car after a review concluded that he no longer qualifies for Motability scheme allows people with a personal independence payment, or Pip, to lease a Tolhurst, who lives in Bicton Heath, who has received his mobility payment for six years, claims that a recent reassessment was not done properly and said his treatment has been "inhumane."A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said they are "changing the welfare system so it helps people to live with dignity." Dean Tolhurst served in the army in the 1980s as a driver in the Royal Corps of has had a Motability car for six years, after breaking his back, having three strokes, two hernias, knee reconstructions, and a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Mr Tolhurst said he is unable to afford his own vehicle, and so relied on his mobility payments. "I can't used public transport because of my PTSD," he said, adding that he only allows trusted friends to drive him to doctors' appointments and the supermarket. "They've given me one week's notice [before] I lose the vehicle," he said, adding that it has left him "four miles from my nearest cheap supermarket.""They're isolating me - they're taking me away from my daily needs."Mr Tolhurst has been awarded the standard rate for mobility, but to be eligible for the Motability scheme, claimants need to receive the enhanced rate. Pip is paid to 3.7 million people with a long-term physical or mental health condition in England and includes a daily living component and a mobility component, and claimants may be eligible for one or March, the government announced plans to tighten daily living assessments for both current and future after more than 120 Labour MPs threatened to vote against the change, it confirmed that those already receiving Pip would not be affected. To receive Pip, people are asked questions about everyday tasks, with each scored from zero, for no difficulty, to 12, for most Tolhurst said his most recent reassessment by Capita, who carry out Pip assessments on behalf of the DWP in the Midlands and Wales, did not properly take his mobility issues into resulted in him not receiving an extra mobility payment that would allow him to lease a Motability car. The review was carried out via video call, which the grandfather believes is not appropriate."The video call got to 59 minutes and they said they weren't going to do the mobility part of the exam because they ran out of time," he Tolhurst said that he later found out he "failed" the review because he didn't score highly enough in the mobility section."I don't understand how they can fail me for something they didn't do," he said. The 56-year-old grandfather said he is now "doubling" his doses of prescription painkillers - against his doctor's advice - in order to live his life as normal. "Not all disabilities are physical or visible - the government needs to learn that you can't judge a book by its cover," he said."Not everything that is wrong than me you can see, but what you can see is a person that will not give up."I will not stop fighting." In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said they are "changing the welfare system so it helps people to live with dignity."They added that they "have also announced a ministerial review of the PIP assessment process – which puts disabled people at its heart - to make sure it is fit and fair for the future."Capita said they do not comment on individual cases, and confirmed that the company does not make the decision to award Pip payments. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Views wanted on new Shrewsbury Lidl store plans
Lidl has put forward plans for a development which includes a new store, plus 11 homes, a drive-through coffee shop, plus the possibility of a care German budget supermarket chain is preparing a detailed planning application for a site off Welshpool Road in the Bicton Heath area of Shrewsbury. People have been asked for their thoughts on the proposal before that application is submitted to Shropshire said if the store gets planning approval, it would create about 40 jobs. Lidl said the new store would have a bakery inside, as well as customer toilets and 104 car parking also promised landscaping, including hedgerow and tree company recently came under fire for allegedly removing a hedge on the site so that a hoarding fence could be Tandy, the Shropshire councillor for Bicton Heath, said it angered residents and and has asked Lidl to start taking down the hoarding and put a hedge back which has submitted a retrospective planning application for the erection of the hoarding, said the hoarding was installed to protect and secure the site while it progresses with the plans. It added the company sought guidance to ensure best practice was plans will be on display at Shelton Cricket Club between 15:30 and 19:00 on 10 July. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
