Iraq Veterans Denied Help

For those who have voluntarily worked closely with Iraq veterans, this story is old hat.

Recently, a caseworker for Soldier, Sailors and Air Force Association had to take that CHARITY to the Queens Court, for legitimate expenses - and not the glorified, rampant perk privilege that Members of parliament demand.

It was a simple case of a LIEN, the caseworker withholding files because the CHARITY could not guarantee the confidentiality of the clients claims; the Divisional Secretary, imposed on the caseworkers by the rank structure of Ssafa Central Office, was being investigated and subsequently imprisoned for embezzlement from DWP. Concerns about Lancashire Office of Ssafa were and are completely ignored. This is no reflection on the caseworkers, who are excellent, conscientious and exceedingly trustworthy.

In Ssafa's defense they claimed that this caseworker had overstepped his/her responsibility. If a caseworker, going blind into a situation, cannot give 100% to assist a whole family unable to help itself, then why do Ssafa have caseworkers?

To be told by Lancashire County Council that the caseworker had achieved more in six weeks than all the other agencies put together had achieved in ten years, is praise indeed while Ssafa, who would not respond to the caseworkers advances for advise, were too busy in Loughborough having a public soirée - first class and using donated funds - to react to the advances of the caseworker and subsequently the client and the clients family.

What made Ssafa's position worse was that they sent a highly paid official all the way up to the North - where the majority of recruits for the Army come from; first class, to spend time in first class hotels, to defend a case that was indefensible. More charity money that ought to have gone to worthy cases. The rail fare alone probably cost more than the caseworker's annual expenses. How does a Charity justify this sort of irrational expenditure, or sheer waste?

For more, read here.