Text message denies wife chance to get out
DESPITE being eligible for a $5000 Home Assist Secure grant, Winston and Fay Spry have been left bitterly disappointed.
After being deemed eligible by their relevant home assist provider, the Gayndah couple applied for the grant in June to install a lift that would allow Fay to leave the house as she can’t walk down the stairs due to ongoing hip and leg injuries.
After applying they heard nothing about the progress of the application, until they received a generic text message saying they were unsuccessful.
Mr Spry said the money would have helped keep Fay out of an aged care facility.
“It’s frustrating when the government promises something and isn’t fair dinkum about it,” Mr Spry said.
“We applied for the grant over the phone and were treated like a number, we heard nothing until receiving a text message saying we were unsuccessful.
“Fay cries sometimes because she can’t get down into the garden and see the animals like I can, so that lift would be life-changing for us.”
Mrs Spry, who is 80 years old, said she hadn’t been able to get out of the house for three years.
“I really wish I could just get down the stairs to just go walk around the place,” Mrs Spry said.
“I had a serious hip injury a few years ago and since then I have been stuck in the house and this grant was my chance to be able to go outside again.”
The State Government announced $10m in $5000 grants for the Home Assist Secure program, aimed at helping the elderly pay for critical home maintenance to allow them to stay in their homes.
This meant only 2000 Queenslander’s would receive the grant.
Member for Callide Colin Boyce said even if one per cent of those households applied, it was clear that a lot of senior citizens would be left disheartened.