Table of Contents
- Introduction
- 1. What is an Assisted Collection?
- 2. Eligibility Criteria
- 3. Application Process
- 4. Appeal Process
- 5. Data Protection
Introduction
This document outlines the policy for residents in the borough who may need assistance in presenting their wheeled bins and recycling containers for collection.
Last Updated: August 2016
1. What is an Assisted Collection?
The Assisted Collection service is available to residents who need help to move their wheeled bins or recycling containers to the edge of their property for collection.
On your collection day the crew will collect and empty your wheeled bins and recycling containers from an agreed place in front of your property, and will return them to the same place. Please note we are unable to collect wheeled bins and recycling containers from the rear of your property.
If you ask us for, and we agree that you are entitled to help, we will give you assistance for all of the three regular collection services that we provide, that is: household rubbish collections, recycling collections and garden waste collections.
2. Eligibility Criteria
Assistance is available for any residential property where all of the occupants who are aged 16 or older are physically unable to move their wheeled bins or recycling containers to the edge of their property for collection.
Typically this will be due to the occupants’ infirmity or disability - we will ask you to provide details of this when you apply for help.
There must be no family member or neighbour who can help you with this.
3. Application Process
New Requests for Assistance
If you believe that you, and everyone living at your property, meet the Eligibility Criteria above, then you can ask us to provide assistance by completing the Assisted Collections Request form.
Your Assisted Collection will not start until your eligibility has been assessed and a risk assessment has been carried out for your property - an officer may visit to do this - see below for the Conditions related to our assessment.
We will notify you of our decision within 10 working days of the date of the assessment.
Please note that we reserve the right to monitor that your eligibility has not changed, and we may contact you about this at any time.
Renewing and Cancelling Assistance
Once you start to receive assistance we will write to you every three years to ask you to confirm that you still meet the eligibility requirements for the service - our letter will tell you how to do this.
You can tell us at any time if you no longer need our help by completing the form on our website (as above). This is especially important if your infirmity or disability was temporary and has now improved (e.g. you had broken your leg).
Conditions Related to Our Assessment
The council will assess each application individually but reserves the right to refuse or withdraw the service at any time if any of the following apply:
- The application does not meet our eligibility criteria. We reserve the right to request documentary proof of eligibility, for example, a medical certificate, in order to ensure your eligibility.
- Significant operational difficulties, including health and safety issues, or unreasonable expense will be incurred. However, the council will investigate all practical solutions before refusing or withdrawing assistance - this may include the replacement of your bin with a smaller one if necessary.
- We identify that your circumstances have changed and that you or your property no longer meet our eligibility requirements.
4. Appeal Process
Should you wish to appeal against our decision to refuse an Assisted Collection then you may do so within 10 working days of being told of the decision by either email or letter:
Email: waste.Management@dudley.gov.uk
Write to us at:
Assisted Collections Service,
Waste Care,
Environmental Services,
Lister Road Depot,
Lister Road,
Dudley,
West Midlands,
DY2 8JW
You should fully state the reason for the appeal, making direct reference to the eligibility criteria and providing suitable evidence to support your entitlement.
5. Data Protection
The personal information you provide is subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.
We will treat it as confidential and will hold it for the purposes of assessing and processing your request, and delivering your service.
For more information please refer to our Privacy & Disclaimer Statement. More general information can be obtained from the Information Commissioner’s website.