Benefits

[Lynnann]

In fairness Nigel politicians, never suffer so get seperated from reality,

I am at so many ends of the spectrum, Nic in all fairness and respect to you, which I have loads for you have no idea what working for the the NHS is like and with all the government targets that are expected, it changes like the wind, this is usually dependant on the individual managers, there has never been a more clicky environment in place it is a losing battle and a minefield to navigate.

It is run by people, whose power has little or no consequence those brought to industrial tribunal they lie and stick together like glue, witnessed it from others who have tried to bring justice to an unjust system.

Myself, I didn't get along with my manager 4 days sick within a year was put under a capability policy ( was I capable of doing my job)
the days I had off were signed off from a chest infection signed off from GP and an upset stomach but still enough for the policy to be put in place. Not even an anxiety which they knew about but still enough that they buried me for months in paperwork, accounting for every minute of my time etc, although they didn't pay me for all the extra hours that it took to complete all of this. t was only my peverse nature that I wouldn't let them beat me.

Before all this I had the meeting with occupational health I explained to them that I had issues with my manager and that made things more difficult, guess there is no trying to explain sometimes

Their recommendations, monthly meetings one to one, no witnesses with said manager, There was little more that they could have advised that could have been more abusive, The things that woman said to me without witness well it disgusted me but no witnesses.

There is little understanding of mental health issues within the work place and if the NHS are incapable I have little hope of many other being able. you were fortunate by having an understanding workplace with an insurance scheme in place but that is not always the case.

Lynnann

[Rous]

Hi Piers,

I hope you are still here and can read this, I read you were packing the site in, I do hope you don't, you've done good here.

I wanted to go back to your initial post.

"Just spoken with DWP, we are now meant to live on £85 per week for 2 people.

How the f*ck is that even possible?"

I have had to make an appt. with my social worker regarding my benefit issues of late, I'm only on one (that I receive money for) benefit, income support - sickness (that's all it is described as), over time I've seen it rise and fall over time.

I barely survive on the amount I get, and recently after talking with the benefits folk about having a lady (a friend I like down south) move in with me they told me that if she did my money wudn't change (as it is my rented flat) but her benefit wud be cut so that our total income wud be at the 2 person level, a loss for my friend of over £80 a week, I nearly fainted when they told me it was something to do with the fact we wud be considered a 'partnership' even if we weren't going out (which we wudn't be really at first tho I had hoped that wud change).

The whole thing scared me and with the new changes I am scared even more to the point I'm going back to dreading even making any kind of commitments, I may get a little more than someone on income support but I have trubs paying my gas & electricity. twice this year alone I nearly lost my Virgin-media account, 1st due to me running out of money (just buying food) and not able to pay the 2nd due to me serious having to cancel my account with them, if it wasn't for their half-price for a month or two deal I wudn't be here online right at this moment.

It's got so bad for me that I have asked my sister (who has a family and suffers from lupus) to help me organise my money (which I am useless at ever since I was 13 and earning my own cash) & to help me write up a 14 day shopping list that I can get and which will keep me healthy for as little money as possible.

These things are just my trubs, I wanted to let you know you're not alone in trying to cope, I dread the changes to my benefit in the future, even to the point I think the worse.

To kind of answer yer 'how' question, I think there is some wee creep in a dark room that tallies up an average life & what they cost then maybe cuts that by a third to save the government money, who knows but it wudnae surprise me.

The reason I think that is all the times I've been to CAB about my financial probs after my divorce etc I see they use a standard 'government' made form that lists many things that we the people are meant to spend & get as income, it was used to tally up how much I cud pay my debtors back per month, but what got me was the form had silly things on it that if you even put a value in it is considered wrong but they allow £1 per week to buy a lottery ticket. It's just messed up in my opinion, as after we (me & the CAB Lady & my social worker) went thru this list of income & expenditure I was only living on £24-£28 pounds a week for food, gas & electric, as a single guy living in a small flat that was normal said the CAB lady, scared the crap outta me.

The social worker said it's the government trying to balance the budget and the 1st thing that came to my mind was instead of hitting us folk who are skint they shud recoup the dosh from benefit cheats etc that get thousands, the social worker just looked at me as if I said something terrible. I haven't seen her since.

In my situation I was advised to claim other benefits, like DLA etc. but I only did it once (to keep my mum happy) and after the year of DLA ran out I never bothered applying again tho everyone said I shud, I'm just one of those folk who don't understand money/benefits etc and are completely happy with just the one benefit that pays me, like I said I barely survive but I just manage.

Fair enuf I'll lose the TV/Phone & Broadband in a few months at the most, maybe sooner, to save more money but I'd do it coz as long as I'm kinda breathing I'm happy.

Anyway I've totally rambled & the dictionary thing is flagging dozens of words that need correcting, and some that need adding - when will someone release a Scots dictionary for firefox, does my head in adding things.

I'll go for now.
Take care & be safe Piers.

[uk23]

Thanks for all the replies.

We have another appointment with the MP as he is one of those against all of the cuts and wants to try other pathways.

Nicola, I do agree the best choice would be to go back to work, this is something I tried. I got a part time job working from home but even though my mind is saying 'get a job' and I have had job offers, the rest of me says no even when trying my hardest.

I am not one of these people who enjoys not working, for me its wasted life without work and intellectual growth.

Some of the websites I have done (I only listed 10% of previous page) I should have charged £1000-1500 for but only charged £150 as the government didnt have a system for people who earned erratic amounts of money.

Also with these cuts the first thing to go are my servers. These are paid for until the 1/12/10 and were mostly paid for by work I did.

[opiateyes]

I think the thing is with anxiety is phyically you may be able to do the job,but it gets in the way alot

when i was working last I didn't tell anyone about my anxietys and OCD and hoped it just wouldn't be a problem. I Tried so hard everyday, but it still wasn't good enough and constantly got told off by managers, for being in the bathroom too long washing (ocd) and getting muddled with my work ect. I tried my best, but i still got fired.

[mick_uk]

I guess everything is relative when it comes to money. I know people who have sky television, internet connection, the latest mobile phones, games consoles etc, yet still maintain they are hard up.
Struggling to manage to live can mean different things to different people.
Living with anxiety or it's various forms usually, not always, but usually means a lowering of income and standards of living, which in turn adds to the problems you already have.
I've worked from home for a few years now and I'm lucky to be able to do that, but without that, I would have been in doo doo.
My original profession went out the window years ago, and I had to adapt around my problems. Easier said than done.
I woulnd't hold your breath waiting for the politicians to offer any help. Mental health has never been high up on their agenda. They are too busy hanging curtains in their second homes.
oh well, back to work while I watch Jeremy Kyle (at least watching some of those muppets makes me feel better in myself)

mick

[london]

if thats all your getting for 2 of you i think the dwp have got there sums wrong
go to cab see what thay say its worth a try good luck god bless

[uk23]

I just called up, shouted and demanded they did something. They eventually decided they were still taking money off for work we had not done (had a job months ago). They now say they owe us £520 but due to their policy they will only backdate it 4 weeks, so £320.

[mick_uk]

Good for you for shouting mate. It's like living in Kafka's world trying to deal with the various Government departments. They give to us with one hand and take it away with the other.

[PoppyC]

There is no solution other than to find work, if you want your lifestyle to improve - I know there are hardly any jobs around and some areas are worse than others for jobs, so I feel really sorry for people who are trying their hardest to get a job and can't get one.
I worked at home online, when my anxiety was worse than it is now, and now I am working part time in a job - some days are terrible, but others are not so bad, but that is how I felt when I was at home.
I think people who do need financial help and who have serious mental health/physical health problems and agoraphobia should get that help.
Years ago, if you didnt work, then you starved or it was the workhouse. Ok times have moved on, but people in this country are lucky compared to some in other countries who if they have no work, starve, and where having a computer and net connection would be considered a luxury!
The goverment does not have a bottomless pit of money to give in benefits. Thanks to people who abused the benefits system - the non genuine claimants of Incap Benefit - it has made the genuine claimants suffer.
The only answer to improve the situation is to try and find work of some sort as difficult as it may be, or just accept that life on benefits is very tough as unfair as it may seem.

[uk23]

Yes times have moved on and the EU now consider that an internet connection is an essential service, the same as water or electricity.

I know there are other people in countries who have nothing but then are people who have everything so it works both ways. Money will never be distributed between rich and poor but the rich should help the poor IMO. When I had money I worked for 2 charities and donated money every month.

I never asked for anything from the government, my schooling was private and my healthcare was as well, so now that I financial need help from them...