I got my letter from ESA today. I will be kicked off on the 30th April, which leaves me with only DLA to live on highest rate mobilty and middle rate care.
I am greatful for DLA but I do have a £250 bill every month and a £250 food bill monthly to pay so this is a real kick up the bum…
I did appeal about a month ago for the support group, however I was told this will take up to 9 months so I still have to live of hard anything for the next 8 months.
Then who knows if I will win either… I will have to go back to work again… with hardly any eye sight, a mental health condition which I need high theropy for. Then the walking is limited I have to use the electric wheelchairs in super markets as I can’t balance of stand for more then a min. I do have a wheelchair myself but its hard to use because I can not coordinate my arms right to push the wheels.
I also have a monthly bill of pet insurance for the dog (know its not a must) but the dog got sick last week and luckly I had pet insurance of it would of been a big fine for me.
Then I have £35 a month British gas insurance, yes another my choice, but I am glad I have it as my boiler always packs up and today they had to come out coz all electris blew in the house.
Then there is council tax £110 a month so it will be very stressful few months.
Sorry everyone I had to get that off my cheast, I have needed to for so long now.
Hope there is more luck for all of you because I understand ure pain
Is there not other money coming into the household? Working partner, pensions etc. I ask because you account the expenses as though it is just you. If you have no other income (DLA does not count as income) you will be eligible for income related ESA. It is only contribution based ESA that is time limited. Check on the letter that you received. Does it ask you to apply for income based ESA? You will have to fill in a form with details about your financial circumstances. You do not have to prove your eligibility for ESA again – just your financial cirqs.
I am sorry that your appeal for support group will take so long .
If you are having problems using a self propel wheelchair (me too) perhaps your GP can refer you to wheelchair services for an electric one.
My goodness, how I feel for you, its an utter nightmare, expecting people to survive on DLA - I couldnt do it and neither should you. Youve been given excellent advice but you may have to do all the running. I just hope others in your situation seek help too. There must be an equivalent to IB which caters for the ‘disabled’ to live. Surely we havent got to accept cuts making living impossible? Is it a case of we must eat grass?
I wish you well in your quest, I fully agree you cannot live off DLA alone and there must be help out there. Do try, even though your probably very worried, please find the strength to fight your corner.
Disgusting that disabled have to seek help in the first place, I would have thought more was in your letter from DWP stating other avenues of support.
As Jane says you must be eligable for other benefits if all you have coming in is DLA as it is not classed as income.
As you are on high rate DLA you may be eligable for a Warm front grant to replace the boiler that always packs up which could save you £35 per month.
Call the benefits hotline regarding other benefits that you may be entitled to. If your appeal is successful you could get the ESA backdated to when you claimed to the higher rate.
Is you council tax at the reduced rate ? Are you getting all the local authority benefits that you are entitled to.
Certainly contact CAB or other organisations in your area that help with benefits advice if ou need help with that.
I can answer a few questions. This is going to sound crazy but its the truth. I live with a b/f who works 37 hours a week I have to pay him £250 a month, he says is I can’t we will have to move and I will loose my animals (couple of rats and mice). Which is not much money as I did some free work at a petshop in the past so they gave them to me for free with free bedding and food for the rest of their lives, also have a good friend comes round and cleans them out. Then I have my Tortoise which I do pay for but she has been around for a while and they are my life now as I don’t have the money of power to have children if that makes any sense. I also pay for all my dentist bills all my drugs and I get 5 prescriptons a month.
The dog is his but he wont pay the insurance or food only walks the dog. She is a lovely dog, I don’t want her to go back to the RSPCA either :(.
So because of my partner working that amount of hours a week, I can’t get anything and the horrible truth is I pay him not the other way round. I pay for our food monthly, well he gives me a Asda voucher of £130 a month but with food bills these days that does not do anything… So I am stuck and it is prob all my fault, but I need to outburst sometime… I did go to the CAB and they helped me with writting my appeal and said they will help me if any action happens.
Thanks for clearing up your personal circumstances. I can answer a bit more clearly now.
If you live as a partner with someone their income is classed as joint no matter how you organize your finances. If your partner works 37 hours you will not be eligible for any means tested benefits (income based ESA, income support, council tax benefit etc) Sadly you would be better off on your own but that is your decision and the heart does not always follow the balance sheet.
Working tax credit is the only option at this point if your b/friend does not earn very much. Obviously your partner will have to apply as he is the one working but the claim will be as a couple.
As for you paying him each month – I suppose it is towards the mortgage or rent which he thinks he will not afford on his own. There’s not much of a way round this other than to find somewhere cheaper – why would this put the animals at jeopardy?
I’m really sorry that you are facing this situation – damn government. The only thing I can suggest is to sit down together and make some hard choices. Financial/life style/future together. It is not your fault that you are suddenly without the means to support yourself. Actually it is the relationship itself that is leaving you short.
If you were to move out and rent a place of your own you would be eligible for:
Council tax benefit
Housing benefit
Income based ESA or income support
All your prescriptions for free plus dental benefits
Can you hang on until your appeal is heard? If you get into the support group your contribution based ESA will be reinstated and no decisions need to be made.
Yes I have tried all of it. Because my partner earns £25k a year I can get nothing… I also do have a prescription card since last month now £110 a year so that had helped. The thing is my b/f earns far too much over BUT I get no help off him I give him money. Most he ever does is pays for the odd takeaway or a meal out but even then complains. He says its because he has a loan of £15k he needs to pay off so I have to help…
Sorry too be so blunt but you need to lose that pathetic excuse of a man! If the tables where turned his hand would be out expecting you to cover everything. I know it’s not that easy but there is support out there to help you live independently .This really does make my blood boil! Not even as a fellow MSer but from female to female- you aren’t trapped my sweet. You can do this and keep your fur babies Much love take care
I totally feel for you, I to have recieved the same letter, Totally crazy government decission… Taking away our dignity so to speak. I do not want to be a kept women, and have unfortunately found myself in this posistion that i’m un able to work, prior to been refered to a neuroligist for ms symptoms I had major hip surgery which put me out of work!! Now i’m finding myself in the same situation as yourself, I do however have a partner who doesn’t ask me for money, it doesn’t make it any easier… i now have no independence and that is only going to aid in my depression getting worse. How can they do this to folk, I get that there are a lot of folk claiming benefit’s that really shouldn’t get them, but what about the genuine folk…
I can bearly walk properly and have to use my crutches, mainly due to the surgery, but after all the triping , stumbling and other symptoms i have been expriencing the doc told me to use when i felt necessary!! I was denied DLA, based on information i had provided not from the surgeon or doctor… heyho, I know that major cut backs have to be made, but this is a step to far…I have worked full time from the age of 18 part time whilst at college… My whole life up till couple of years ago. so i do feel slightly let down by the government, as if we don’t have enough to worry about…
I have thought about renting on my own so everything is paid for, however its not easy to find rented place’s that will take on rats, mice and a tortoise… I will keep on looking I guess.
As for Andrea, I am very sorry to hear about that u are lucky to have a b/f that charge’s you but I do know what you mean. It took me 6 goes at the DLA forms… the only time I won was when I got the CAB to fill them out for me. Do it they are really good at it and know how to please the goverment.
I thought about going back to my parents house for abit abit degrading at 30 years old. However my parents lost there old job last year and got a very small house now, through to not being able to pay the old mortgage. My mum got ill when I was a young teen and because of that my dad lost alot of jobs trying to care for her and he is 65 now and he couldn’t cope anymore last year. He also gave up his Pention to pay for old bills and my mums treatments so is why they r so hard off. My mother had Hepathopulmonary syndrome which even tho it was helped by a liver transplant she still needs alot of drugs to get by. The goverment give her nothing either which is very sad, its because my dad has to work himself to a early grave
I agree the support out there can be pitiful, but from the governments point of view you as a couple have a reasonable income (25k) - your boyfriends debt is neither here not there to them. I do think he I’d being very unsupportive in continuing to make you pay him to make up his shortfall - if you were to move out he’d still have to find the same amount if cash but from somewhere else. I would really rethink if your independence is worth sacrificing for what appears to be entirely his gain. I won’t lie - it can be really hard on your own (I earn 11k and pay everything out of it) but surely it’s better to have a go on your own than stay with someone who is so callous to your situation? Good luck x
i got the exact same letter the other day iv already looked into it and i will be getting income based wich from what i have managed to work out will be more than i was on to begin with. Look into it im sure they cant leave you to survive on that.
I have already been told income support is a no go for me. Also if I claim job seekers allowence while waiting for my appeal they said I would never win it as I would be fit for work… I can’t get tax credits I think I looked into everything however it is great that ppeople are saying stuffcoz maybe I am missing something. Thankyou x
I would take issue with the word “partner” which implies two people in it together. Your b/friend isn’t in it together with you he’s in it for himself. I would take a long hard think about if I wanted to spend my life with someone who is
a) so mean
b) gets into so much debt whilst earning so much
I’m sorry to be harsh but this guy has fallen at the first hurdle. IMO you would be better off financially and emotionally on your own. I see only heartache in the future with this chump!
I chickened out on my last post and tried to go anon because I’m not usually so blunt but I stand by what I said. My auntie lived with a (financially) mean man and had a miserable life because of it. Break free - get into the light and spend your own money on what you want.
Our mortgage is £116k for 2 bed room terraced house, and I know what ure all saying is the truth and I know it. Reason I find it so hard leaving is because I know there is good in him… he saved me from my last relationship were my ex used to beat me and strangle me on the off day, the only time I could come to leave that guy was when he attacked my father…
