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[MSE Archna]

This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's blog. Please read the blog first, as this discussion follows it.

Read Martin's 'Mental Health and Debt Guide ' Blog.

Click reply to discuss below.

[Ghostlove]

I have several mental illnesses (and some others pending diagnosis in January when I finally see a psychiatrist) and am in a lot of debt which is spiralling badly. I am glad to see someone 'in the public eye' recognise that those of us who are 'mad' are disproportionately more likely to also have debt problems and difficulty understanding and managing those debts. I am looking forward to your piece with interest.

[fermi]

Had wondered what had happened to this.

A shame that it has been delayed a bit, but I'm very pleased to see that Martin is persevering with it. As said, it is an important area that has not really been addressed well in the past.

Thanks.

[Airwolf1]

I think one of the things involved with this type of a scenario is a person or carer (who may be purely a family member) not knowing/realising what benefits they (the carer and the cared for) could be entitled to.

[kayla99]

I’m a mental health nurse, and have come across many individuals who have accumulated vast amounts of debt when unwell, particularly people in a ‘manic phase’ of Bi-Polar.
In these cases when the debt has occurred through genuine illness the Consultant has written a supporting letter to confirm this and the debt eventually has been written off. I have seen this with bank loans, credit cards and Hp agreements. But you need to have a supportive mental health team to achieve this, as the process is not easy, and it’s not guaranteed to work.

[bigsnap]

Mind have a section of their website devoted to this issue - www.mind.org.uk/money - and a report "In the red - debt and mental health" with a foreword by none other than the MSE himself.

There's also a guide at http://www.mhdebt.info/finaldemand.pdf.

[bramblejam]

Will this guide just be for/about people with bipolar, schizophrenia etc or will there be a section for the sometimes quite serious mental health effects of being in debt? I've had quite serious depression caused by stumbling into debt, and the good old NHS won't fund a therapist, you end up paying £40 an hour that you can ill afford. Well I did, anyway.

[kayla99]

I don’t know if I am allowed to say this , but if I am not, the board moderators will remove the post, so here I go.

I work full time, as a Mental Health Nurse [I’m also a wife, and a mother to three, one of whom has Autism] , therefore I don’t have that much spare time, but I am willing to help people with Mental Illness with DLA claims, or point people in the right direction for advice. I work in the North West, so have a strong knowledge base of services available in that area.

I have had many successes when supporting clients in applying for DLA. If you feel I can offer you any advice, please ask

Kay

[vegankris]

I tried climbing the ladder (into retail management) a few years back and found it far too stressful as I suffer from anxiety. I'd rather be poorer and at the bottom of the ladder because my happiness and mental health is worth far more to me than getting a good wage... unfortunately I took out my mortgage at the time when I was awaiting a promotion and imagining that in a few years I'd be a much higher earner.

[Mia Moore]

I had a reasonably well paid job and was doing quite well until the depression which had dogged much of my life returned. I was off work and things got out of control, I was really struggling financially and this made me feel even more worthless than I felt before. The constant phone calls and demands for money sent my stress levels through the roof that after every call I self harmed, and I almost gave up on living.
I was so ashamed about my illness and my finances, so I kept everything to myself.

Thankfully, after psychiatric care and a support worker who told me about CCCS I am feeling much more positive, and do feel like I can breathe again.

Sorry waffle-waffle.

[rach]

Would definitely recommend that you (Martin and the MSE team) work with organisations like MIND and Rethink on this as not only will they be able to advise and help you practically but they will be a key partner in getting the resource out there for people

[lolababy]

Id put forward the hidden benefits out there ie council tax disregard for people with severe mental health problems. You just fill out a short form take it to your gp or psychiatrist to confirm your mental health condition and give it to the council.

Support groups such as the carers centers that can help with advice on what help is avaliable.

social services can help with repairs of essential goods ie washing machines.

Ex service personell can get help from the services they belonged to .You only need to be in the services one day to get help. To qualify you must be in need.

Hope this is of some help as it has for my family.

[rahrah71]

hello,
I got into financial difficulties following a series of upsets, included a relationship breakdown, losing my job and being forced to move home. I had no history of mental illness, but the stress really meant I couldnt cope.

a friend suggested a CBT therapist, and i was advised to tell my creditors I had suffered a 'stress related breakdown', rather than suffering from 'depression', as this would carry more weight. It did, and I got a good response, buying me time to put things in order, with the help of citizens advice and a consumer dredit charity.

It was a truly horrible time, but the practical advice and emotional support was invaluable. It gave me a clear pathway when i was totally foggy and unable to think. I never thought I'd be an official 'nutcase', but the whole experience shows that life can disintergrate and thats when we need help.

Thankfully after 26 months Im about to make my last repayment, and Im feeling so much calmer.
I hope the mental illness guide (mental health sounds better?) becomes a reality soon

[vintage65]

hi, im new to this site. i was diagnosed with depression and was suicidal earlier this year. although ive been depressed before it was the first time i actually asked for help.I'm still struggling sometimes but having read so much on this site about debt it really has helped me to focus in a positive way to sort my finances out. Since summer this year i paid all my credit cards off, although it was with a loan put on my mortgage, it worked out so much less than i was paying individually. I have one card left and have decided to take Martins' advice and use my little ISA to pay it off. I came across a site called livinglifetothefull. I hope it helps.

[kayla99]

I got sent a PM, by someone who I presume to be a 'board guide'?

I deleted the message by accident, but I am willing to give any input I can.

Hope you read this

Kay

[inthegreen]

I know a few people who would look forward to this guide. One has a family member who has a lot of problems with managing money due to her mental illness and my friend spends a lot of time managing her money for her on top of working full time and looking after her own 2 kids. There have been several scary incidents which I won't list on a public board but several of them have been to do with institutions selling or mis-selling unsuitable products to someone who has no capacity to understand what she is signing up for.

Go Martin

[whitevanwoman]

Why don't you ask for input to the guide from people with mental health problems and debt problems?

[lolababy]

Great to see the thread alive and kicking. This guide needs input from people with mental health needs, carers and the financial bodies. Im sure that the cab and mind would be glad to add to the guide.
There is a guide called the big book of benefits. Its format is really simple and gets the message across with humor . I found that a lot and of information was long winded and used complicated language.in some other guides.
Make it simple with a sense of humor and you will have a captive audience.