Mods Please Delete. Discussion Is Now Closed!

WhistleBlower

Ok, i'm calling time on this "Get a job" thing, we don't know the OP's circumstances, the Benefits may be disability living allowance or incapacity, some disabilities it truly is not possible to get a job, or they may be caring for a disabled loved one, or suffering a long-term illness.

What happened to a sympathetic ear? People come here to be helped.

paulonline123

ebsay2000 wrote: »

They say on Tv that if 10% of your income goes on paying for gas and electricity......then you're living in Fuel Poverty!

I'm paying nearly a third of my income.........what does that make me???

I currently owe £49 pounds Electric and £122 on Gas.

Atlantic have made me go on a payment scheme totalling £65 Gas a Month and £35 Electric. £100 in total divided into 2 fortnightly payments.

This is to pay off my outstanding balances, and my future usage.

I have water, tv licence, contents insurance, landline, dial up internet, rent top up of £54 pounds a month, 2 cats..........food, travel (whats that??)

This is just ridiculous!!

My benefit went up by £8 a month in April but every bill including food has rocketed.

I cant change providers as i'd have to pay what i owe straight away!

I cant get rid of the landline or internet........ive tried ......but i'm in contract and theyve threatened me with huge bills if i try and leave!!

This is just awful and now Winters upon us and its getting cold.....theres no double glazing in this rented house...... i cant cope with this!!

Ive been living on pasta, rice, ketcup, salad cream and potatoes all year.....no protein.

I have no credit and no hope.......

Politicians dont care or even understand how me and millions of others are truly suffering!!

Well first of all I would suggest getting a job. If you live in Southampton, Manchester, Leeds or Cardiff then we can help with that.

Failing that I think you need to understand what the benefits system is for. Internet cats and landline are not included.

Getting off my soapbox for some real actual help then try speaking to your benefits office about fuel direct, speak to the energy trust and there are grants given in cases of extremity.

If there is some overwhelming reason why you cannot work then take everything from here onwards back. If not have some social responsibility, get off your !!! and work for a living. Disability is no barrier, I work daily with severely disabled people, from blind people to narcoleptic's. I also live next door to a guy who hasn't worked in twenty years and has a nice 40 inch widescreen telly and gets !!!!ed every night. He makes my blood boil.

bengee1977

paulonline123 wrote: »

Disability is no barrier, I work daily with severely disabled people, from blind people to narcoleptic's. I also live next door to a guy who hasn't worked in twenty years and has a nice 40 inch widescreen telly and gets !!!!ed every night. He makes my blood boil.

Yep, i know what you mean. My Mum has bad back problems but she manages to go work for her money. My ex-next door neighbour with the same problem, hasn't done a days work in her life - claims incapacity benefit, yet she can manage to walk to town on most days with the family (who are also on benefits), and walk back with shopping bags. She can manage to decorate her house too, and see to the gardening. :mad:

PasturesNew

ebsay2000 wrote: »

They say on Tv that if 10% of your income goes on paying for gas and electricity......then you're living in Fuel Poverty!

That is 10% of your total income. So you'd have to include any rent, council tax or any other items you're having paid for you before you do the figure.

Having said that your bill IS high! But it's not just the bill is it, it's debt repayment. You need to separate the two mentally.

So the maths is flawed on two fronts.

If you can post your full income/expenditure then people can help you.

£345/month is £80/week. A single person over 25 living alone on JSA gets about £60/week (+ rent + CT). So what's yours for? People need your SOA/situation to give practical help.

As for heating, I spend all my time under a lovely warm duvet, with big socks on. It's lovely - and free. I've not had any heating on since about March.

roo9

my my.i thought that this site was to help each other???why dont you try and show some empathy towards people???is this what the the world is like now??i am sure that everyone could do with help now and again,just remember what goes around comes around.and i wish people would stop making cruel remarks and watching what other people have.you are a lot of green eyed monsters.you could be in the same postion soon.its cheaper to employ people from other countries so all watch your own backs.this site is just a ground for nasty and big mouth people who just cant feel for others.

mandi

I dont want to turn this into a benefit bashing thread.. but why do so many posters presume that people recieving benefit have a choice to work ..

ebsay2000

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pink_princess

Hi ebsay the first thing i would do is contact your supplier and explain your situation .Ask them if you can have a reduction in the payment thats for debt ,if you feel they are very helpful see if they ll even suspend the debt for a month or so (i don t know if this is possible but hey its worth a try).
The worst thing to do is let this get any worse .Can you maybe post an soa so people on here (the helpful ones lol) can advise how to cut down on other expenses so theres more spare cash.Or maybe post more details of your situation so we can advise you on ways to up your income.
HTH
PP

milliemonster

Hi Ebsay
I have seen your revised first post and I am sorry but it has nothing to do with not having compassion for your fellow man, yes any one of us could lose our jobs today, tomorrow or next week and have to claim benefits, that is what the welfare system is for, but if I lost my job tomorrow I would immediately be looking for another, anything, just to give me some money to keep going until I got the job I wanted, benefits are not designed to allow people to stay on them indefinitely and then give them enough money to provide for non essentials.

I think it is commendable you are 'managing' on your 'income' so well as to not have got into more debt but you have to now look at the bigger picture and make plans to get into some sort of work to improve your standard of living.

I know you haven't elaborated on why you are on benefits and yes that is your choice but you have come on here for advice and support, unless we know the reasons why you are on benefits long term (which may be wholly justified) then I'm afraid you are bound to get the replies you already have which are only trying to say, if you want and need more money to live better then you have to get into work.

milliemonster

mandi wrote: »

I dont want to turn this into a benefit bashing thread.. but why do so many posters presume that people recieving benefit have a choice to work ..

because many have but for various reasons choose not to, the OP may not have the choice but she hasn't elaborated on this so will naturally invite this response from posters