Today is a new day!

taxi73

all sounding very good...I've not even thought of the christmas presents yet let alone bought them

POSITIVE_AND_FOCUSED

Where do I start?

I've heard from Social Care followingmy doctor refering me to them. They are coming out to see me in a couple of weeks. Was quite depressing at the tme of the call because over the phone the lady asks you how you do everything and when you examine things in detail it can all seem quite fragile and for me I realise just how much I rely on my dd for help. But day to day we - I - just get on with it, what else can you do, be grateful for everything and just keep going. Just facing up to the reality of how my disability effects me I think a part of me can see why my parents would prefer I didn't work because outside looking in it probably looks very precarious(?). On the other hand I am keeping things together and I want to do that all the while I can. Anyway, the positive thing is they think they can help me, a seat in the bath is one possibility, rails in theback garden is another, so I am very grateful and we will see what transpires..

Anyway, on to the even bigger news of the week. I had a call from the Financial Ombudsman this week, asking me to call them back. I had a couple of letters from them over recent months saying they were looking into a complaint quoting a reference I didn't know and I took no notice thinking it related to my bank charges complaint with the Halifax or something. As far as I was concerned all my PPI issues were resolved. So, I called them back, it seems I am entitled to a further £5K relating to the critical illness cover I had on my mortgage. I said can that be right, I received £5K before approx and I thought that was the end of it. The man I spoke to said, no, its definately right. Well, he did laugh because I was in shock. I said I don't want to commit fraud, no he said its right. So, I'm waiting for the paoerwork. I told a friend yesterday and said maybe I am doubting its owed because the last pay out which I thought was the final one was also in the region of £5K and I thought that was that but the man at the Financial Ombudsman was aware I had been paid that and still said I was owed this amount. My friend says don't worry, the Financial Ombudsman would not get it wrong, the bank would not say they owe you the money if it was not true. So, I am desperately trying to stay calm but as you can imagine the thought of receiving a further £5K will be just wonderful in reducing yet further debt. Part of me is still wondering whether I double check with the ombudsman again that its all correct but then I may look paranoid and silly. Anyway, staying calm is what I am trying to do and I am now waiting for the letter confirming the exact amount i am still owed!!!

It's pouring with rain here, a bit of hail, have a busy day working. Have had the last 3 days more or less off from working as its been half term. I didn't quite reach the higher bonus last month but its all to play for this month. I'm still managing to keep ahead financially and so its onward, keeping focused. Still need to do my newsletter to customers. I'm now wondering whether to do that in the New Year so it has more impact as we are approaching a busy time with christmas coming up etc.

So, will keep you posted re the PPI situation!!!

brizzledfw

Hey P&F..that's great news! Sounds wonderful! As you say, stay calm until its actually in the account but what a great phone call to receive out of the blue. And do pls take help re adaptations if you can..it's why we all pay our taxes.. :-)

Hope this weekend goes well for you and DD

Brizzle

InaPickle

Woo hoo, PaF! You go, girl! What amazing luck! (Can you ask them to give me a payout, too, please...you seem to have the Midas touch with them!)

taxi73

loving this post great news on the payout and good luck with the adaptations ..am so pleased for you

Verbatim

Wow what a lot of good news. The money is super and I'm sure the adaptations will help. Well I hope so anyway!

satchmo1

Hi P&F

Loving the good news you've just had, well done! Something to think about that you may not really want to (re the adaptations), when talking to the social worker you want to be planning for less mobility than you've got at your weakest, cos you may not get the chance again. That kind of planning may well make you very weepy, so is there a friend you can lean on who would be willing to be there during and after the sw's visit? And perhaps it would be good for your daughter to be away on a play-date/sleepover so that you weep or howl at the moon?

Sorry if that sounds negative, but it isn't mean to be. It comes with love and hugs.

Satchmo xx

POSITIVE_AND_FOCUSED

Thanks everyone. Satchmo, I take your point. The appt with Social Care is while dd is at school and I will go with the flow. Any help will be very appreciated so will see what they think they can do.

Re the Financial Ombudsman, I received the letter from them at the weekend, and signed the form they require me to sign to accept the settlement. I have also phoned the Financial Ombudsman and left a message with the guy dealing with it all to say I have posted the form back, that he will no doubt recall I was very shocked and that I still am!!, and that I feel happier saying I have signed the form knowing the bank would not offer me this if I was not entitled to it, that for me knowing the Financial Ombudsman is involved is also very reassuring, and thanking him for the great news!! So, now I wait for the cheque and say thank you..

Meanwhile, its doing my best as per usual. I am still budgeting and being careful with my money. I am hopeful I will be in a position at the end of next week to purchase dd's birthday/xmas present. All my bills are budgeted for, my sales continue to be fab, and whilst the colder weather is taking its toll on my walking I have not fallen over, just taking things steady and in my stride. For eg, I am spending the next couple of hours at home before going out. Plan to do some ebay. I am not going to get ahead ofmyself with the £5K from the ombudsman until I have received it, payed the cheque in and it is clear. It is such an amazing thing and I daren't believe it until its happened. But I have to say it would put me in such a great position moving forward into 2013. I would clear another card debt for sure.

Anyway, will move on to ebay, and stay focused.

Keeping_Motivated

Great news re the 5K.... tell me to mind my own business but I wonder if you could treat yourself to a cleaner for a couple of hours or so a week with it? You could maybe put a years cleaners wages in a separate account.

This would free you up for relaxing, time with daughter or just leave you with more energy/focus for the hard work you do?

I know that my frame of mind is always better when the house work is done but its not easy to keep on top of a house.

Just a thought as I would love to see you use the money to make yours and daughters life a little easier as well as for the debt.

Enjoy deciding what to do with it what ever you decide as its a great unexpected bonus, well done.

POSITIVE_AND_FOCUSED

KM, hi there. Thats a great idea which I hadn't yet put in my idea list! My thoughts thus far had been to pay 1 credit card off which is just under £4K leaving £1K left of which I was thinking of getting my bathroom sorted in that I need a shower that works for dd. My shower doesn't. She's getting to the age where she doesn't want to have a bath but a shower and in order to have a shower properly fitted in my bathroom, I need tiles to be fitted on the top half of the walls and a shower curtain rail. I still have a bath myself, I used to have my epileptic fits after a shower in the morning and I just can't bear the thought of that plus a soak in the bath eases the strain but getting out of thebath is indeed becoming difficult and could be why my good leg is not as good as it once was, not that I am overweight although I would like to lose say half a stone!!!!Of course doing the bathroom won't cost £1K but I was also considering looking into rejoining a health club because I think the steam/sauna would help me with my aches and tiredness and pins and needles. That all said, I will ask my friend who does cleaning for her business because what she can do in say an hour I am looking at doing in 2 hours so paying off a £4K debt would free up in the region of £100 a month, which I was going to utilise inm y snowball plan but I could say see if my friend would do my housework for say 1 hour a week say do the hoovering upstairs and the bathroom and change the sheets all of which I find increasingly hard to manage. Putting the sheets/duvets on my bed as an eg I have to plan at least half an hour/45 mins to complete that task although my dd is a great help with getting that done . I will really give it some thought as it would help with my tiredness issues considerably and as you say give more quality time with dd. I need to get the cheque first!!! and will go from there!. Theres a part of me that still can't quite believe it!!! Thank you for the suggestion.. Take care..