Do I still fit in here if...

Penelope_Penguin

Cecelia, this is a list of cheap meal threads (put together by Pink-winged!) you might find useful; I'll add this thread to the first one later, to keep ideas together.

There are lots of ideas on these threads that should help:

Cheapest recipes???

Meal for two for 50p. Suggestions?

The Cheapest Healthy Meal Ever!

Feed 6 for £1.62

Cheapest meal

Your Cheapest Evening Meal.

cheap, easy family meals

Show Jamie How To Cook On A Budget Champagne Contest

Meal idea's under £1

Penny. x

23rdspiral

here's a random idea, but if you are not tied to where you live, perhaps you could look into the idea of going and working on an organic farm? where you aren't paid but your lodging and meals are provided, there's usually a very good sense of community, and you can still look into the benefits situation as well.

i guess there may be some dodgy places out there, before anyone else says it but i do know of a really good place that has taken in travellers, waifs and strays and those wanting to learn organic techniques. and i really do not want to be accused of advertising, but its an idea that may help, so weighed it up and posted.

ceridwen

23rdspiral wrote: »

here's a random idea, but if you are not tied to where you live, perhaps you could look into the idea of going and working on an organic farm? where you aren't paid but your lodging and meals are provided, there's usually a very good sense of community, and you can still look into the benefits situation as well.

i guess there may be some dodgy places out there, before anyone else says it but i do know of a really good place that has taken in travellers, waifs and strays and those wanting to learn organic techniques. and i really do not want to be accused of advertising, but its an idea that may help, so weighed it up and posted.

Going WWOOF'ing in other words - as in "working weekends on organic farms". That may be a possibility for faithcecilia - I dont know how things would work out on the benefit front if she did this - but its certainly worth investigating. There is a website specifically about WWOOFing I know - having looked at it myself.

I have been thinking further today on - what I assume is that up to 26 weeks disqualification from benefit for "having resigned a job" - even though Faith HASNT "resigned from a job" - but instead decided to withdraw from a "vocation" and has not received either salary or wage for said "vocation".

My further thoughts on this are that the Order you were in Faith has possibly got some sort of "resettlement officer" at national level of this Order? I would imagine there might generally be some sort of person in this sort of role nationally for this situation as a whole. If there isnt any such person within the Christian faith - then maybe there might be such a person within the Buddhist faith - for any monks/nuns of theirs that decide not to "follow a vocation" after all and to return to "civilian life" - and I would imagine they would assist a member of a Faith community in this respect (in fact - I'm sure they would assist - even though it is a different religion).

What I am thinking is that the Order, as a whole, has probably encountered this situation before and might possibly have agreed a "blanket policy" with the DWP as a whole to treat people in your situation in a very different/much more favourable way than people who have "resigned from a job". I think it is well worth investigating on this front - and, if there is such a policy, then you would avoid all need to take this to a Tribunal. All you would have to do is quote this "national policy". I dont know whether such a policy exists - but I certainly think its worth investigating this thought in case.

It may possibly be that a "blanket policy" like this exists - but the individual DWP person who denied you benefit is unaware of it - hence didnt apply it. Yours is, after all, somewhat of an unusual situation for them to encounter:D.

I accept that, in your position, I would "fight my corner" and expect to win at Tribunal - but you have not been in this sort of "environment" for a while and may well not wish to get involved in that sort of action. This could be a way forward for you to proceed however. I would say its worth investigating the situation to see what has happened previously to anyone in your situation - just in case.

edit: Re WWOOF'ing - try this:

http://www.wwoof.org/

ceridwen

Well...its popped up in my mind - so I'll put it forward as a thought for consideration.

The Simon Community - as you probably know - help the homeless and volunteers work on a live-in basis in this connection.

Its just that I am wondering - I think several of us are wondering in fact - whether you might still feel some sort of "calling to assist" - but, this time, in a secular context.

I dont know if this is the case - maybe what you want is to get back into fullblown "civilian mode"....but I will just lob that thought in in case it helps....

faithcecilia

debtmuncher wrote: »

if you are feeding your landlord twice a week then i hope he/she is feeding you on another two nights as well lol. seriously if you are really stuck then you need to be looking after yourself never mind trying to cater for another person two nights a week.

the dhs (or whatever it is they call themselves these days) do crisis loans. are you not working at all? absolutely no income?

He buys loo rolls, cleaning products, etc, and plays taxi occasionally to let me get a bigger shop than I could otherwise.

faithcecilia

Olliebeak wrote: »

Please, Cecilia, appeal against that decision and make sure that you take somebody along with you for support. Is there a Welfare Benefits Advice organisation where you live. If so, they may agree to accompany you to an appeal. There's no way you can be left to live on absolutely nothing at all. Even if they consider that you've 'resigned from your last post', it can hardly be deemed a 'job' in any real sense of the word as you wouldn't have been paid for it.

I'm so sorry you're going through all this at the moment, you've got enough to contend with right now. Good luck and I do hope everything sorts itself out.

Ollie xx

Are there any charitable organisations looking for volunteers? They often feed volunteers in exchange for a couple of hours work.

Looks like the fact I had been in an enclosed community had bee missed, so all being well, i will be entitled, interview Monday.

As for full-time voluntary work, thats something i am VERY interested in - all being well I will be going back to the convent, just need a year or so out, and would like to put at least some of it to a really good use.

ceridwen

Well.....in that case....it may well be that the Simon Community is your next "destination". They are in London and have several communities in Ireland - I saw that when I had a google-round.

daska

I have all my fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed that Monday goes well for you

in the meantime...

whoopsies - find out when your local shops mark foods down and be there to grab the bargains

soup is known to be more satisfying than the equivalent food prepared without water, make with lentils or beans (dried beans are cheaper you just have to remember to soak and cook them before you need them)

porridge - if you get whoopsied fruit (e.g. bruised bananas) which is too ripe to eat add it while cooking the porridge.

as you have a lump sum rather than a trickle of income it makes sense for you to buy some basics (lentils, oats, beans, canned tomatos etc) in bulk and get the biggest savings possible. Try doing it on-line, a taxi probably isn't any cheaper than the delivery if you choose the cheapest option (e.g. my local Tesco is £3 on Tuesday evenings). Herbs and spices can work wonders on the blandest ingredients so I'd get a selection of those as well.

Best of luck

COOLTRIKERCHICK

i know this is off topic,

but someone i know wasnt intitiled to job seekers as he left his job, but he got something called a hardship allowance. i think it was £30 a fortnight.

If on monday they are adamant you are not intitled to any benefits ask tehm about the hardship allowance,

or maybe someone on the benefits board will be able to give you more info.

anyway back on track....

i bought a book about a lady who lived on a £1 a day

i have now sold it on amazon. she lived in the bristol area, and used to look for free things to do,

she also mentioned she used to go to art galleries etc when there was a new exhibition etc, and most of the time there was a buffet etc;):D

free seminars, etc,

might be worth going down to the libary and having a read, i would def not recommend buying it, as in all honestly it only skimmed over the money saving side, but it could give you some ideas..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Lived-Year-Just-Pound/dp/1906593124/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1253734380&sr=1-2-fkmr0

Olliebeak

One of the posters on here was recently involved with a 'Focus Group' (not quite sure what it was about though) and was paid a really good rate for the involvement PLUS she was really well fed during the day. They were all allowed to 'take leftovers home' at the end of the meeting as well.

That kind of thing could perhaps be useful as well .

In the meantime, good luck and God Bless for Monday, Cecilia ((((HUGS))))