Please tell us your questions on mental health & debt

fionathefair

I have suffered with depression for many years, but I do not take medications other than herbal or homeopathic. I am self-employed, and have been for over 25 years. Although I have had some counselling through the mental health services, and so I am 'in the system', I am not bad enough to qualify for DLA or anything else other than working tax credits. I present well, and so most people have no idea of my mental health issues. Of late, the combination of the depression and lack of work due to people being very careful with their money in these difficult and challenging times (my work can be seen as a luxury item), I am gradually building up problems with debt as my income no longer goes anywhere near to meeting my outgoings. I am rapidly working my way through my small amount of savings, despite being prepared to do any work, including manual work in horticulture that is limited by chronic physical health problems, that comes my way. I am exceedingly careful with my money, using lots of tips from this website to stretch my limited and erratic income, but I have come to the place of not knowing how to pay my bills next month. As I am self-employed, I appear to miss out on anything that might be available to help the situation. Any tips or suggestions as to what I can do would be a great help, as the depression takes away the 'get up and go' needed to promote myself consistently, and after being self-employed for so long, my chances of any sort of paid employment are minimal (and I am nearing retirement age, too!).

It would be useful if the advice in the MSE guide also covered the implications of mental health problems for the self-employed.

m4n5f

Hi there, my husband suffers from bipolar. We didn't know anything about mental health and there is no family history. When he became ill about 6 years ogo he just stopped going to work. We didn't know what was wrong, he didn't think there was anything wrong with him and wouldn't seek advise. I was not allowed to seek advice for him!
He didn't claim any benifits or sign on or get Drs notes. Our mortgage protection didn't cover us because you need medical notes from the start of your illness. We fell behind with our mortgage and HSBC, even though they were aware of the situation phoned morning noon and night., week days and weekends. They even asked us to empty our childrens bank accounts to pay them off. I have cancelled this mortgage protection we were paying over £75 a month for about 5 years!
We had never claimed anything so were completely out of the system, no one, not even his CMHN told us we could claim DLA, I knew nothing about it. We have been getting it for 3 years now. Our boiler broke and I took out a loan to buy a new one, which I am still paying 4 years later. I then found out we were entitled to have it all done for free! He gets no other benefits because he now has a gap in his NI payments, when I rang about benifits I was told "Your married to him, you keep him." I am a nursery nurse and only earn £16000 a year, we have 2 children.
As if dealing with bipolar isn't bad enough!!

pnebabe

my mum is a bipolar sufferer and i never knew her spending sprees were part of her illness .... thanks for this new link !!! and opening this topic to so many others x

mrsprincess

This is such a good idea there is so much mental health problems that just go dismissed and it is true that people with mental health probs sometimes have trouble reigning in their spending due to depression.I know this firt hand as befoe i married my husband (who is long term sick with depression agraphobia anxiety, chronic diabeticporly controlled illness and grief)i worked full time in the City, lived at home and earned my own money and spent sensibly i was hardly ever overdrwan and could pay off any bills, cards easily.
I love my hubby v much but when we decided to marry i knew we would not be well off - he is very ill mentally he's unstable and ant cope with keeping down a nie to five job. however he's been like this since a teenager - he has no confidence as a result and no qualifications as he didnt go to formal high school - so no qualifications, no work experience its not surprising he has no confidence to apply and when he does he just gets rejections. he has agraphobia due to being sexually assaulted, witnessesing horrific crimes where people have lost their lives and generally just feels unsafe walking out the door.
This mental unstableness eans we're always together and i left my job really so i would stay at home to be with him. benefits aren't ideal but we get by however we tend to want to spend any little money on treats,clothes, games, music, games anything we can use at home as we hardly Ever leave the house unless to go Doctors or buy v essential food. we live in a v rough, backward area in Essex where we receive regular racial abuse, which makes us v unsettled and intimidated to go out although we are both bornand bred British - its just my husband is white british and i'm black british. We always find there's problems in handing in our sick note and the benefit being paid on time - the crappy dwp workers always lose the noted - claim not to ave received it then blame us. this makes us so ill and stressed but when it finally gets resolved we splash the money a bit as we feel - why not - we deserve it after all the !!!! we have to endure in this pathetic so called - society of a bleeding crap country.
We are in a little debt - not as muchas some people on here but much more than maybe couples are age i.e regular 24yr olds with full time jobs, no kids, no illness but we have a lot to deal with especially emotionally as we have no supprt from any friends or family, my husband lost his mother ot cancer last year - she was a big rock to us and so now we also help look after his elderly dad who although is just in 60's he shouldbe retired but cnt afford to he has no savings and nowhere to live, he cnt cope living on his own so he lives with us - this means big strain on us emotionally but he sometimes can help us in times of dire financial woe but often he cnt and in these circumstances we pay off stuff on credit card and spiral greater into debt!
We just can't go on like this much longer - however my husband's recovery is painfully slow and i think he may never be able to work or not unless we have kids - he would feel much more compelled to try but he might not be able to handle it so for now we have to hope and beg that the benefit system is reformed especially in regards ot people with disablities, and mental health issues. what does anyone else think? anyone in a simlar situation, or have good advice?

iscamaid

My in-law has severe dementia. She went into nursing care two years ago which was paid for by a combination of her personal income (pensions) and social services. This left her with a very small amount over each month. During the intervening two years the nursing home fees increased 4 times, however her income failed to keep up with the extra costs. She had no savings to fall back on, nor any knowledge or comprehension of what was happening as she needs 24 hour care. On asking social services for help as she could not meet the costs we were informed that it is up to the fmaily to meet the extra costs. There was no enquiry into whether we could meet the costs (we are on a limited buget with a family) or care for her future. On asking the home what would happen if we could not pay the money we were told they would evict her, neither were social services interested or helpful. This poses an almost intolerable worry on us. Dementia care is something which amy come to any of us and needs to be properly addressed.

sophiekatie

cosykit wrote: »

I have suffered with social phobia, anxiety & recurrent major depression for nearly 10 years, I had to give up my full time job as a teacher as a result of the illness. My husband had to give up his job to care for me 9 years ago.
At the time all credit cards/loans refused to cover the payments as they stated that the illness was a result of pregnancy, (illness began as post natal depression but has progressively worsened as the years have gone on). We presently have a token monthly payment system in place with all creditors but obviously these debts are barely moving.
We are presently in battle with the people at DLA to attempt to get a higher rate of allowance for myself, we only receive lower rates for both the mobility & care components, hence my husband has never been able to claim carers allowance & hence as a family unit we get very little support.
My illness effects not only myself but the whole family including the children, we are an exceptionally low income family & as a result of my illness lead a pretty reclusive lifestyle, financially it is a constant struggle.
Many thanks

Hi, I have suffered from exactly the same illness as yourself, financially my husband has had to support me for the last 15 years as I had to give up working as a P.A. for that reason. The last two years my husband has had to finish work due to a progressive disease of the spine and we now claim e.s.a I personally don't receive any benefits at all, my husband claims twenty pounds a week for me, we have 2 young children and are really struggling to survive. My illness affects my whole family too, and I know that if I didn't suffer with this we would be O.K. financially with me in work.
But like yourself, I am virtually like a prisoner in my own home. Who do I need to see, to claim DLA and who will help me fill it in, I can't even claim any sick pay in my own name, as I haven't paid enough NI contributions, we really are quite desperate. Please help if you can, Many Thanks!

Kay_Peel

What is the Independent Mental Health Advocacy Service?

Does it have a role in assisting with problems and issues beyond treatment?

addyann

Husband had clinical depression in 2000. Never had it before, never since. He is excluded under any travel insurance except one (Nationwide), and also any applications for critical illness or income protection are so heavily weighted its not worth taking out. When is this going to be reviewed? He has never self harmed or a risk to himself. the only time he was off work was whilst in hospital being treated.

Quincifer

What a great thread, I hope it helps to compile a great load of information.

I suffer from anxiety/depression, although not to the extent of those previously mentioning it. I have only recently started medication and therapy for it (8 weeks) but already it is slowly helping.
I just wanted to say that I agreed with the person earlier on who said that there is still a stigma attached to mental illness. I have hated having to tell people about it just to get through. It's hard enough telling your family, never mind explaining to your boss why you need doctors appointments all the time!!

I am lucky that my doctor worked quick to get me started on my long road to recovery, I believe it is often a long wait to get therapy/mental health meetings but I started within 3 weeks, but I know that alot of places aren't as good. I was told that I could also go for therapy for free at the local Women's Refuge Centre, this is something that I wasn't aware of before and I think it is something everyone dealing with a mental health situation should know!

I definitely think it needs to be looked into, people having to wait for therapy/mental health meetings isn't good.

I can't wait to see the fruits of this thread, and will most certainly be getting hold of a copy!

x

gigglingmop

Hi Martin, As a mental health support worker I have come across patients detained under the Mental Health Act who have taken out huge loans whilst have gone out of hospital but, (whilst sectioned) and are having to repay these loans years later. They have a diagnosis of bi polar (which can mean they spend, spend spend,) but when out of hospital and back to reality they have to pay, even though the money has been spent on others., What can they do. I love you!!