Preparedness for when

mardatha

Well I didnt mean that really Popps, there are many ways of helping.. You can watch the boards and see who sounds or feels down, and then try to cheer them. You know? Think outwards instead of inwards.

Popperwell

Thanks I see your view and I don't see it has having a go:)
I was advised how to proceed and am doing all I can now because things are going to get worse and I could be in a similar situation as yourself and others and my "Windfall" will be gone in months...this has given me an idea what is coming...

We all have to try and use what we have to our own advantages...

Great that we are "Friends" I hope that we are...

I'll leave this for now...

wondercollie

I've been biting my tongue for a while. The benefits system in the UK is very different to the rest of the world.

Where I am, there is very little subsidized housing. You pay the market value or live on the street. There are no off peak electric or gas rates. I live where it can and does drop below -25C for several months of the year.

It's simple, you work or are on welfare. Singles on Welfare are barely at the poverty line.

I've worked in inner city areas with the poorest of Canada's poor and what some of the posters on here who complain the loudest about being poor have no idea of how lucky they are.

When my children were small and we lived on my husband's wage there were times that there was enough money in the bank to pay the bank fees each month after we'd paid our bills. We only got the basic family allowance of $28/month for both children. No tax credits like you have in the UK. My husband is in the military and at that time if you weren't a Sgt, all married members with children were barely above the poverty level.

We managed to stay out of debt. We had to have a car and insurance because of the distances involved in our area to travel anywhere. There were/are no discount supermarkets. WalMart (Asda) didn't arrive in Canada until the mid-1990s. My boys were dressed in handme downs for years. I didn't have new clothes for years. Our car was 15 years old.

To read someone say they feel bad because receiving an inheritance is going to take away some of their taxpayer funded benefits is laughable. And some people honestly don't know how lucky they are and how selfish they sound.

End of rant.

mardatha

I think all of you who give help, support, and suggestions, are amazing. I think this thread isn't a place to whinge, its a place to get your a$$ in gear and start the fight back. It's a place to get support, ideas and smiles.
It's no use moaning, we haven't got time or energy to moan and its very unproductive and negative. We need to be positive and get ON WITH IT.:D

Popperwell

It may sound bad if you are not the person affected but the threshold is very, very low in the UK and it will be gone in perhaps 6 months. Also as you must know(as it happens everywhere)many people pass money amongst friends and family over many years, nothing like that is going on. Now that is questionable. But come on how many do that or would given the chance.

Some on here are too open and honest and open themselves up to be given a kicking...

Popperwell

mardatha wrote: »

I think all of you who give help, support, and suggestions, are amazing. I think this thread isn't a place to whinge, its a place to get your a$$ in gear and start the fight back. It's a place to get support, ideas and smiles.
It's no use moaning, we haven't got time or energy to moan and its very unproductive and negative. We need to be positive and get ON WITH IT.:D

That's how I see and I'd like to get back to that if we can, I have learnt so much from those on here. I have responded enough I think...probably too much.

You'll not find any negative posts from me to anyone else.

cutestkids

mardatha wrote: »

I think all of you who give help, support, and suggestions, are amazing. I think this thread isn't a place to whinge, its a place to get your a$$ in gear and start the fight back. It's a place to get support, ideas and smiles.
It's no use moaning, we haven't got time or energy to moan and its very unproductive and negative. We need to be positive and get ON WITH IT.:D

:T:T:T:T couldn't agree more

westcoastscot

Popperwell wrote: »

It may sound bad if you are not the person affected but the threshold is very, very low in the UK and it will be gone in perhaps 6 months.

Came back for a read in the hope that this had moved on but I just cannot sit and read you complaining constantly - the threshold is not low, it's actually quite high - £16,000 at the top of the scale before you lose benefits altogether, although DLA is not affected by savings at all.

that's a huge amount of money, and that coupled with your CHOICE about moving/taking a lodger, your CHOICE to spend some of your money on concerts and taxis and your CHOICE about putting on heating/or eating just makes me mad.

there are lots of people on this forum, and in my work in rl who would love to have those choices, and to have had the chance to plan to be poor which you could do.

Yes, I appreciate you're ill/disabled - many of us are but still manage to work/volunteer/contribute in some way.

Hope things are well with folks otherwise - haven't read back - but do think of you often.

WCS

wondercollie

OK, here's a link for what is available in my province.

http://humanservices.alberta.ca/disability-services/aish-faq.html

Basically a single person that is deemed disabled and unable to work recieves $1,588 a month. That is to cover rent, food, heat, light, transportation, and clothing. Prescriptions are funded.

It looks like you can have a maximum of $3000 in savings, so that's less than 2000 Sterling.

It's a hard and brutal existance. Rent in my city for a one bedroom runs around $800 for the cheapest. Add in your utilities, phone, etc. and there isn't much left over for food or going out for entertainment.

This is why there are so many foodbanks and charities that offer hot meals.

You also have to requalify annually for these funds.

I've worked with people who totally fell through the cracks and are eligible for no funding at all. During the summer they live rough along the river and forage for food and go to the missions for hot meals. Ever lived on berries and gophers? I've met men and women who have. It gets even worse for First Nations peoples who leave their Reserves and have no clue to navigate in the urban areas. I've deloused Inuits who live rough, Cree that thought it would be easy to find work with zero skills.

I'm done.

cbrown372

Popperwell wrote: »

It may sound bad if you are not the person affected but the threshold is very, very low in the UK and it will be gone in perhaps 6 months. Also as you must know(as it happens everywhere)many people pass money amongst friends and family over many years, nothing like that is going on. Now that is questionable. But come on how many do that or would given the chance.

Some on here are too open and honest and open themselves up to be given a kicking...

Sorry to butt in but if you think you will spend £17k in six months on top of what you personally receive in benefits then you really need to sort out your spending. Don't forget this *windfall* as you put it was saved by your mother while on a pension so surely you can budget better than you seem to be doing.