Preparing for the biggest move of our life

bellevie

Yes I am excited, but also its not quite a far as yorkshire so not quite as scary move!

I wont be giving him another chance, I knew within minutes of accepting this time round that I would be regretting my decision, I just thought I was being pessimistic so put the thoughts to the back of my head.

No more!

bellevie

Just had a good catch up with a very good friend, we hadn't spoken in a few weeks, I closed myself off as I usually do when I am stressed - I escape the world by sleeping its the only way I can shut my mind off!

He similarly was under immense pressure and was in his own bubble - but the healing effect when we speak is unreal, Im sure we have some kind of karmic link.

Anyway, we will be meeting for a long overdue lunch the week after next, then its our work Christmas lunch, then I head off to my brothers. I always manage to completely switch off at my brothers whatever is bothering me work or idiotic men it's forgotten for my entire stay! I think its a distance thing, out of sight out of mind

I always come back raring to speed up the move though, but I guess that will get me through the post Christmas blues.

Tinkerbelle2000

Glad to see you back, sorry about the man troubles though. We have all been guilty of giving too many chances. Don't beat yourself up about it. There will be someone out there when the time is right. I have totally given up on the idea of being in a relationship now and I'm really happy on my own for a change.

It's lovely that you are going to your brothers for Christmas and to get a clear head then it will be New Year and time to make some moving plans.

Take care.

Tink xx

bellevie

Thats what annoys me moreso Tink, I was happily single for 8 years before he crossed my path earlier this year.

I dont and have never needed a soul, I live my life 100% alone, I refuse to rely on anyone at all because I am capable of everything and anything.

I dont know what possessed me to even acknowledge him recently, and I wont for sure be making that mistake again!

bellevie

All set for a busy week at work & home. Will collect DD's cake, supermarket one this year, but I saw some pretty cool ones in Tesco that I am sure she will love. I just cant justify paying the prices that my many friends who bake charge when its just for DD & I, especially as we can rarely finish it!

I was contemplating inviting one or 2 of her friends for a meal out, but with the vomit bug sweeping her class, I'm not taking that risk.

Next weekend our tree will go up, Mr T didn't touch it last year, but he was tiny, and new and getting used to the new house...Im not sure we will be as lucky this year

Tinkerbelle2000

Good luck with the tree Bellevie, Mr D pulled ours down twice last year.

We are waiting another week as well so I don't have to worry about it too long lol.

Hope you have a good week.

Tink xx

bellevie

tree is still up!!! No broken baubles, nothing at all....I hope I havent just jinxed that!

Mr T has been beautifully groomed, he done very well and I will definitely be taking him back to the lovely groomer in the new year.

I backtracked on DD's birthday, invited 3 best friends to pizza hut for lunch. Explained it isn't a party just a lunch and the mums are all happy to keep it a secret from their daughters so Isabelle will be surprised when they all turn up!

I called Pizza Hut they are happy for me to take a cake so it will still be birthday ish without the massive price tag!

Work is eventful, people signed off sick with stress, winter bugs, plus multiple holidays. As if in perfect sync the world seems to have gone crazy, accusations of all sorts of crimes - why they came through to me I have no idea - I at 5ft2 will not be playing hero against the alleged big bad men, so I spent most of the day doing what the initial callers should have done - reporting things to the police, before ordering an insane number of food bank parcels for the poorest families trying to keep themselves from drowning following the inhumane round of cuts released recently. All I could think was, the world has gone mad. In 2016, we are arranging food parcels, so that little children go to bed with food in their tummy. In the stupidly rich country we live in, that can afford to give tax cuts to the rich, and do up castles.

Bonkers.

RosaBernicia

It is bonkers... but on the bright side your post reminded me I wanted to make a donation to a food bank charity, so that's now done hopefully dinner for one more covered!


Rosa xx

bellevie

You are too kind Rosa. It is sad that it has to come to that, but at the same time fabulous that there are still a lot of people that care enough to think of those worse off.

The charity I make referrals to, run by a local church are rushed off their feet. I collected some more today I have never seen them so busy.

I fear with universal credit about to be rolled out to families in our borough, it will get a hundred times worse. People have been budgeting with weekly tax credits payments, and rent paid direct to us. When they are moved to UC, their payments literally stop, they are told to apply for UC and have to wait 1 month and 1 week for their first initial monthly payment (govt cleverly saving 1 weeks benefit there per case moved to UC!) - so no income support, no jobseekers, no tax credits and no rent. Just child benefit, and a low paid job (in some cases) with the threat of childcare falling through because the nurseries are not receiving payment, no money to put in the car to get to work, no money for toothpaste, sanitary towels, bread and butter. Zero.

For the people who cant manage their money, the option to have their rent paid to us upfront to prevent them getting to court is not an option. Claims should be taking 6 weeks, but in my experience have been taking between 8-13 weeks. At this point they are already at court stage. We are holding back and as soon as it gets to 8 weeks arrears asking for direct payments to us with the threat of homelessness, then it is allowed.

So some families will have to be supported by food banks for over 6 weeks over the next few months - that's if they accept my offer of support first time round. There are people that wont pick up the phone or respond to my letters or answer the door. Then suddenly they turn up allow me access and the fridge is bare - they didn't anticipate how what little money they had from their last weekly payment wouldn't last 6 BLOODY WEEKS. WHO THE HELL THOUGHT THAT UP.

Leave the nil income families with not one penny.

Im the lead on UC support cases and it is actually going to hit the fan. And there is nothing I can do about it, I can ask for an advance, which takes time to process, and rely on constant back up from charities, and the occasional discretionary payment from the council.

The idea was good - it was badly planned, and is being badly rolled out.

For the worst off, they should have considered, making families miss 1 weeks payment, then pay the month worth of combined benefit, but reduce the first 6 months payment by a fixed percentage until the claimants are technically being paid in arrears - its intended to mirror monthly wages.

Claimants would still be forced to budget monthly, but would not be at risk of eviction, and struggling to feed their children. The people without children, havent even got the £20.70 single child benefit to fall back on.

Im not sure private landlords are going to be as patient as housing associations, but as we are still building homes to cover from the last right to buy brainwave, there is a shortage in homes and we just do not have enough to house everyone.

Oh, and some bright boffin thought..... I know, lets force private social landlords, charitable organisations to sell off homes at a loss AGAIN, drop already low rents by 1 % each year for the next 4 years leaving them to find millions - enough to cause redundancies, pension cuts wage freezes to continue with the building target. Then we will criticize them, publically shame them for not helping out those in need.

We are the ones that do it, we are police, we are 'trainers' to prepare people for employment, we source food, furniture, white goods, we carry things that should be taken over my social services, or other agencies that are pushed to the max because of cuts that each department is facing.

I actually NEED to visit number 10, have a one on one conversation, make them understand that 98% of the poorest families are nothing like those seen in the daily mail.
They are stroke victims, domestic violence victims, people who have endured marriage breakdowns and been left raising the children, even complete families they are working in low income jobs with increasing childcare costs, with wages not rising at the same rate.
There are very few benefit career families that are frequently seen in the newspapers or benefit tv shows, it makes me very sad that the people that need the most support are punished because of a select few.
And those select few need encouraging, not being laughed at. Mix them with other families, let them see what they could achieve, encourage them to dream for a better life.
No, scrub that just trap them and forget them.

I have never hated a political group so much in my entire life.

bellevie

So I am going to do it.

I will take pictures of the foodbank, the parcels I am delivering the daily problems our residents are facing with carers being cut when they can barely walk a few metres, benefits capped with no actual help to get back into work to improve their situation and write up case studies I will send it to number 10, they need to see the impact their decisions are having.