'Mental Health and Debt: New guide to come' blog discussion

Tiff_2

Hi guys,
Me again. :rolleyes:

I'm so sorry that gold man has had such a rough time with both his loss and his financial battles. This is an example
of someone who was vulnerable and struggling to manage their finances. You do have to virtually trip over guidance to be able to find it.:o

Martin's guide could be so useful in just such a situation. This would also have been a good situation for the Mental Health Advocate to have become involved in. If you are still struggling financially or with getting services angel, please contact your local CAB and also your Mental Health Advocate for their support, which is free of charge - and not forgetting the ever-helpful MSE Benefits board here either.;)

It would be impossible for the health services to get involved with a patients' financial issues - that's not their job. Charities like MIND and CAB and government agencies are there for that reason.

I'm sorry if I'm misunderstanding hun,:o but Martin's guide would be on managing finances and the prevention of debt in connection with mental ill health?

Until Martin becomes :money: Prime Minister,:D , there's not a lot he can do about NHS services and that's not the
intended issue here, imho. I do respect your right to your opinion hun, but drug companies and any medications available are something quite irrelevant to this issue.
Imho, this can only help to further darken the already muddy waters.

When I joined MSE just over a year ago, I realised I was hopping between both the DFW and Depression threads. The mental ill health thread was not receiving very much input or advice on financial matters. It's a highly sensitive area & no-one had created a specialized guide. There is a definite & obvious link - and also a very obvious need - for a bridge between the two issues.

The lack of informative financial resources for mental ill health clients, could be one of the reasons why we hear that £millions of benefits are not claimed every year.
I'll bet you my last Rolo, that people with mental ill health are due a certain part of that amount!;)

We, as mental ill health clients, have to be honest enough - and brave enough - to accept that sometimes, we are not capable of managing our affairs properly. It's something no-one wants to think about or admit to.
It has to be remembered that as mental ill health clients, it feels generally as if we've already been demoted in life, rejected and shoved around from pillar to post. Mental ill health can be a terrifying illness for many and the thought of losing financial control could be very frightening.

But, I don't think it always has to come to that - the good information we would have to hand, could stop a lot of any damage much sooner. I'd try to view and promote Martin's guide as an aid, a place to start - not as any kind of threat. A positive, factual, & supportive resource.;)

Who knows? This may very well lead to a code of practice for financial institutions to follow, in order to protect mental ill health clients and their finances and to ensure they value our custom.
And that, my friends, would be really amazing!:T

Sorry guys! Erm - could someone please pass me a ladder to get down from this soap box? It seems to have grown quite a bit!:o Sorry again for the length of this post. Wishing everyone well.
Much Love,
Tiff xxx

Gold_Man

Tiff wrote: »

Until Martin becomes :money: Prime Minister,:D , there's not a lot he can do about NHS services and that's not the
intended issue here, imho. I do respect your right to your opinion hun, but drug companies and any medications available are something quite irrelevant to this issue.
Imho, this can only help to further darken the already muddy waters.

Hello Tiff ,

You've got me completely wrong !

This is why I said this ....

Now, as I said, this is a money site, but I think these facts should be known if you're working in this area.

I provided the information simply as exactly that, information. I already realise that it is not in the domain of this site, strictly speaking, but that information IS WHY the water's ARE ALREADY "muddied" (caps for emphasis). I think anyone should be equipped with the FACTS when entering an area of study, and believe me they ARE the facts, I would'nt be here typing these characters if they were'nt.

=Tiff wrote: »

but drug companies and any medications available are something quite irrelevant to this issue.

Respectfully I disagree. That whole area is money and advertising driven. It may be more "covert" in this country, but look at the USA where the pushing of these drugs is more out in the open. As I said I think the Pharma companies and the way these drugs are SOLD to us (well, indirectly through Doctors and the NHS) absolutely epitomises the worst side of the company <--> consumer relationship. All the confusion and smoke blown up about which category this is ... Health, Money, Politics, Human Rights ? What is it ? That suits the people who manufacture these drugs perfectly. Then no one can question what they are doing.

I would say that translates DIRECTLY to the whole atmosphere going on here where it's difficult to get policy passed about signing off loans to the mentally ill, or advising them properly.

Gold_Man

rose07

Hi Martin

I just want to thank you for raising awareness about mental health. There are soo many people effected by mental health each day, that it needs to be something made aware of.

I come from the part of this community Tiff talks about – The Depression thread, its amazing to have such a support network. Mental health goes along with debt and can be similair, with debt you struggle so much but as much as you try you cant find a way out, you become bogged down and become severely low, similair for such thing as depression, sometimes it can take for someone to show you there are options ,a way out, like you do with this site, showing people there is other options, and ways of getting companies, instead of them getting you.

Depression effects soo many people, I find it hard when people talk of how it doesn’t matter, or don’t include, it, as the amount of people it effects should show it is an issue that need to be addressed. Soo well done you for making that step:T:T


Mental health seems to be a taboo subject, say the word mental and people assume the worst, thinking your in a looney bin, or whatever it is nowadays. Most people with mental ill health just need a little more guidance and support, advice and a shoulder to lean on, all important things in making steps to recovery.


My experience of mental health having suffered with several mental health illnesses, incl PTSD, depression, and anxiety is that the more people that are aware of mental health, and the more that there are books, sites and generally information on the issue, the more people will be aware of it, and know that it is such a common thing that it should be known and respected as such.


Now a few questions…..lol
Did you say you were going to contact professionals over what to include in the book? Are you going to include contacts within the book? And will you lay it out, in an easy and negotiable way?

Oh and well done on Radio 1 today, its good to know ya spreading the word, lets hope ya can do the same with mental health ☺

thanks

piglet29

oh martin thankyou, thankyou thankyou!!! i have been looking through the threads for this sort of thing for a while and know this will be a godsend, my husband has suffered with depression for the last 25 years on an off the last ten years he has not been able to return to work and the burden of this has nearly crushed us once or twice, but we manage and plod along taking one day at a time, but now christmas is around the corner and well its here we go again, stress, worry and more financial sleepless night, so to be able to come on here for an hour to get things off my chest is a life saver, thanks martin, cant wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!:T

Errata

Just a quick reminder. Until Martin's book is published there are leaflets and info on mental health and managing money on the MIND webiste.

Tiff_2

Hi guys,
I came across this article on the youreable website and thought it might be of interest and relevant to the topic.


Mental Capacity Act - new BBA guide

The British Bankers' Association has produced a plain-English guide to help people who manage finances for others who lack mental capacity.

The new guide, Banking for people who lack capacity to make decisions, offers advice on how to open an account and manage money for those unable to manage their own financial affairs, and sets out the documentation a bank will need to put the arrangements in place.

The BBA's guide is part of an industry-wide drive to ensure a smooth transition to new measures that come into force under the Mental Capacity Act on 1st October.

Banks are also providing special staff training ahead of the changes.

BBA Retail Director Stewart Dickey said: "When people are unable to manage their finances, or are making plans in case such a situation should arise, it is important that they are dealt with sympathetically and knowledgably. The Mental Capacity Act makes it clear that anyone acting for people who have lost capacity must act in their best interests."

"By publishing a help guide and by training staff for the transition, banks are working to be as helpful as possible to customers and their representatives."

What changes from 1st October?
- The Act provides a statutory framework to empower and protect people who lack capacity and introduces a code of practice for those who look after someone who no longer has the capacity to make certain decisions;
- A new Lasting Power of Attorney is introduced. This is in two forms: one for property and affairs and one for personal welfare;
- New deputies can be appointed by the Court of Protection; and
- A new public guardian is appointed.

What stays the same?
- Any Enduring Power of Attorney created before the 1st October can continue in force; and
- Receivers previously appointed will be able to continue in office but will be treated as deputies.

www.bba.org.uk

Much Love,
Tiff xxx

lisapurplerain

I was so, so pleased to read the blog on this site about Martin's work regarding Mental Health and Debt. This is an issue which personally affects me and which I think is not only a very important topic which needs public discussion but also, like most topics related to mental health problems, a previously ignored area. It seems to me that awareness of the issues that affect people who suffer from mental health problems is one of the last barriers those in positions of power could help to break down. The era of political correctness seems to have done much to help other marginalised groups and yet I feel that those of us with mental health problems have somehow slipped through the net.

I have been Agoraphobic (I cannot leave my house on my own) for 16 years (since the age of 18) and obviously this has impacted on my finances quite considerably. I would love nothing better than to be able to put my first class degree and articulate, confident personality to good use and take up my rightful place in the workplace but my mental health issues prevent me from doing this. In the past I have found ways round this by either working near my home, working near a partner's workplace or working from home but my career history (and therefore National Insurance contributions) is disjointed and a tad random. My mental health problems have also meant that just by virtue of my rent and bills coming to more than the money I have coming in in benefits I have got into debt (less than £10,000 including my student loans but that's £10,000 too much in my eyes).

However, to my knowledge, there is currently very little awareness and certainly no provision made for those of us whose work lives are seriously impacted upon by our mental health. The fact that my erratic work history has also left me with no pension contributions at the age of 34 is an issue which I would also like to see addressed. I look forward to future posts/blogs about this topic with much interest.

Lisa

P.S. I have been told that most NHS Trusts employ service users and ex service users to help formulate their policies, monitor and evaluate their current service provision and provide insight into how services affect users. Can anyone on here tell me if this is true and if it is, how one would go about becoming involved in such a thing?

markey_2

This is my situation

Since i parted with my wife i been in debt, we used to have two wages and shared the out goings.when i moved out i had to rent privately which was double i was paying before, and we had a couple of loans which was in my name.one stage my out goings was nearly double of my income.

I contacted my creditors to explain my circumstances which were that i alway had mentaly self harm myself which it resulted in my marriage finnishing but when we parted me and my exwife found out that our daughter was sexualy abuse by a family member for a numberous years,which is in the hand of police at the moment. My daughter come to live with me and she try to commit suicide . life for us then was hell. When i find out she was abuse it brought back memories of my past when i was young i was abused from i was 4 till i run away from home i was about 17 . plus my father was a alcoholic he was very voilent, he but my brother in hospital many times.
Because all went on when we was young it resulted in me and my brother self harming ourself but my brother died age 30 through self harm. i suffering with depression due to the above matters and im seeing a psychologist and trying to be strong for my daughter,life for us is very difficult mentally and financially i find hard to keep going .My dad died in july i hated him for what he but us through then theres abit of me saying hes my dad, i dont now. because i was the only next to kin i had to pay £500 payment to the funeral people that was my rent rent money now appro £500 in rent arrears

I sent letters to my criditors mentioning the above and a letter from my doctor and psychologist plus my budget sheet. They reply is i got 6 months to pay token payment then after if i cant pay anymore there going to past debt on and charge me £250, and the other given me 3 month with interest being stop, when i phone the bank if i could have longer because i under alot of strain she said count your lucky stars that your alive.

I now i owe my criditors money but this been going on for a couple years now and over that time ive had hundreds added on for late payments and interest, in not running away from my debt but i just really finding life very hard to cope with.Some days i wake up and i just wish i never and i now anymore presure well push me over the edge,this is not all down to with my criditors but i can only afford what i can afford and they but so much pressure what i cant handle at the moment. When i sent my letters to cooperative bank which included a copy letter from my doctor they kept on asking me for more information regarding what my doctor sent,surely abuse is abuse and depression is depression what else do there want to now they ask me a couple times now and it makes me low for days. I didnt ask for what happen to us to happen , life a !!!!!. only thing great i got is my daughter, but sometime the love i got for her is not a engough to keep me going.



Everyones got a story and thats mine theres thousands of people finding it difficult to cope and theres no protection for us.Even a couple weeks ago a bank sent me a new credit card and up my credit rate, and i cut card up ,with all the letters ive written to them they taken no notice of my situation, or they done is add interest on my account approx £600, threatening letters and other charges they taken no notice of the letters ive sents over the last couple years. theres no safeguards for us.Im so exhausted with everything whats happening to me

Fran

markey,

I'm glad you've posted on the Debt Free Wanabee board. Keep an eye on your thread there as you will get lots of help. As the first reply says, contact one of the help agencies (info on that board). They really can help manage things and help take the pressure off.

ordainedduke

When will the guide be out ?