Struggling with my monthly catalogue payments on ESA

batg

TELLIT01 wrote: »

It would also be nice if something could be done about certain 'contributors' who post utter carp about their own experiences. In virtually every topic the same old same old appears. I'm convinced that if somebody claimed they'd had all 4 limbs amputated this individual would say they'd had 5 off.

What is utter carp may I ask?
Do you think it's funny to mock someone with severe heath problems?

Ames

batg wrote: »

£36 pounds on 2 I-PHONES would be £432 a year off the debt. The first thing I would get rid of is the phones.
Next thing would be the £20 on Talk Talk--another £240 a year
£60 savings a month are not to be sniffed at when they would make a sizable contribution to the debts being paid down.

I was wondering how long it would be before the iphone glitch was used against someone.

It wouldn't be such a big saving though. Having the internet saves me a fortune - if I couldn't shop online I'd have to pay to get to shops, pay more for items in them, and deal with the resulting pain and discomfort.

Then there's everything else that would have to be done in person rather than via email. I'm sure you'll say that the internet in libraries is free, but they're becoming increasingly difficult to get to due to closures, never mind any health problems to complicate things further.

The internet is the last thing I'd get rid of if I were in financial difficulty.

Mae85

Wouldn!!!8217;t get rid of the internet as the kids use it when they are here for homework and chill out time etc. Plus OH brother lives in America so over the internet is the only way he gets to speak to that side of his family. When we first moved in we didn!!!8217;t bother with the internet for about 3 months and just used what we had on our phones and it was gone within days for those reasons I mentioned above. We live in a world where everything is done online- and before anyone asks no neither of us are on any form of social media so we don!!!8217;t just spend our days on Facebook or whatever.
One of the reasons I am unable to work is due to anxiety and agoraphobia, I don!!!8217;t go out at all. So I use the internet to do online food shops, so without that we would be hungry lol. OH has severe breathing and lung problems that!!!8217;s why he!!!8217;s unable to work. I don!!!8217;t even know why I am telling all this but this thread seems to have taken a different direction then what I originally asked lol.

Mae85

Also can I add.... phones are also the only way my Oh gets to communicate with his kids when he doesn!!!8217;t see them aswell. £18 a month phone contract is bloody cheap I think considering some people pay over £50 or whatever! My OH iPhone is an old battered one of mine with a cracked screen etc I just pay for the sim thing.
I only asked about help with catalogue bills anyway not to justify myself, I pay each bill on time every month, I was bought up to pay what you owe and I do... I just wanted a bit of advice as to my options, it!!!8217;s the interest that kills me each month, otherwise they would be payed off no trouble wouldn!!!8217;t they buy like out of £28, &£20 of that is interest!
..... plus if I didn!!!8217;t have the internet I wouldn!!!8217;t be able to speak to some of you lovely lot lol

poppy12345

Totally disagree. These are a lifeline to a lot of people. The OP suffers with mental health and finds in difficult to go out. If i was experiencing financial difficulty my phone and internet would be the last thing i'd get rid of.

Mae85

Thank you for that. I am sat here realising just how much I use the internet for important things like reading homework and letters etc off the kids school websites- without that we would never know what!!!8217;s going on as there mother doesn!!!8217;t tell my OH anything!

Mae85

....and to pay for there school trips as it’s all done online now so kids don’t have to take money to school!

Alice_Holt

Mae85 wrote: »

One of the reasons I am unable to work is due to anxiety and agoraphobia, I do not go out at all. So I use the internet to do online food shops, so without that we would be hungry lol. OH has severe breathing and lung problems that,s why he's unable to work. I don't even know why I am telling all this but this thread seems to have taken a different direction then what I originally asked

Unfortunately it has.
Please ignore the unpleasant, and judgemental, posts. There are always a small percentage of poster's who come onto the benefits forum to belittle OP's.
It takes all sorts - whilst most poster's are helpful and try to address the OP's issue, some are just vexatious.
As tellit01 said you don't need to justify yourself. As poppy says your phone and internet are an essential lifeline for many families.

Concentrate on the helpful posts.
Several have suggested you look at PIP. From what you have posted this seems a real possibility. Here is some info on PIP:
https://www.gov.uk/pip
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/
http://www.mybenefitsandwork.co.uk/pip/indexxx.php
https://www.rethink.org/living-with-mental-illness/money-issues-benefits-employment/personal-independence-payment

Be aware that reliability is very important in PIP - if you can't do an activity to an acceptable standard, and in a reasonable time (this may apply to your OH) over the majority of time, you should be counted as not able to perform that activity.

I would suggest you both seek help from your local advice agency / CAB, and that you both apply for PIP (you for your anxiety and agoraphobia). If successful it would significantly boost your income.

And, just ignore any unhelpful posts. Don't feed the trolls! (Whose initial post has now been removed by the MSE Forum Team).

Mae85

Thank you. We keep getting told to apply for pip but it!!!8217;s just so daunting. My sister has lupus and she!!!8217;s very very poorly, she also has a blood disorder which is where her blood is too thick and she can actually feel it moving around her body etc. She!!!8217;s prone to strokes and she can!!!8217;t lify her arms etc. And eventually will end up in a wheelchair. She!!!8217;s very ill yet they said she wasn!!!8217;t eligible for pip so that just made me think well if she isn!!!8217;t then what hope do we have?
Maybe we should give it a go .

Thank you x

fatbelly

Mae - If you just want advice on the catalogue debt, post on debt-free wannabee