ESA and savings

TELLIT01

On the holiday idea, could you get away for a few days with one or both of your parents and you paying the bill? It would show your appreciation but you wouldn't have the stress of being alone.

kingfisherblue

TELLIT01 wrote: »

On the holiday idea, could you get away for a few days with one or both of your parents and you paying the bill? It would show your appreciation but you wouldn't have the stress of being alone.

I was going to suggest this. There are alos some holidays that are for adults only, which the OP might find less stressful than places that are better suited to family holidays.

Mojisola

Whimsical1 wrote: »

It is soul crushing that I not only struggle to work but even enjoy my life due to mental health and physical issues.

Whimsical1 wrote: »

It's a good idea, thanks. I have lost interest in a lot activities I used to like doing the past several years, and as result tend neglect my own needs and can get by on very little.

Would it improve your mental health to have someone who can help you enjoy your life more by doing things at home?

Would it help to pay for counselling or massages or something else that will help you feel good about yourself?

When you have chronic illnesses, it's easy to get stuck and just survive rather than live - not a happy existence.

TELLIT01

What is really heartening for me is to see a topic like this where all the post have been positive and supportive of the OP. All too often we have what might be referred to as 'the usual suspects' going on about not needing it so shouldn't be claiming or similar stuff.

Whimsical1

TELLIT01 wrote: »

On the holiday idea, could you get away for a few days with one or both of your parents and you paying the bill? It would show your appreciation but you wouldn't have the stress of being alone.

Sincerely, thanks for the supportive suggestion, but tbh neither my parents or I have any interest at the moment of taking a holiday.

Whimsical1

Mojisola wrote: »

Would it improve your mental health to have someone who can help you enjoy your life more by doing things at home?

Would it help to pay for counselling or massages or something else that will help you feel good about yourself?

When you have chronic illnesses, it's easy to get stuck and just survive rather than live - not a happy existence.

Thank you, I have already been through therapy for my mental health and whilst it helped at the time having another person outside the family to share my thoughts with, to try and come up with positive outcomes and ideas forward, it wasn't particularly groundbreaking to make any long lasting change unfortunately.

Tbh the only 'person' that I would find helpful to my daily life would be a partner, but it I know it wouldn't be fair on the other person given I'm not in the best frame of mind at minute, but it's always something I hope will be an option in the future if things improve.

It is frustrating being stuck in a rut, but I do always strive for, like a lot of people, hope for a better tomorrow.

weavedribbon

Whimsical1 wrote: »

Thank you, I have already been through therapy for my mental health and whilst it helped at the time having another person outside the family to share my thoughts with, to try and come up with positive outcomes and ideas forward, it wasn't particularly groundbreaking to make any long lasting change unfortunately.

Tbh the only 'person' that I would find helpful to my daily life would be a partner, but it I know it wouldn't be fair on the other person given I'm not in the best frame of mind at minute, but it's always something I hope will be an option in the future if things improve.

It is frustrating being stuck in a rut, but I do always strive for, like a lot of people, hope for a better tomorrow.

Hope is the first step, action is the second. I honestly don't underestimate how difficult you may feel these things are but why not try one or two ideas out and then decide? You never know they might actually make you feel just a little less stuck. I too struggle with my mental health being around peoples, anxiety etc but I'm increasingly finding the only way for anything to be at all different is to try doing things differently sometimes. Especially the support worker idea, you could choose someone you feel you could work with/get on with, maybe through interviewing a couple? Or choose an agency and meet a few of them and then decide? Even to start with you just watch tv together or play a game, that may lead on to you feeling able to do more things with them like a hobby or even going out eventually.

I know none of this takes away the struggles but it might make you feel ever so slightly better and is at least worth trying? If it's not for you after a few tries then move on to trying something else . Good luck x

Aaron3195

venison wrote: »

You can spend the £5500 you have now in any way you chose, maybe you could buy your mum a new freezer or yourself a new phone or laptop or a new TV, could you go on holiday if your mum and dad went with you? you could pay for that. Below £6000 there is nothing to stop you spending it how you choose. Once your saving go above £6000 you have to notify the DWP and for every £250 over that you loose £1 in benefits but you won't have to notify them every week.

Won't this be seen as "deprivation of capital" if DWP were to check?

poppy12345

Aaron3195 wrote: »

Won't this be seen as "deprivation of capital" if DWP were to check?

No because as advised the OP has savings of below £6,000 which means they can spend it on anything they want to.

Iheart

What about a supported living type holiday? I am a support worker and some of the service users I work with have done these, several through Jolly Holidays.