The Mental Debt Struggle...

Sarahwithlove

Have you checked your local council website to see what their policy is for the disabled facilities grant as that's what they will be applying for. Usually if you are on a means tested benefit you get it free or for minimal fee. But it does vary from council to council. 

Sarahwithlove

It's also worth noting that if you can't afford your contribution there are some charities who help you out with your share

AntoMac

Great work Keedie 

beanielou

I used micropore tape @Keedie. 

Makingabobor2

I used parcel tape to secure the bin bag. Needs to be some sort of waterproof tape. 

Keedie

Thanks for the advice about the disabled facilities grant @Sarahwithlove, I'd not heard of that before. I had a look on my council website and it seems to only apply to owner-occupiers, private tenants and housing association tenants. So there must be a similar scheme with different criteria for council tenants? Once the dust has settled with the surgery and the report comes through, I'll contact them to ask them how it works.

I'll have a look at charities in the interim to see what the criteria for those are in terms of support for adaptations. I suspect that with my incremental increases in hours at work, that I might end up inadvertently phasing myself out of such support 🥴. I've still not been paid for the additional hours that I've done. This will be the second month as I increased my hours on 2 July 2024. Despite being told that there was the budget for me to work 28 hours, there was in fact not, the budget in place. So now they're scrambling somewhat to balance the books. It's kinda throwing my budget off course, as I should have had the salary arrears this month for July, and I could have given myself a slightly higher budget in September as we're travelling to Marrakech for a long weekend. So September's budget will have to be a hybrid of August and September's income. So I'll to have to balance it out when the arrears are paid and make sure that I am only taking the arrears into account and not the actual main salary in September. It's a bit annoying to be honest. But it is what it is.

I've set up a standing order from the bills pot @Cherryfudge to one of the Chase sub-accounts that will be for medical stuff, like dentists, opticians, prescriptions etc. It's £10 a month at the moment, so a little under the monthly prescription charge. But once I get these other expenses out of the way, I will increase it to £15 a month. In the interim, that £5 will help to build more of a buffer in the bills pot. I'll have to see what they're doing with my pay at work and then I can work out some way of sorting out the shower money in case I can't get a grant or charitable help.

I've added some micopore to my Amazon basket, so thanks for that tip @beanielou. It'll come in handy anyways as I accidentally brought some bandages a few months back thinking that they were the type that you pull over your wrist or ankle for sprains, and they turned out to be just plain old bandages. Looks like that tape will secure them if they're ever needed, so that is a nice dual purpose/usage.

So far, cost wise with the surgery, I've hired the wheelchair for £91 for 3 weeks, ordered an elevated knee support for £59.99 and a magic gel ice pack as I broke the beads in the other one, for £24.99. The Amazon purchases for the knee support and ice pack came to £84.98. I had £15.84 left on my gift card so I paid £69.14, which also came out of my sinking funds money. I didn't see the micropore tape comment until after the order was done, so I'll get that when we're back from hospital as it will come quickly with Prime. My mum gave me a top and tail bowl for him the use the first couple of days, as I don't see how he'd get in the bath a day or two after surgery even if my bath lift is in there. So I think I can order it when we're in hospital for it to come the next day.

Sarahwithlove

Keedie said:

Thanks for the advice about the disabled facilities grant @Sarahwithlove, I'd not heard of that before. I had a look on my council website and it seems to only apply to owner-occupiers, private tenants and housing association tenants. So there must be a similar scheme with different criteria for council tenants? Once the dust has settled with the surgery and the report comes through, I'll contact them to ask them how it works.

I'll have a look at charities in the interim to see what the criteria for those are in terms of support for adaptations. I suspect that with my incremental increases in hours at work, that I might end up inadvertently phasing myself out of such support 🥴. I've still not been paid for the additional hours that I've done. This will be the second month as I increased my hours on 2 July 2024. Despite being told that there was the budget for me to work 28 hours, there was in fact not, the budget in place. So now they're scrambling somewhat to balance the books. It's kinda throwing my budget off course, as I should have had the salary arrears this month for July, and I could have given myself a slightly higher budget in September as we're travelling to Marrakech for a long weekend. So September's budget will have to be a hybrid of August and September's income. So I'll to have to balance it out when the arrears are paid and make sure that I am only taking the arrears into account and not the actual main salary in September. It's a bit annoying to be honest. But it is what it is.

I've set up a standing order from the bills pot @Cherryfudge to one of the Chase sub-accounts that will be for medical stuff, like dentists, opticians, prescriptions etc. It's £10 a month at the moment, so a little under the monthly prescription charge. But once I get these other expenses out of the way, I will increase it to £15 a month. In the interim, that £5 will help to build more of a buffer in the bills pot. I'll have to see what they're doing with my pay at work and then I can work out some way of sorting out the shower money in case I can't get a grant or charitable help.

I've added some micopore to my Amazon basket, so thanks for that tip @beanielou. It'll come in handy anyways as I accidentally brought some bandages a few months back thinking that they were the type that you pull over your wrist or ankle for sprains, and they turned out to be just plain old bandages. Looks like that tape will secure them if they're ever needed, so that is a nice dual purpose/usage.

So far, cost wise with the surgery, I've hired the wheelchair for £91 for 3 weeks, ordered an elevated knee support for £59.99 and a magic gel ice pack as I broke the beads in the other one, for £24.99. The Amazon purchases for the knee support and ice pack came to £84.98. I had £15.84 left on my gift card so I paid £69.14, which also came out of my sinking funds money. I didn't see the micropore tape comment until after the order was done, so I'll get that when we're back from hospital as it will come quickly with Prime. My mum gave me a top and tail bowl for him the use the first couple of days, as I don't see how he'd get in the bath a day or two after surgery even if my bath lift is in there. So I think I can order it when we're in hospital for it to come the next day.

Yes from what I know of my local authority if you are a council tenant then they usually have their own scheme which is very similiar but if they won't fund it then you can still apply for a DFG. But the general consensus seems to be if you are on a passport benefit (means tested) then you have a low or no contribution. Hopefully it won't cost you too much

Cherryfudge

Is everything still set to go ahead tomorrow, @Keedie? Thinking of you and your son and praying for a swift return to full health for him x

KajiKita

Good luck to both of you today 🤞x

KK

beanielou

Hope all goes smoothly today.