It’s a sad time 😞

T.T.D · 12 October 2022 at 7:45PM

long one sorry bare with it though.

I was taken out of work by a consultant a number of years ago In wich I lost my dream job that if I had stayed in now I probably would be on a healthy 40k or more a year income. I never wanted benefits.

I Get:

Cont ESA Supprt Group. £235.20

PIP 0 care element Enhanced mobility component-full exchange for a Mobility vehicle.

child Ben £21.00

Child maintenance: £35 month not paid yet and estimated.

UC Support group £469.00

Council tax liability of £169.00 per year young persons not in education.

My overall disposable income a month £107.00 after switching Broadband and mobile deals and driving the car only to appointments putting in £20.00 a month (1.6ltr petrol engine suv nothing overly fancy).

Rent next year will be rising again in line with other costs and I estimate I will have have a Rent liability of £7.00 per week from April next year on the current trajectory my rent increases have been going to. I’m on the maximum rent allowance now for my band and area.

Before the world went to the wolves I was able to live in a secluded and comfortable way, I am responsible with money (because i simply hate spending it on needless wants and buy on a absolute needs must basis) I will sit with the lights off and heating off in the freezing cold if I can’t afford to push the on button on the thermostat or go days without eating so the young persons in the house can eat. My food costs are spiralling out of control even though I buy less and cheaper alternatives, shelf life of some products are abysmal so there’s ongoing costs with food even after spending £320.00 a month.

I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t socialise.

I look after 3 young persons.

18 and 14 year old.

18 year olds are neurodiverse as am I one, one is currently entering a alcohol treatment journey and have decided it’s better to live with grandparent (who won’t charge board from her UC and PIP income) to do her D.A.A.S (drug and alcohol service treatment) she also wants to focus on learning to drive and getting into a position where she can live independently (with her MH issues living fully Independently is not achievable it’s a fantastical idea at that but in reality some supported living is the only way forward due to the support she needs due to her neurodivergent condition but she can dream and I am happy to let her have that dream and support her when she realises it’s just that and mop up the drama and tears after).

Along with MH of being neurodiverse I have a serious respiratory condition and a serious spinal issue going that I’m currently going through and being investigated further amongst hearing and urological problems not that you wanted to know that it’s just there anyway because….background) essentially at 38yrs old I have a number primary issues of bulged and torn discs that are degenerative and are impinging nerves in my lower lumbar spine (Degenerative Disc Disease, and osteophytes (osteoarthritis) around a number of vertebrae and mid spine has prolapsed discs mild kyphosis and compounded together is causing pain most days that contributes to the mobility problems and care needs. I have been told recently that no operation is suitable for it and now I’ll be placed on a pain management plan after a MRI again to see how far and fast things are progressing through the degenerative stages.

Enough waffling T.T.D back to the issue:

I usually plan in advance of 6-12 months toward the end of the mobility lease to save for a deposit, due to my needs I need a SUV style vehicle that’s Automatic auto’s cost a little more normally in advance payment deposit (a disability tax I call it), so as I am not bending in and out of a vehicle rather that I can simply slide in and out to reduce pain, and boot space for crutch and portable nebuliser.

Those who have been in the mobility scheme a while will have seen the crazy price increase since covid of Auto vehicles available on the scheme, as many vehicles have been pulled from the scheme and some manufacturers have opted to leave the scheme all together.

I’ve found that reverse camera is a must I had a manual KIA sportage 1.6 and it killed me to look out the back so had to hand it back after 2.5 years and get suv with auto instead), it helps me no end to have to not twist in the seat to look out the back to reverse. Some manufacturers still haven’t got this as standard on base entry models that usually have a NIL advanced payment, so this reduces the pool somewhat more than you would think and I have to look at mid-high end model of manufacturers models that are available through the scheme (not many with sun £2200 deposit) that sit my needs.

I managed to save £1200 in March this year, my over all finances were ok. Then Putin went to war and then my £1200 wasn’t enough for a basic SUV Auto. Then I found I have had to delve into the savings to offset costs to my heating and electricity bills which rose exponentially but could afford more to to top it up so it’s stayed stagnant since around July. My boiler hasn’t been on since April but my gas and electricity has rose and rose so much that the credit I had have been swallowed almost instantaneously since April/May.

It’s looking like I’m going to have to hand the car back in January at the end of lease, use my savings for Christmas and birthday for the youngest in January just to keep my head above water and free up the money from my car to go towards my daily cost of living finances.

I haven’t yet updated DWP of the increased care needs (I know I’m supposed to but fear of them taking away my mobility component and having to wait 12-24 months for it to reinstated through tribunal process is preventing the notion of that).

Due to my spine increasing my care needs I am pretty sure I would qualify for basic rate care, but I am petrified of having them swing the other way and take the PIP away completely and end up back in the same boat as I am today but without the car or in place of the car, the cash to go into my finances or worse that UC gets wind of them removing my mobility compartment and trigger a reassessment of that too!

if I were to update PIP what’s is the likely scenario based on procedures they are known for?

Or…..would you just stick with what you got hand the car back and take the money and wait till they call me up for a new assessment at my award end date in 2024 and deal what comes then?

Yay you made it to the end poor you, put the kettle on and have a cuppa to celebrate you deserve it! 😆

F70 · 12 October 2022 at 8:18PM

Car just extended to 5 years. Or hand it back and buy one.

poppy12345 · 12 October 2022 at 8:19PM

If you reported a worsening of condition, you will be sent more PIP2 forms to fill in and return and you will very likely have another assessment. This can be either by telephone, video call or face to face at an assessment centre.

It may take several months at least to have a decision on the CoC.

It's entiirely your decision what you do because only you know how your conditions affect you.

Spoonie_Turtle · 12 October 2022 at 8:35PM

I can't really advise about PIP, the reality is that a reassessment could go either way and there is a real risk of losing it all before getting the correct decision. However it absolutely wouldn't affect your UC/ESA, DWP departments rarely talk to each other even when they need to! And for this there would be no reason to.

The rent element of your UC should be uprated next year, so hopefully that extra £7/week won't need to come out of your budget.

In terms of energy costs, if you have LED lights they are very efficient and cost very very little to run - a bright 7W bulb at the national average tariff should cost 1p for 4 ½hrs, or a slightly dimmer 5W bulb should cost 1p for 6hrs. So if you have LEDs, no real reason to have to sit in the dark.
(I've found this calculator for electricity running costs very handy: https://www.sust-it.net/energy-calculator.php )

Heating is a much bigger challenge, and the energy board on here could possibly help you work out whether your heating is set up most efficiently, whether there are any reasonable cuts to be made elsewhere, and any other realistic tips (e.g. heated blankets cost pennies per hour to run as a supplement to low heating, most likely plaves to need extra insulation, etc.).

One 18yo doesn't live with you, what about the other? Does that child claim all relevant benefits? If you don't already charge some board then perhaps it's time to have an open conversation with them. Presumably if they also claim UC you no longer get any child benefit or the child element for them, so they may realistically have to contribute - or perhaps contribute more, if they do contribute some already.

If you find yourself struggling with energy bills, your supplier has an obligation to try to help, especially as you are classed as vulnerable. They may not be able to help financially but in some way to help reduce energy usage without you freezing.

If you are struggling with necessities (or start to in the future), there may be help available through one of the many charities linked on this page: https://www.disability-grants.org/

T.T.D · 12 October 2022 at 9:52PM

Spoonie_Turtle said:

I can't really advise about PIP, the reality is that a reassessment could go either way and there is a real risk of losing it all before getting the correct decision. However it absolutely wouldn't affect your UC/ESA, DWP departments rarely talk to each other even when they need to! And for this there would be no reason to.

The rent element of your UC should be uprated next year, so hopefully that extra £7/week won't need to come out of your budget.

In terms of energy costs, if you have LED lights they are very efficient and cost very very little to run - a bright 7W bulb at the national average tariff should cost 1p for 4 ½hrs, or a slightly dimmer 5W bulb should cost 1p for 6hrs. So if you have LEDs, no real reason to have to sit in the dark.
(I've found this calculator for electricity running costs very handy: https://www.sust-it.net/energy-calculator.php )

Heating is a much bigger challenge, and the energy board on here could possibly help you work out whether your heating is set up most efficiently, whether there are any reasonable cuts to be made elsewhere, and any other realistic tips (e.g. heated blankets cost pennies per hour to run as a supplement to low heating, most likely plaves to need extra insulation, etc.).

One 18yo doesn't live with you, what about the other? Does that child claim all relevant benefits? If you don't already charge some board then perhaps it's time to have an open conversation with them. Presumably if they also claim UC you no longer get any child benefit or the child element for them, so they may realistically have to contribute - or perhaps contribute more, if they do contribute some already.

If you find yourself struggling with energy bills, your supplier has an obligation to try to help, especially as you are classed as vulnerable. They may not be able to help financially but in some way to help reduce energy usage without you freezing.

If you are struggling with necessities (or start to in the future), there may be help available through one of the many charities linked on this page: https://www.disability-grants.org/

Thanks, yes I upgraded all the bulbs to led controlled through a central hub bridge that connects to an app on my phone so I can turn off what the youngsters leave on. No lights are left on overnight/when we’re not here.

I think you misunderstood I am not sitting round in the dark, my temperament is that when I haven’t got it I go without.

T.T.D · 12 October 2022 at 9:53PM

poppy12345 said:

If you reported a worsening of condition, you will be sent more PIP2 forms to fill in and return and you will very likely have another assessment. This can be either by telephone, video call or face to face at an assessment centre.
It may take several months at least to have a decision on the CoC.
It's entiirely your decision what you do because only you know how your conditions affect you.

Thank you, what I suspected really.

calcotti · 12 October 2022 at 10:11PM

Spoonie_Turtle said:
The rent element of your UC should be uprated next year, so hopefully that extra £7/week won't need to come out of your budget.

That depends on the type of accommodation. If social housing then housing element will increase with rent. If private rental it will depend on whether or not LHA is increased, it wasn’t in 2022.

poppy12345 · 12 October 2022 at 10:47PM

T.T.D said:

My overall disposable income a month £107.00 after switching Broadband and mobile deals and driving the car only to appointments putting in £20.00 a month (1.6ltr petrol engine suv nothing overly fancy).

Do you really need your car? If you only use it for appointments would it be cheaper to have a taxi, or even ask a family member or friend to take you? This will save you using all your PIP on a car you don't often use.

Also motability are refunding £350 to those that ordered a mobility vehicle before 1st October 2022. Refunds will start to be paid from 24th October 2022.

However, if you received your good condition bonus early during Covid you will not be entitled to this £350, unless you extended your lease. This is all related to the changes to the good condition bonus for new vehicles ordered from 1st October 2022.

Full details here. https://news.motability.co.uk/scheme-news/good-condition-early-payment/

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