Sincere Request
Donation protected
A very bold and brazen attempt to survive because I have exhausted all other avenues.
As some of you may know, I have been in a financial mess for well over a year due to the governments lack of understanding surrounding mental health.
I suffer from PTSD, anxiety, social anxiety, BPD, OCD and severe depression.
As you can imagine, this combination of factors results in different day to day struggles, dependent on which illness is at the forefront.
I have made a claim for PIP under mental health and was turned down due to “not being in any physical pain”. This is a descrimination that has only served to worsen my condition. I have made a request for a mandatory reconsideration on the basis of my afflictions being mental and not physical and I was told that it can take upto 6 weeks to perform. Now that the 6 weeks are up I am being informed that it can be upto 12. The goalposts continue to change without any repercussions for those at the helm of the decision making process.
In recent years I have been pushed out of my job at the DWP through bullying from my manager, through a traumatic termination, a hospital stay 6 months later through discovering that it wasn’t performed properly, date rape, torment at the hands of my drug abusing housemate where I was threatened with rape by him and his friends as a means of teaching me “a lesson” for asking them to quieten down, a severe car crash and losing my job shortly after, subsequently losing my house and being placed into a homeless hostel. This isn’t meant to garner sympathy but just as a means of explaining my condition and drawing attention to the lack of help and support offered to me during these times.
While at the hostel I was informed that I wasn’t able to receive help from the local council because I don’t have children so I eventually found a cheap property meaning that I could start again and attempt to regain my mental stability and return to work.
Unfortunately, the property is extremely damp and poorly insulated, something that I am fighting with the estate agents to rectify however they have a stream of people requiring these properties, regardless of damp because they are the cheapest available. This means that the condition is unlikely to improve. It also means that a lot of my income goes towards heating costs as a means of trying to live slightly comfortably.
Due to the backlog with PIP and also the uncertainty of the outcome (it may need to go to tribunal), I have come to the situation where I simply cannot live anymore. I have lost over 2 stone in weight in recent months through stress and also because food has taken a back seat (despite the generous assistance of the local food bank) and have reached the end of my mental capacity to remain positive.
I am asking for help because I simply cannot turn anywhere else. I have been lucky enough to receive help from friends and sometimes family however there is a limit to their finances also. I have been to the citizens advice bureau, the benefits office, shelter cymru, the drs (multiple times) and have spoken with the local anti poverty councillor but my luck has run out with them it seems due to not having children and I cannot turn anywhere else.
I appreciate that everyone is in a difficult time at the moment so if you cannot help, I totally understand and thank you immensely for taking the time to read this.
For full disclosure I enclose my monthly income and expenditure. You will see that I spend rather a lot on my pets who help me immeasurably in coping with my depression. I have made attempts to rehome them safely so as to cut this cost down however I haven’t found anywhere suitable and I am not prepared to give them up to a home that I am not sure will be as loving as the one they have now.
Any help, in any form would be greatfully received and as soon as my PIP is finally awarded, whether through the reconsideration or tribunal, I fully intend to pay back any kind assistance whether it be financially or in donations to local causes that have helped. I am just asking for help to get through the rest of the time I wait for PIP so that I can take some financial strain out of the equation so that I can try and get better and back to work.
Monthly total income; £503 (Universal Credit)
Rent: £282
Pet food/litter: £75
Phone bill: £19 (unable to cancel)
Internet: £20 (unable to cancel)
Laundry: £35 (local launderette)
TV licence: £12
Toiletries and cleaning products: £25
Electricity: £110 (can provide statements)
Food: £108
Total: £686
Deficit: £183
As some of you may know, I have been in a financial mess for well over a year due to the governments lack of understanding surrounding mental health.
I suffer from PTSD, anxiety, social anxiety, BPD, OCD and severe depression.
As you can imagine, this combination of factors results in different day to day struggles, dependent on which illness is at the forefront.
I have made a claim for PIP under mental health and was turned down due to “not being in any physical pain”. This is a descrimination that has only served to worsen my condition. I have made a request for a mandatory reconsideration on the basis of my afflictions being mental and not physical and I was told that it can take upto 6 weeks to perform. Now that the 6 weeks are up I am being informed that it can be upto 12. The goalposts continue to change without any repercussions for those at the helm of the decision making process.
In recent years I have been pushed out of my job at the DWP through bullying from my manager, through a traumatic termination, a hospital stay 6 months later through discovering that it wasn’t performed properly, date rape, torment at the hands of my drug abusing housemate where I was threatened with rape by him and his friends as a means of teaching me “a lesson” for asking them to quieten down, a severe car crash and losing my job shortly after, subsequently losing my house and being placed into a homeless hostel. This isn’t meant to garner sympathy but just as a means of explaining my condition and drawing attention to the lack of help and support offered to me during these times.
While at the hostel I was informed that I wasn’t able to receive help from the local council because I don’t have children so I eventually found a cheap property meaning that I could start again and attempt to regain my mental stability and return to work.
Unfortunately, the property is extremely damp and poorly insulated, something that I am fighting with the estate agents to rectify however they have a stream of people requiring these properties, regardless of damp because they are the cheapest available. This means that the condition is unlikely to improve. It also means that a lot of my income goes towards heating costs as a means of trying to live slightly comfortably.
Due to the backlog with PIP and also the uncertainty of the outcome (it may need to go to tribunal), I have come to the situation where I simply cannot live anymore. I have lost over 2 stone in weight in recent months through stress and also because food has taken a back seat (despite the generous assistance of the local food bank) and have reached the end of my mental capacity to remain positive.
I am asking for help because I simply cannot turn anywhere else. I have been lucky enough to receive help from friends and sometimes family however there is a limit to their finances also. I have been to the citizens advice bureau, the benefits office, shelter cymru, the drs (multiple times) and have spoken with the local anti poverty councillor but my luck has run out with them it seems due to not having children and I cannot turn anywhere else.
I appreciate that everyone is in a difficult time at the moment so if you cannot help, I totally understand and thank you immensely for taking the time to read this.
For full disclosure I enclose my monthly income and expenditure. You will see that I spend rather a lot on my pets who help me immeasurably in coping with my depression. I have made attempts to rehome them safely so as to cut this cost down however I haven’t found anywhere suitable and I am not prepared to give them up to a home that I am not sure will be as loving as the one they have now.
Any help, in any form would be greatfully received and as soon as my PIP is finally awarded, whether through the reconsideration or tribunal, I fully intend to pay back any kind assistance whether it be financially or in donations to local causes that have helped. I am just asking for help to get through the rest of the time I wait for PIP so that I can take some financial strain out of the equation so that I can try and get better and back to work.
Monthly total income; £503 (Universal Credit)
Rent: £282
Pet food/litter: £75
Phone bill: £19 (unable to cancel)
Internet: £20 (unable to cancel)
Laundry: £35 (local launderette)
TV licence: £12
Toiletries and cleaning products: £25
Electricity: £110 (can provide statements)
Food: £108
Total: £686
Deficit: £183
Organizer
Laura King
Organizer
