You might have read how so many disabled people are struggling right now. Those are the ones who get the full disability benefits too such as ESA.
I can’t get that so imagine how hard it is for me, when I get almost nothing from the government and can’t work.
I am not asking for much, I just want to be given enough money to cover living costs! I can’t work due to severe chronic illness and disability.
£300 a month is NOT enough for anyone, let alone someone at home 24 hours a day!
I did not expect to be in poverty for so long because the government won’t give me ESA all because of national insurance credits!
All because I couldn’t work full time, only part time due to chronic illness and disability! That is ridiculous, but that is why I can’t get ESA and why I only get a little over £300 a month PIP.
Oh and even though I can’t get the money from ESA, I had to sign up for it for the national insurance credits. But I need years of them to be able to claim the money, even though I worked for years part time rather than stopping work all together. THAT is why I can’t get ESA.
How ridiculous is that. Can’t get the main disability benefit because I couldn’t work full time due to disability…
I have said well before the cost of living crisis started that I can’t afford to survive. Just read old posts on my blog and you will see I had almost the same amount of income a few years back!
Now the cost of living crisis is here as is the energy crisis too, but I still can’t get anymore money!
My bit over £300 a month income is wiped out just by energy bills and still won’t have enough money for them!
That means there is NOTHING for food, bills and medication.
What do you do when you can’t get more money but can’t work? Die? I don’t want to do that.
Try living on around £300 a month. Try it! That is extreme poverty and it is thanks to the DWP!
I can’t afford rent anywhere, let alone bills, food and medication.
The cost of living and energy crisis means that the government added some (pathetic) grants/rebates. I will get the £150 for being disabled later in the year, but I won’t get the main help which was £650. I can’t get that! Yes you read that right, I can’t get the main disability benefit rebate of £650 as I can’t get ESA, you know the benefit for disabled people? Yep I can’t get that so can’t get the £650 rebate for being disabled.
So in winter I won’t be able to have the heating on even though I am in it all the time.
You can read my recent post here which about this terrifying worry I have about winter and being stuck inside in 3c temps indoors.
The choice of food or heat is a choice many disabled will now have to make. I won’t be able to afford EITHER!
I am not sure what I can do.
I can’t do crafts or surveys or anything like that to earn money due to my health, so what am I supposed to do?
I even tried to make some printable items to sell which took ages to make and was very hard on my health. They are just small things to make and people sell for £1-£4, but I haven’t sold one.
Tried making a journal and chronic pain log too but those didn’t sell either.
Think I am too late for that. This is how much I am trying. If you wondered why I was quiet for a few weeks, that was one of them. I was trying hard but it means lots of bed rest to recover, but even that didn’t make me any money.
I torture myself trying to earn money on Twitch as you might know, which I can’t do often, but I try and that kills me so much I need 3 days in bed from streaming for just a few hours. Torture. I hide the tears as it is so hard to do, but that too doesn’t bring in money.
I can’t promote myself enough and can’t stream enough to get subscriptions.
Basically it is me streaming to 1 person for a few hours.
I may have to quit that as it is torture and for nothing.
There is NOTHING else I can do. Nothing. I know as I spent 4 years trying to find things after I couldn’t work. My chronic illnesses are just too severe.
So what do I do?
I am terrified I won’t make it past winter if I don’t have heating on but I can’t afford to.
This house is around 3c in winter so that is terrifying to think of as I am in in 24 hours a day!
As I always say no one ever has to help, but if you can help, please do! If there was ever a time, this is it.
Here is my support me page with all the ways you can help. You can even donate monthly on ko-fi.
All money goes on food, medication and bills. Nothing else!!
If you don’t want to donate money, I have a wish list with items such as thermal items to keep warm in winter with no heat, food, items (of which I need to add more) and health items. Everything on there is things I can’t afford as I can’t afford anything!
Going to be adding more food etc on it when I can.
You can read more about me on my about me page, or my FAQ.
