The Extra Discounts I Can’t Get Because I Can’t Get Other Benefits

As you know I can’t get ESA or UC so I live on PIP alone which isn’t enough to live on. You can read more about it here.
With energy prices going very high (especially gas), the government recently posted they ways they help the vulnerable.
Here is the article. It reads like all the vulnerable get more support. They don’t at all. Only those that qualify get more discounts/benefits.
Just because I am on £300 a month PIP only does NOT qualify me for other benefits or other discounts
There is Warm Home which is a £140 discount off your energy if you qualify. I sadly don’t.
I can’t get WaterSure either which I should do as I need a lot of water for health reasons as does the person that lives with me, but I don’t get any qualifying benefits.

Whenever I tell people that, I usually get asked questions as they can’t believe that I can’t get more.
Sadly it is the truth. That is why I started my FAQ initially as the questions I often get have been asked many times and it hurts to type plus it drains my limited energy massively.
I am not being rude when I link it, I just really find it hard typing a lot, plus I have answered it so many times that it just saves time as well. It is not being rude, it is just me desperately trying to save myself pain and fatigue.

I can’t get ESA due to NI credits, can’t get UC due to other house members income and that also means I can’t get warm home as I don’t have qualifying benefits, nor can I get winter fuel payments or cold weather payments which are the three things listed on the governments recent post about how they are helping vulnerable people. They basically don’t help us all. Not at all.

In other words, I don’t get anything else other than PIP. No more discounts nothing! I have to pay for my prescriptions as well and don’t get a penny more after my single PIP payment of just over £300 a month, that is all I get and I do not get any extra discounts or reductions on any other bills due to this.

People often find that really hard to understand as they hear all these things such as UC, ESA, Warm Home, WaterSure, free prescriptions etc, and they assume you get them. NOPE! I can’t get a single penny more than the PIP until I get enough NI credits after multiple years to be able to get ESA.

So the extra discounts to help with fuel costs, I just don’t get. There is no extra help I can get as I get all I can which is the sad truth. This is due to the governments ridiculous rules.
If I hadn’t worked part time for a few years, which was so hard and painful but I did it so I was working rather than claiming, so saving the government money. When it came to being unable to work at all, I hadn’t paid enough National Insurance as I was working part time so therefore I can’t get ESA! That is why I am struggling so much, because I worked for as long as I could. How ridiculous is that? I get punished for working as long as I could.

The majority of extra discounts require that you have eligible benefits, just the same as some government benefits require too. As I can’t get any other benefit due to the ridiculous requirements, even though technically I should qualify for a few others, but due to my NI credits and/or my living situation I can’t get anything more so I get PIP only and no more extra discounts on top!

I spend so long fighting for more. Over a year fighting and speaking to everyone I can. I have contacted the DWP, my MP and even parliament all multiple times. I can’t get more as you have to qualify by fulfilling every requirement of each benefit/discount. It is just that simple!

Just because I am chronically ill, disabled, housebound and unable to work, does not mean that I automatically can get other benefits or discounts. I can’t as I don’t qualify.

If you want to know more about me, check out my about me page and my FAQ. Lots of detailed information plus all the usual questions answered.

If you ever would like to help, you can help in so many ways! Just check out my support me page.
Any help is greatly appreciated. I put lots of hours into the blog & don’t earn from it.