Hunger is a way of life for me since I became disabled. I worked as a carer for the elderly for 16 years. Then I had a stroke. I can barely use the left side of my body now, I’ve permanently lost a large amount of vision, and my balance and motor skills have been so badly affected that I struggle to walk and get dressed and often fall. So I have been on disability benefits for 8 years.
Being on benefits is a living hell. Even though I provided letters from multiple doctors saying I’m not going to recover, they re-assess me so frequently. I’ve had 4 re-assessments plus an appeal in these 8 years, and I’m going through another now. Each assessment period takes nearly a year, and longer if it goes to appeal. This means I have a year or less of being left in peace before the process starts again.
During the appeal they stop my money. I have no income. This means maxxing out overdraft, getting into whatever other debt I can secure. And when I finally win the appeal and get backpay, it doesn’t come with interest. But I have to pay interest on the debt I’ve accrued. This means the backpay is never enough to pay off the debt, and the disability payments themselves are hardly enough to manage on, so I’ve ended up in un-payoffable debt.
And this is all for the crime of having a stroke. I live in absolutely constant stress over money, I am usually hungry, especially while going through appeal. And trying to access a foodbank is time consuming and exhausting. First I need a referral. So I need to try and make a GP or citizens advice appointment, which can take days. Then after getting the referral I need to get a food bank appointment, and after that they give enough food for a few days, then the whole process starts again, so most of the time I’m without food. I’ve been diagnosed with multiple vitamin deficiencies by the doctor because of all this. I suppose I should be grateful that at least I get my vitamin supplements free on the NHS but it seems counter-intuitive to let people starve to the point of malnutrition and then spend money giving them supplements when you could have just given them enough money for food in the first place.
I have resorted to shoplifting. I’m always terrified of getting caught and I just steal basic food and sanitary items. I just don’t know what else to do. People keep making out like there is so much help available but there really isn’t. For instance, people keep saying churches give out free food without an appointment. But when I’ve actually asked for help from local churches, not only do they not offer this service, but when I’ve asked a Christian forum online for advice, they insulted and shamed me for needing help.
I just wish it was all over.
After 23 years I’m sure those Labour policies will start working soon. Yup, any minute now…..
2 comments
Hunger is a way of life for me since I became disabled. I worked as a carer for the elderly for 16 years. Then I had a stroke. I can barely use the left side of my body now, I’ve permanently lost a large amount of vision, and my balance and motor skills have been so badly affected that I struggle to walk and get dressed and often fall. So I have been on disability benefits for 8 years.
Being on benefits is a living hell. Even though I provided letters from multiple doctors saying I’m not going to recover, they re-assess me so frequently. I’ve had 4 re-assessments plus an appeal in these 8 years, and I’m going through another now. Each assessment period takes nearly a year, and longer if it goes to appeal. This means I have a year or less of being left in peace before the process starts again.
During the appeal they stop my money. I have no income. This means maxxing out overdraft, getting into whatever other debt I can secure. And when I finally win the appeal and get backpay, it doesn’t come with interest. But I have to pay interest on the debt I’ve accrued. This means the backpay is never enough to pay off the debt, and the disability payments themselves are hardly enough to manage on, so I’ve ended up in un-payoffable debt.
And this is all for the crime of having a stroke. I live in absolutely constant stress over money, I am usually hungry, especially while going through appeal. And trying to access a foodbank is time consuming and exhausting. First I need a referral. So I need to try and make a GP or citizens advice appointment, which can take days. Then after getting the referral I need to get a food bank appointment, and after that they give enough food for a few days, then the whole process starts again, so most of the time I’m without food. I’ve been diagnosed with multiple vitamin deficiencies by the doctor because of all this. I suppose I should be grateful that at least I get my vitamin supplements free on the NHS but it seems counter-intuitive to let people starve to the point of malnutrition and then spend money giving them supplements when you could have just given them enough money for food in the first place.
I have resorted to shoplifting. I’m always terrified of getting caught and I just steal basic food and sanitary items. I just don’t know what else to do. People keep making out like there is so much help available but there really isn’t. For instance, people keep saying churches give out free food without an appointment. But when I’ve actually asked for help from local churches, not only do they not offer this service, but when I’ve asked a Christian forum online for advice, they insulted and shamed me for needing help.
I just wish it was all over.
After 23 years I’m sure those Labour policies will start working soon. Yup, any minute now…..