Benefit cuts will cost the economy.

Just in case people are not aware, the job centre will buy interview clothing, shoes, work start clothing and fund travel to interviews and at least one month of travel to work for those job seeking.

Are you suggesting there's too many people for the number of jobs?

I can attest, some of what you say, is accurate.

Happy to expand.

Sorry to hear of your troubles@Thronglet. I am just wondering if Adult services in your LA could help you in any way.* *It might be worth a try.

I completely agree with this.

There isn't any help. I've already tried looking for it. No food bank close to me delivers.

The few times I've been well enough to go there, I can't carry what they give me so I have to leave a lot. They really don't give you very much at all in there anyway. It's three days worth of very random ingredients and I definitely can't get to a food bank every few days. You need to supplement what they give you with other ingredients, which will all be random because you'll get different bits every time. Then it needs very inventive cooking to make meals out of. I'm making all of my meals with the equivalent of hands that have just been beaten and put into thick gloves - so even though I know how to cook, the smallest thing like boiling water and pouring it is very challenging and painful. Not to mention risky because I've got no grip. I've badly burnt myself before.

Honestly, don't feel bad about reaching out for help, you should not have to go hungry like that.

Wow. You’re a real empathy depot, aren’t you?

RR is not competent to handle the economy. In 2025 we are down 1.4 billion pounds due to her increasing tax on Non Dom's who many have simply chose to move to a more tax friendly country. She is so stupid she seems to think she brings in a new policy to increase taxes but doesn't contemplate Non Dom's will react to avoid her increased taxes. She was warned this would happen but insisted it would bring in more money. These VAT on independent schools, RR was warned it would cause more expense for councils having to pay taxis for DC with SN to travel miles tomsttendvspecial schools but she chose to ignore this information. Now councils are forced to pay in case of my foster DC £42.5k per annum just in taxis. I've heard of another DC who has to travel further with their taxi costing LA £78k per annum. She cut WFA for pensioners but now more is paid out than she gained in PC as many more claims. Now she thinks she knows best again with cutting disability benefits. She'll never learn to listen to advice.

If there was a way I could eat enough, I'd already be doing it. Things are too expensive and I have too little money.

Presumably if I'd said I lived on sandwiches and fruit, someone would be asking me why I wasting my money on that.

This always happens on threads like this. Someone says they have a disability, and then get people making suggestions, or asking have they tried xyz. All unsolicited, and not always in good faith.

I'm happy for you that you don't understand what it's like to survive on almost nothing for years and then see a warehouse full of huge piles of food you could never afford. But it made me feel awful. That's what constant, long lasting hunger does to you. It was very distressing.

For goodness sake Hyteffsxg stop hounding Thronglet about what you think she should be eating. She says she has lived with this issue for a long time, so I doubt the suggestions are novel to her.

No, because I can't eat bread.

Plenty of older single men live on sandwiches

Well sorting out PIP is irrelevant - you can work whilst claiming PIP.

The out of work stuff is the ESA replacement element on Universal Credit.

I obviously do feel for you. It's why I asked. I was wondering to myself if you couldn't cook, why you didn't eat some fruits. I know it's not a full meal, but like better than nothing?

Same thought I have now is why you don't eat plain bread? I'm not saying you should. Obviously I think you should have a full and healthy meal. But like wouldn't bread be better than nothing?

Agree

What a ridiculous dramatic reaction (tho’why would anyone think a trip to Cost o would be a ‘nice outing’ ….????)

Exactly.

People are all for it until they have to 'deal' with someone like me and they think they shouldn't have to because they're a paying customer.

Thread after thread on here about 'shit service' - people on tills who don't make eye contact, hospitality workers who don't make small talk, shop workers who pounce on them and talk too much and are 'pushy', and all the rest of the ways people feel they are not being served correctly.

I remember a thread a few months ago where a poster complained that a volunteer in Asda ruined her shopping because she was tasked to help choose cards and the op didn't want help, and the op and more than a few posters thought that she shouldn't be there, doing that job if it annoyed customers.

But they must work! They must contribute! Only not where it might affect those paying customers even slightly if you please.

There are only so many places that people like me can be shoved away, but still working, so we don't inconvenience the great and the good and ruin their experience of buying a birthday card or whatever.

And if I sound bitter then I am, because I've had a lifetime of being abused, ridiculed and patronised. Told I'm not good enough to do the lowliest of jobs and yet here people are saying how I must work because I can. I want to work, I do work, I've always worked, but I've been in and out of jobs until this one because people complain about me being too slow and stupid to serve them. I now have an employer that shields me somewhat from the people who treat me like this.

You want disabled people, people with conditions and those with mental health out there working?
Stop shunning them, stop ridiculing them, stop complaining about them.

What a lot of people seem to struggle with is that you can be chronically ill, working and struggling to do so and not entitled to any benefits.

That’s key, actually. A lot of people really struggle to fully grasp that they’re mortal and fallible.

And keep in mind - you're not 'not disabled'. You're simply 'not disabled yet'. Able bodied, fit, and healthy is temporary.

Too many people forget this. No matter how smart, how educated, privileged, or rich you are, no matter who your family is or how hardworking you are, we are all only one accident or illness away from being disabled.