Christmas now unaffordable

How much do you have for food per month, and what are you and your husband eating currently? You need more meals, we can help you figure out where to get those from your budget and resources.

Honestly, I'd be making it priority to chase up the biopsy test if your husband has suspected blood cancer. How on earth is it taking so long? My son had blood cancer last year and waiting a year for a biopsy would've killed him.

I'd be making a lot of noise about it. It's completely unacceptable.

OP, could your son register with employment agencies for casual work? They’re always looking for people for various roles, and no offence meant but they’re really not fussy (as in your son has no English or maths, or I’m presuming experience), plus as it’s casual shifts you can pick up shifts as and when you want them.

Your dp needs to try for pip. You need to collect more evidence for your next review so when it comes you can fight for higher rates. Op you need to eat, you will die if you don’t. Look into olio and free to go app

I agree

Every Council HAS to have a council tax support scheme. It's the law. If you'd like to message me which area you're in, I can find the details of their scheme and how to apply.

There will also be other support services in your area for help applying for benefits, or national charities who can help by phone.

I am wondering where the OP lives, where there seems to be no support, that she is able to access, and an MP who she has contacted, who has not helped either. There must be some help, somewhere.

Have you applied for the universal credit work capability assessment? You can be awarded around £450 (I do not remember the exact amount).

Is your husband receiving the £200 carers element of universal credit?

It could be worth using a comparison site to check if you are on the cheapest gas & electric tariff.

Have a look if you have a food cycle in your area. Near me they provide cooked meals in various locations each week.

You can chat with citizens advice online

Have you gone to citizens advice? It sounds
really concering op.

With the Christmas thing - op life is hard. For some people putting the tree up gives them that bit of joy. For others it makes it worse. Do what works for you.

An ok, my mistake. Apologies.

The OP said the youngest is too old for them to claim child benefit for him, and he can’t work and contribute.
they didn’t go into details which is fair enough but at the end of day, it sounds like he has to work and contribute or claim benefits. They can’t afford to subsidise another adult in these circumstances. If he really cannot work, then the college should have support services where they should be able to offer him advice and support.

Carers allowance is deducted from UC.

If your child is still in full time education you can claim for them until they are 19, UC and child benefit. Talk to someone.

OP - Are you claiming child benefit for your child who's at college? It stops once they reach 16 but then if they go to 6th form or college you have to let them know and they will continue paying it. Have you done this?

Hi OP - Something doesn’t sound right with the amount of benefits you’re getting. My boyfriend can’t work as he is being treated for Cancer and has associated health conditions. He gets lower level Adult Disability Payment (Scottish equivalent of PIP I think?) and a few other things. In total including his housing payment he gets around £1300 a month plus his council tax paid, so surely you must be entitled to around that plus £360 a month carers allowance? So £1660 a month ish?

Can you speak to a local benefits advisor to make sure you’re getting everything that you’re entitled to? As someone pointed out, it’s hard to get hard of the citizens advice over the phone but maybe they offer drop in sessions, or there’s another local benefits advisor.

(I've never known a charity not give because of religious differences, are you sure?)

It's unclear in OPs posts but I honestly took that as a pride statement. I suspect the issue is they won't ask for help from xyz place because it's a religious organisation with beliefs they don't approve of. The OP themselves could be religious for all we know. Lots of religious people can be quite closed off to the notion of any other religion and could see it as an affront to God (or whatever they call Him) to ask/accept help from another religion's people.

Don't believe it for a second either

Ok you need to speak to a doctor, if you only consume one meal twice a week you must be chronically underweight and it will lead to death. Make an appt ans speak to your gp. Ask for referrals to a food bank. There is lots of apps where food is given away but you can’t starve to death.

My IC leaves me with £300 for the month, I have 2 adult dc both with disabilities (one severe). It is really hard. Your dh needs to claim PIP, try and brush the stigma aside, you need it to survive.

A lot of my Christmas gifts have been bought on vinted this year, I have found some great things (some new).

Please go to citizens advice or a similar charity.
You both need to be claiming pip, carers allowance fir each other, and LCWRA. It's a lot of paperwork but it will greatly help. Your husband write about his health needs and send the evidence later when he has it.

You should get lcwra. Send in fit notes from your doctor until you get an assessment. It's tough but you really need to do it.

You are correct in that they have a general limit but often after a conversation and discussion around the individuals circumstances they can fulfill further requests for vouchers on a discretionary basis. The OP can easily evidence their financial difficulty via their UC journal and rent statement.