Ambulance transport drivers stole all the money I had.

[OnlyOpenMouthToChangeFeet]

I’ll try to start at the beginning, sorry if a little long.

I’m disabled and bed bound and have very little support, other than my carer briefly visiting a couple of times a day. I have 3 great children, but with work and families they’re not always available, particularly during the daytime.

Therefore, for my multitude of hospital appointments, I am usually taken on a stretcher by a transport ambulance, which has for years worked well. Note that the two staff members provided are not qualified paramedics.

So today I needed an urgent X ray, was collected and taken to local hospital, then brought home. Drivers were happy, chatty, helpful as usual. You very rarely get the same two twice, but they’re all normally great and genuinely seem to care.

When I got home I noticed a £10 note on the side in the kitchen (change from the window cleaner), which I’d forgotten to put in my purse. So I get my handbag, take out my purse, and all the money I had in there was gone. I know how much it was as I checked this morning. I’m on an impossible budget with disability benefits and trying to also pay towards my care bills, so always know exactly what I’ve got on any given day.

So the ambulance drivers have stolen £120 from me, which was meant to last me for the next two weeks. Other than the £10 change from the window cleaner, I now have nothing.

I’m devastated. I don’t understand how they could do this to me?! How the hell am I meant to survive? I can’t stop crying, and am just so fucking angry and feel so stupid for trusting these people.

And to add insult to injury, the police will get back to me “maybe within a few days”.

If any of you lovely MN's have advice, I’d love to hear it.

I was reappeared 4 weeks ago.

The only help would be financial. Your Social worker, or GP would be able to help regarding the dietary limitations. I would be calling the Social worker back, as the response has been unsatisfactory.

Yes

My council contribution kicks in either when children over 21, or they have moved out. And DJs anyone receiving enhance care PIP, they request a standard contribution of £54pw.

I'd cancel your window cleaner for a start, they must charge at least a tenner for you to have a tenner in change? Personal care is more important than clean windows.

Not sure what else help MNers can give you on a Friday evening, especially if you've been in this situation before you probably know all the options. Just in case this helps though

www.moneysavingexpert.com/budgeting-debt-help/

Sorry, I'm not doing very well and pain through the roof, please excuse shit typos.

What are your dietary needs in case mn can help re cheaper meals?

Thank you. I've always had to be careful, lucky to have no debt other than utilities, and can't pay what I haven't got.

I understand what you're saying re window cleaner. I get such grief from my housing officer if things not spotless, I just do it for a bit of a quieter life.

It's really difficult as have lot of gut and bowel damage. Cant eat meat at all, struggle absorbing nutrients, it's usually fish, veg, eggs, foods with concentrate nutrition, plus some meal replacement drinks on prescription.

I've also had a double jaw replacement and struggle swallowing, I often choke on foods. I've lost of enjoyment of eating to be honest, but needs must. My carer has a community pantry near her, and they sometimes have some suitable things.

I understand what you're saying re window cleaner. I get such grief from my housing officer if things not spotless, I just do it for a bit of a quieter life.

At the expense of buying food to eat? Really?

I'll be honest, a lot of this makes no sense to me. I have never ever had hospital transport/porters/HCA/radiologists - basically anyone! take my belongings out of the x ray room, whether I'm in a gown or dressed/partially dressed. Is this normal practice for you? It's vanishingly unlikely here, and I personally wouldn't let my bag out of my sight, especially if it had all my money in it!

You say you have no friends or family but people obviously love you enough to give you £120 (a lot of money!) for your birthday, surely these people would be better to approach than MN?

If youve been in this situation multiple times before, you must know the options available to you, especially locally, better than random MNers. If you just want support and understanding that you are skint, and have to pay for care, I'm sure you'd get it, but you've started a thread with a click bait style title, asking lovely MNers for "advice" - conflicting information (no friends or family, yet you have £120 birthday money) and pretty much refuted all suggestions.

Assuming you've got enough food in for the weekend (if not, how were you going to get it?) really think you'd do better contacting your social worker on Monday for the short term help a thread in the Money Matters for practical advice for longer term. Not this thread as it just looks so dodgy for all the reasons I said above. It really looks like you are hoping for offers of money. Maybe others agree, or don't want to say. I'm being honest with you about how I see it so you can take it on board or ignore, entirely up to you. I'll bow out anyway hope the link I gave you was helpful to anyone else struggling.

Are You eligible for a budgeting advance? Apologies if this has already been mentioned and I’ve missed it.

In case it helps anyone else who has had money stolen, a lot of home insurance policies cover "cash out of the house" claims btw, but probably not when you've let people take your belongings out of sight.

My carer has a community pantry near her, and they sometimes have some suitable things.

So your carer can help you with food. What are your children who live with you going to do for food? Will they be helped as well?

So eggs? What do your dc eat. Surely if living at home they can purchase some eggs/veg to cover you for the weekend?

Seriously now, who buys this stuff

Ok for a start before you do anything else

Are you 100% certain the money was in there ?
Have you moved it to a safe place ?
Did you check it was still in there when you left for the hospital?
If not does anyone else have access to your bag ?
Could it have fallen out was it securely in your purse ?
Do you have hidden compartments in your purse that you might have put it in ?
You say you have cameras in your house have you checked them ?
Could the window cleaner have gained access while you were in the bathroom etc ?
If you are 100% on this then you need to obviously call the police which you say you have done but have you called the hospital to see if it's been handed in ?
Ask them about cctv.
Get one of your children who seem really capable to do this for you if you don't feel able.
How long until you are next paid ?
What food do you have in the house ?
Do the children provide food for themselves ?
Do you have a supply of fortisip (or similar because you mentioned the drinks) I have bowel disease and actually had to live off these for a good few weeks while waiting for surgery they will keep you going.
If you don't have a supply can you get an emergency prescription or ask the chemist if they can supply a few until you can talk to the doctor?
Also the person who gave you the money for your birthday is it possible they could help you out with a small loan so you can buy a few cheap supplies?

I hope you have actually misplaced it and it hasn't been stolen. Like others have mentioned would it really be worth their jobs for the small amount (I know it isn't small to you). If it is the case then it's awful and I hope they do loose their jobs but it will be hard to prove I expect 🥲.
Hope you get something sorted 🥰