It seems every bit of help is being got rid of and I don't know how to cope.

[OldTired]

Despite being in active cancer treatment and recovering from a stroke, I get reassessed for my disability benefits so frequently, on average every 1.5 years. I got awarded zero points and had to put in an appeal. As if this isn't bad enough, all the usual means of support have disappeared. Macmillan used to give cancer patients a grant every 2 years. I was due to get £300 in November and was absolutely counting on that. But they've decided to stop giving grants, now I get nothing. My local council have decided to use the household support fund for pensioners this year so I get nothing from that either. I've filled out the turn2us page, I'm not eligible for any grants.

The food bank is awful A typical package consists of tea, coffee, sugar, milk, cookies and a small loaf of bread. No actual food, nothing filling. And it takes so long to access, having to get a referral.

I'm so tired. i don't know how long I can keep living like this. I'm tired of hearing that this country has a great support network, it doesn't. It's hard enough struggling on with serious health issues without having endless financial problems on top. I don't even have any family or friends to turn to. All my friends gradually stopped contacting me as I got sicker and was no fun to be with any more. This society is absolutely broken.

I'm so sorry for what you're going through, you really don't need all this stress when you are meant to be recovering.

Did you get your disability benefits in the end?

Apologies if you've already tried this but it could be worth contacting citizens advice to see what they suggest?

It does feel a lot of help is targeted at pensioners who are usually wealthier, and people with disabilities are sorely missing out. It's such a shame and causes so much unnecessary suffering.

They sent me a letter estimating my appeal will be heard in January. I don't know how I'm supposed to manage in the meantime. Am I meant to live on tea coffee and sugar for months, or longer?

Citizens advice have helped me write a statement for the appeal but that's all. They say just go to the food bank.

Do you pay a mortgage op? When my mate was having chemo she asked for a payment break. Due to a clause in her mortgage about illness it was actually paid off!

No, I don't have a home of my own. I have been renting two rooms in an old lady's house. I'll probably end up in a homeless shelter at this rate.

Are you on universal credit op?

Write to your MP. They are usually pretty good at these sorts of things. They got theCMS moving when I was getting no where.

OP are you on PIP ? If so, your actual disability or health condition is irrelevant. How it affects you on a daily basis and whether you continue to meet the assessment criteria are all that that count. If you’re being reassessed every 18 months or so it’s likely because they consider there’s a possibility of your condition changing for the better, so have made short term awards. If you’ve been awarded zero points this time then it seems they think you’ve reached the point where you no longer qualify.

In preparation for your appeal you should get sight of all DWP documentation so check any medical evidence carefully as they may have obtained some of it without your knowledge from sources you authorised on your application. Query anything you think is wrong or inaccurate. You should also request a copy of the actual assessors’ report on which you are refused, as well as past assessors reports from the various reassessments. Check them for accuracy, any inconsistencies in the scoring between reports, and look for any inconsistencies especially between past reports and the one on which you were refused benefit. Document any incorrect information they contain and include that in your appeal.

And remember you can only appeal things that were disclosed during application or assessment. Any new condition or effects of an existing condition can’t be considered unless you disclosed them at the time. It may also be helpful to obtain up to date medical evidence if you can, as well as statements from any carers or family members who can vouch for the effects of your condition.

it may also be helpful to know that if any aspect of your condition meets the criteria for 50% or more of the time, that’s enough. So for example if your cancer treatment causes you after effects for at least this amount of time, then it counts. Please feel free to PM me if you need any more info, and l’ll be pleased to help however l can.

Maybe this charity could help? www.smallwoodtrust.org.uk/about/
Also I would contact local adult
Social services and explain you are not eating, and feeling very low, I think you need to have an assessment from them as a vulnerable adult. ( apologies as I know you are much more than that but that's the language!)
Also talk to www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/money-and-finances
It's wrong that you are struggling, I am so sorry.
Turn 2 Us doesn't always work for grants, you need a charity/ service provider that have expertise in this area.

Omg this is absolutely disgusting. How can our government let our citizens be so let down like this.

I don’t have any advice OP but im furious that you’re in this position.

It’s all wrong. My MIL who worked five years her whole life gets over £400 pm (she doesn’t spend) in non means tested AA. She has a £1m worth of assets! Bonkers.

I can't actually believe what Macmillan are doing. They know how important financial support is to people living with cancer yet they have taken away all the grants and from next May are ending all their local benefits support team which currently operate through places like citizens advice. I've worked in one of these teams and know how important they are. Our local macmillan benefits team is so overwhelmed currently that they are only able to deal with special rules claims for terminally ill people so no help available for anyone with cancer who isn't terminally ill. It's shocking especially when i have seen first hand how much money they waste in other areas. It makes me so sad.
You should be getting UC or ESA with the LCWRA component ? Are you getting those ? Sorry I know it's not a lot to live on.

This. I help older people with benefits and am so fed up of seeing people with 200-300k in their savings accounts and living in amazing properties getting awarded £400+ a month whilst other people try to survive on pittance benefits. I'm leaving my job working for a charity for benefits for older people for this reason.

This sounds awful OP. Whereabouts are you based? There might be some local charities/churches that can help. Are you receiving PIP or was that what the appeal was for?

Do you get help with your rent op? If that help isn't covered by benefits you could look at discretionary housing payments through your local council.

The food bank is awful A typical package consists of tea, coffee, sugar, milk, cookies and a small loaf of bread. No actual food, nothing filling. And it takes so long to access, having to get a referral.

This is surprising. I would have thought that you would get a parcel of food, that you can actually make some meals out of. Were you not able to speak to anybody at the food bank, when you were given these items?

She shouldn’t even be using the food banks. They shouldn’t need to exist in this country with the amount of tax that is paid. This covers vulnerable peoples living expenses ten times over.

I can not believe the way this country shits all over its own citizens.

It does sounds like something has gone wrong with the benefits side of things though. Not everyone with cancer will meet the criteria for PIP but they will get Universal credit if they have no other income and they are guaranteed the LCWRA element of Universal credit if going through cancer treatment, this element is automatic, no real assessment needed. There should also be help with rent through Universal credit. Whilst it isn't a huge amount it should be enough for people to not need food banks, although I appreciate people living with cancer have a lot of extra costs in terms of travel costs for treatment, needing extra heating etc which is why the macmillan grants were so crucial to many.

This is what I was thinking, it does seem like something has gone wrong here. I volunteer at one of our local food banks & all of the parcels we give out have to meet certain criteria for items so they all include at least one:

• Cereal box
• Bag of pasta
• Bag of rice
• Pasta Sauce
• Beans
• Tinned meat
• Tinned Vegetables
• Tea/Coffee
• Tinned Fruit
• Biscuits
• Soup

And on top of that, they also have a selection of fresh produce which you can choose 4 items from, a bag of apples is classed as 1 item for example.

There are a few food banks nearby who all provide similar and you don’t need a referral for all of them so it may be worth having a look to see if there’s another OP?

Definitely contact your local council's adult social care department - you can ask for a needs assessment under the Care Act.

Check Facebook for local charities - sometimes there are churches or community centres where you can get a hot meal.

Have a look at the Olio app for food.

You can also see if there is a community fridge scheme in your area.
This website says it lists all of them: hubbub.org.uk/community-fridge-network

Some community fridge schemes are free because the food is surplus stock. Others, you pay something like £3.50 per week and you can choose 10-20 items of food.

Churches sometimes have people to speak to who will provide a food parcel too. Where abouts are you as maybe someone on here could meet you in a public place with some food shopping to help you manage for a few weeks

Also does the woman you rent a room from really need your rent money or would she be willing to let you live there for a couple of months rent free until you can get back on your feet?

The OP rents two rooms from this lady. She may very well need the money, it is a big ask for the OP, who may not wish to ask for such a favour. She also has not disclosed how she is able to pay for these rooms now.

Exactly this. We are one of the richest countries in the world. The fact we need food banks is shameful.

The fact that they exist, shows that there is a need though. I just wonder what would happen to a lot of users of food banks, if they were not there. Would the Government be forced to do more?

Assets aren’t cash - the home she lives in doesn’t count. And AA is only paid if there is a disabilty significant enough to warrant it. Disability benefits are there for a reason and the minute you start to means test them it becomes a race to the bottom.