Have you been worse off since the tories came into power?

[samram]

Just wondered if anybody else is worse off since they came into power?
i work 16 hours a week as single parent
Child care is £88 a week term time and £120 half term.
In april i had my tax credits cut by £65 a week!
I am really really struggling at the moment.
Just wondered if anyone else is the same ?
I dont just mean single parents and mean families too !

BTW the NHS doesn't offer a lot in the way of rehab and physio any more. Sorry, it just doesn't, and many of its physios have left and gone private around here.

So...if for example my child had asthma/severe eczema and had to go to a clinic/specialist appointment once a week and I wasn't in receipt of DLA but worked full time, it would have to come out of my pay packet as it is now coming out of yours?

Technically speaking, if your child was disabled with the asthma, i.e. had a massively severe form, he/she would be able to claim DLA as well, except to me it seems as though they are starting to disapply various criteria and rejecting new claimants, but not transparently.

A further factor is that it is difficult for me to earn more for all sorts of reasons, despite already working punishing hours. I can't just go and shelf stack or do a job that required walking about or standing or queuing or whatever. Everything I do has to be planned out carefully so I last the day and don't have a flare up. It's not good.

(ZXEightyMum - Yes, it's by asking people get work, no problem. I could do more with my website but I try to spend no money and people don't seem to buy what I provide via internet searches, so I can't be bothered, sorry. I am certainly always open for people to market what I do and the speaking and the subscription publications on a 10% commission only basis)

Yes Lady, my friend with mental health problems is tackling these - they won't go overnight though. Yes she could work from home if the work existed, as it is she is just starting to make necklaces, bracelets and earrings that she might be able to sell on ebay once perfected.

She used to work as a care assistant in a nursing home and wants to go back to that ideally.

Lady if your child had severe asthma and it was costing you extra then yes - you (your child) should certainly be entitled to DLA. It's not just extra costs - it's the possibility that you might not be able to work full time if your child had an illness or disability. Am assuming if your child was badly affected by asthma that working full time might not be your top priority.

I claim DLA for my son who is autistic - for us it means I can work part time and be around for him before and after school when he's most likely to have difficulties. Getting childcare for him would be difficult as he requires 1-1 support to help him with social stuff hence I am there for him. That is why I claim it and care for him myself after school. The DLA (even with the top up it entitles me to in tax credit) does not equal the salary I had working full time - I was at least £300 a month better off in full time work.

Another friend whose husband works full time and earns enough to support her not working, does not claim DLA for her autistic son as she is already able to be around for him. She could claim DLA strictly speaking but chooses not to.