Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel sorry for our niece?

15 replies

JessMcL · 08/07/2014 17:58

Our niece (DHs side) is 22 and has been unemployed for 5 years due to suffering with bad anxiety and depression- she has a complete mental breakdown and used to be a bad self harmer and has attempted suicide a couple of times. She was signed off for sickness benefit by her GP- which she managed to get for 3 years and then was declared fit for work by JCP which she wasn't (i'm sure theres a few of you who can relate as I believe it isn't an uncommon occurrence). Her parents made her sign on- because they "couldn't afford it as they had to pay for their sons education first". Ok- fair enough- they pay her board and lodging and paid for her to see a psychiatrist but everything else had to come out of her own pocket while she helps care for her grandparents and run pretty much every errand for them and her parents- while her brother has been having holidays to America, designer clothes brought for him, having a car paid for (keep in mind he lives in London). on top of his rent, food expenses etc

He's finished university and the deal was to pay for him to stay in London until September. Anyway- that's changed, and they've offered to pay for him to stay there full time until he finds a job- and lets face it, he's going to have no incentive is he? And to top it off- they are paying to send him to Australia for 3 months because his girlfriend is going. Alright for some...right?

Anyway- DHs Mum has told DH all about this and the phone today and DH came to me for my opinion.

I can't help feel sorry for the poor girl who has had to sign on while mentally ill and harming herself so she can have a bit of joy in her life while her parents shower their money on her brother.

AWBU to think this is just well....wrong?

OP posts:
Discobugsacha · 08/07/2014 18:05

Can't she go to university or get a job too? Being subsidised won't help her long term. It sounds like she has to get out and face the world. So maybe they are being cruel to be kind?

KatieKaye · 08/07/2014 18:08

Do they want her to sign on so that her national insurance is being paid?

Also, if she is entitled to benefits then of course she should claim them.

FluffyPiggle · 08/07/2014 18:08

Mental illness doesn't work like that unfortunately Discobug

gobbynorthernbird · 08/07/2014 18:23

It appears that the family will be supporting their DD indefinitely, which takes a lot of money. Is it possible that DS is getting more, but for a much shorter amount of time?

NatashaBee · 08/07/2014 18:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ICanSeeTheSun · 08/07/2014 18:45

With MH problems there is no date that the person will be magically cured on the 1st April 2015.

The brother end is in sight, he will get a job and be able to function as a adult and do what adult do.

The niece will need long term care and a lot of help and support which will cost more in the long term.

I bet the psychiatrist isn't cheap.

Nomama · 08/07/2014 18:49

And is she claiming carers allowance or are mum and dad?

It might help her out if she claims to be main carer for her grandparents - as she may well be doing that, from the sound of it.

Sod the apparent disparity, dwelling on that won't help her. But keeping her out of the clutches of JCP and their unreasonable jobsworthiness might be helpful fr her anxiety/depression.

Hissy · 08/07/2014 18:50

If she could move out, her symptoms might clear up a bit.
Could she come and stay with you, or someone else for a bit?
This sounds like a very unbalanced family dynamic.

CoffeeTea103 · 08/07/2014 18:52

I think yabu, with their dd her care will be ongoing and does sound expensive.With their son he will soon be able to move on. Why shouldn't he have all that his parents can give him. I don't think her parents are unreasonable at all.
If she is able to run all errands for her gp and dp then there must be some job she can do? Can't she study as well?

Proclean · 08/07/2014 19:20

My dd has severe mental health issues and will never hold down a job she cannot study for more than a few months and then drops out due to the pressure, she will try college again aged 22 however I know she will most likely not make it through the year. I am just happy she keeps on trying and doesn't give up!

This is the harsh reality and it is indeed indefinite!

reup · 08/07/2014 19:23

Have they always favoured their son? Has that contributed to her mental health?

thornyhousewife · 08/07/2014 19:31

I imagine if she is that ill then she probably doesn't want a car, a house and to go to uni.

If she did, perhaps her parents would love to pay?

Enjoyingmycoffee1981 · 08/07/2014 19:33

One of these odd threads. Where the OP clearly thinks that the situation is grossly unfair and that she is absolutely not unreasonable. The entire tone of the OP is that the son is extremely spoilt and the daughter is downtrodden ("doing all the errands for her grandparents and parents."? She is not working. It gets her out of the house and gives her a focus.) and neglected.

As far as I can tell, her parents pay for her board,lodgings and treatment. They pay for their son's board, lodging and a 3 month holiday.

It doesn't sound unfair to me. It sounds like very generous and supportive parents.

iamsoannoyed · 08/07/2014 20:25

I think it depends on the way in which things are done, really, but I'm inclined to think YABU to think she's being unfairly treated, though YANBU to feel sorry that DN is struggling with her mental health.

Your ILs are putting a roof over her head, food on the table and paying for her medical care. Private psychiatric treatment will not be cheap, and also be on-going pretty much indefinitely. All she is expected to pay for is clothing and personal expenses, so it's not like she's having to skimp and scrape to pay the bills and keep a roof over her head while her brother is living in the lap of luxury all-expenses paid by his parents.

Asking her to do chores for GP and her DPs is not a lot to ask in return, and they may be trying to keep her active in some way. They may well have been advised to try to ensure she has some routine/things to do as part of her treatment. If her Parents are being unkind to her, making her feel like a drain on their resources or a failure/disappointment etc, then they would be being unreasonable.

As to giving her brother lots of support financially- well this is unlikely to be indefinitely, so perhaps they see this as trying to be fair given their financial commitment to his sister is likely to be long-term? As for the trip to Australia, again not necessary, but if they can afford it maybe they are just trying to give him a treat. Not necessary, perhaps a bit of an indulgence, but hardly a crime in my view.

Also many parents support their children through university and beyond if they can't get a job- the amount they give probably relates to their income (i.e. it seems a lot, but may seem entirely reasonable amount to them in relation to disposable income). They are financially supporting their DD for the longer term too. I suppose you are right, in that this may be counterproductive as it does not incentivise him to get a job immediately, but that's more of a problem in terms of his parents not behaving sensibly towards their son- I don't see how this is to the detriment of their DD though?

The other thing that comes to mind- and I say this as the younger sibling of someone with a mental illness who required a lot of support from our DPs- is that maybe they feel they spend so much time and emotional energy supporting their DD, they feel they have not been able to help their DS as much, and are trying to make up for it monetarily in an effort to "equalise" things a bit. Perhaps not required, but I could see why it might happen.

In any case, asking her to sign up for benefits to which she is entitled seems entirely sensible and reasonable to me. Why do you have problem with this?

JessMcL · 08/07/2014 20:47

I don't know how I feel now.

DS has been suffering fro mental health issues- and I don't know, in a way my SIL and her partner seem more "closed eyed" to her problems. They were also going on about how they were going to stop for her treatment soon because she was "much better" but she told me and DS she wasn't and she felt her parents are pressurising her to quit her treatment and I know how manipulating they can be. I'm aware I should of probably added this to my OP.

Don't get me wrong- I know psychiatrist aren't cheap, I know that first hand as I'm still paying for DS's.

I'm not sure on one hand how I feel- I only have one teen and the rest are still "kids" so can't really compare to my kids and feel I can't judge as it isn't my situation. But on the other hand- I know they can be manipulating and I just feel sorry for her when she is a sweetie and her brother just seems ungrateful.

Maybe I need to mind my own. I don't know- I'm too caring for my own good sometimes

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread