Cannot escape poverty, what's the cheapest place in the world for me to move to?

[despair1234]

I can't cope and getting depressed again. I can't earn enough money. Had a real go with lots of tries at being freelance, because my health problems make it extremely hard to keep a normal job. Time off for hospital appointments etc.

I'm on my own in the UK and just done. I have a partner is another country but don't have a visa.

Need to move somewhere it's really cheap to have housing and food, I can't cope here anymore. Everyday is a massive struggle worrying how to pay the bills once my savings totally run out. No money is coming in. Not entitled to any benefits apart from Jobseeker's Allowance maybe which I don't bother with because I can't stand the effect it has on my mental health.

I just can't cope. It's too expensive just being alive. I have no family I can go to stay with, there is literally nowhere to go to relax.

It's like being in a nightmare except I never wake up. Constant, constant stress of money I can never overcome. Yeah I can borrow money but have no way of paying it back if I can't earn.

Where can I go??? Where can I find somewhere to rest???? I need to calm down and can't calm down, I'm having nightmares when I'm asleep, I'm not depressed but the impossible financial reality is making me depressed...because... where can it go from here?

It will never get better? Just breathing and eating and sleeping somewhere safe costs too much money? Let alone upkeep of clothes for interviews, reliable computer to try to find jobs, even small fees for retraining???

I just want to go away and escape, I need to escape.

Yes, I am all too aware at how the PIP system is designed. Please, I am asking again, take my word for it that right now I am not applying for PIP.

I have zero interest in jumping through hoops to argue about my difficulties.

It MASSIVELY UPSETS me to desperately try to make people validate my disabilities. In an ideal world, where people with chronic health problems and disability are treated respectfully - then yes.

I protect my mental health like a lion on steroids. I don't wish to go into the ins and outs of my experiences but I will not being putting myself through the degradation of a PIP assessment. I will NOT be baldly accused of outright lying.

I have been in touch with charities before. They are very decent people but there is nothing they can help with on this.

As for a pension, I don't think a state pension will exist in the future and I can't say I'm worrying about that.

I am not looking for benefits advice.

cannot escape poverty

Not well enough to work full time. It happens, we get it. We sympathise.

But then

not looking for benefits advice

Could you do some GCSE English tutoring as a way to top up what you're earning at the moment? Or proof-reading or sub-editing?

OP has come off less aggressive and unpleasant than I would have done if people had been gaslighting me the way they have her on this thread.

Gaslighting?

I think someone with a little spunk to them who won't accept other people's BS like a passive doormat has more chance of getting a job tbh.

Well in this case, obviously not.

No answer I’m afraid 1234. I totally get why you feel like you do and why you find life so hard. I’m the same. Newly disabled in the last two years. I went through the awful process of applying for PIP myself. Even had at home assessment. They blatantly lied on their form. When I challenged it they said it was my word against theirs .

I asked for a repeat home visit assessment. This was denied. I appealed and lost. It’s a thoroughly soul destroying process and it does affect your mental health.

I totally empathise with you

Tell us more about the type of health problems you are coping with so we understand it better (and maybe come up with some ideas) and if you've considered retraining for some other profession than marketing and event coordination and how did that go?

^Sorry, posted too early - missed some information on one of the 12 pages....

OP. You have said that you will look into TEFL it sounds like a good idea. IN the meantime could you consider tutoring? I don't know how easy this would be in the UK. Bur where I am it is easy to find people looking for exam support.you can do it at home and when it suits you.

OP I thought you were in pain. I suffer from awful pain, today its been very bad and it makes me very short with people - that is a bit if an understatement actually. People who don’t live with pain 24/7 don’t get it.

I can’t imagine having to earn my own keep now. The thought terrifies me. If I was single and had no one to look after me I’d me dead.

The only advice I can come up with is don’t try to push yourself too hard, it’s hard on your mental health. I’m speaking from experience. Know when to give up trying to make your own money and allow yourself to be supported - looked after, if that is possible.

Keep your chin up.

Please don't apply for a live in type job. You are very agressive and I wouldn't want your temper flaring up if you lived with me!

You sound very angry. You need to calm down. It can't be good for your health

OP. Have you also considered working in a library? With your English lit background and event planning you could be welcomed.

Library jobs are very physical, poorly paid and sadly very scarce as they are underfunded and being closed. I worked for over 10 years in libraries and left last year as watching the job become a shadow of itself was too depressing. And I worked for a large library authority that at least hadn’t closed any (though I volunteer a bit there and I’ve heard they are planning on it now). Some libraries are solely volunteer run. I often hear “get a job in a library!” As a solution to problems or a nice little easy job and it really is very hard work for little pay, it’s not sitting in a calm environment planning nice things with books (most of the time!) Very vulnerable people use the library service and dealing with them can be tough and not for the faint hearted (not saying OP is faint hearted! Just that it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea!)

I earned under £20,000 for full time skilled professional work. I loved it but it’s hard. It couldn’t fund someone living alone easily.

Sorry to derail...

OP, you have my sympathy and I really hope that things get better for you. There are a lot of people in your situation and it really isn't right. I actually don't have any practical tips for improving your situation- only do the TEFL thing if you like teaching. It's a hard job and not always well paid. I am not sure why people are advising someone with chronic health problems to be a live-in carer because I would assume that having a disability would be incompatible with that.

Some people on this thread should be ashamed of themselves, particularly Tourne and Fluffy. Seriously, get to fuck with your horrible attitudes. I am surprised either of you have jobs too as I would never employ anyone as callous and unsympathetic as you. Your response to them was very measured, OP.

Anyway, I hope things will start to improve for you.

Hi Op. You've had a bad time on here but AIBU is like that. I've skipped through a lot apart from your responses so I might not have anything new.

I was going to ask where in the UK you live. Obviously that is going to have a big impact on rental costs which is usually one of the biggest costs.

I work in a Building Society and one of my colleagues has a lot of time off for hospital appointments. She was honest about it at interview so we work around it. If she's got an appointment she'll take a shorter lunch break for example.

Pay is about £18,000 a year but one of my ex colleagues managed to look after herself and raise her son single handedly on that. Impossible in the SE but perfectly possible outside Manchester where we live. Close to the airport too.

How about Middlesbrough? I went to uni there and housing etc is super cheap.

There’s also call centres for part time work. Evenings could be an option then you’re free in the day time to attend hospital appts. You could work the minimum hours to qualify for tax credits.

Your events/marketing skills could find you a role in the charity sector. Part-time is quite common.

I agree that moving to the north east (if you're not already there) would be cheaper. I did it a few years ago and know several other people that have to. Hull, Stockton, middlesbrough, Grimsby all examples.
I hope things get better.

Makes me sad to read this thread. I do feel people have given OP a hard time.
And often there is no answer.

I bet she doesn't qualify for PIP. The new guidelines were bought in deliberately so less people qualified for PIP than did for DLA.

There is no easy answer for OP's dilemma. And that's quite depressing, in itself.

you need a really thick skin to come to mumsnet for advice unfortunately. Theres a lot of tricoteuse about

I'm on a neighbourhood community website called Next Door. People are always looking for people to do random jobs. Translating, digging up a garden, dog walking, teaching a language.
That might be an option for extra cash, especially if you live in an area where people have money, and want to outsource a lot of little jobs.

Bloody hell op, every low income fucker is struggling.
Don't be so rude to people. Grow up.

I think it should be a general rule on Mumsnet that if someone is asking for help you either (a) offer help, or (b) stay completely away from the thread and get your kicks elsewhere.

The OP does not need to be told that she is rude, aggressive, has an attitude problem, needs to grow up etc. How is that going to make anyone feel better? She hasn't been any of those things, but she has defended herself. OP - I do think you just need to ignore those posters.

She needs useful advice, support and encouragement. If you can't offer that then stay away. Don't keep having digs at someone who is having a hard time, it's just nasty.

Op does seem a little sharp but probably due to pure frustration.

It took the op until page 11 to be honest about pip. It isn't that she doesn't qualify, she doesn't want the stress of the asssessment. That is obviously entitlrely her choice but would have been better if she had said straight away instead of being aggressive with people.
Other people who ask for help are not so rude.