£10 Christmas bonus.

[recklessruby]

Just curious as to if you got yours from DWP (PIP etc). When? And what amazing thing you bought with it?
Mine came yesterday and I bought electric and gas top ups, chocolate and painkillers.

Hi FortniteIsTheNewCrack
I know you posted days ago but wanted to say if you are on disability benefits and a few others you can claim back the cost of travel to a hospital appointment and if it's a taxi you get the full fare amount. It's worth checking on as it would help you.

Good point Astrid. Remember to keep t ickets, receipts etc to present for refund.

Astrid09 thank you, unfortunately we don't qualify for it at the moment as DH is employed (PIP alone doesn't qualify you and my free prescription cert is due to a medical exemption).

Interestingly, when I enquired about it before when we would have qualified, they advised they only pay the equivalent of the lowest transport options including public transport (and I have a free travel pass as medically not allowed a driving licence). Which of course sounds fair enough, but I have to travel to a specialist hospital not my local one. A bus to the train station, two different trains and a further bus. And physically sometimes I just can't manage that. But as there technically was available public transport they wouldn't have funded taxis even part of the way.

It's difficult as I know there isn't an endless pot of money available but it's just one of the "hidden" costs disabled people incur that PIP just doesn't stretch to covering. If I have an appointment I just can't get to solo, DH has to take (unpaid) time off work to take me. In addition to all the other unexpected unpaid days and transport costs when I'm an inpatient! And he can't work enough hours as we need as he has to care for me too.

Ironically we wouldn't be that much worse off if he stopped work and claimed carers, but he wants to work as long as we can manage it. I also worked until I absolutely couldn't physically do it. So we genuinely do the best we can and try as hard as we can to be self supporting. And then (at the risk of starting this up again!) I come here and see people begrudging my free £10 handout!

@mummyforlife sorry, I got notice you'd mentioned me but I haven't had time to get on and then I've had to trawl through all the arguing.

I didn't mention my car at all on the forms. At the assessment she asked me if I drive, where to and how often. I explained my mh mainly keeps me at home but I can drive to the gp, my dd's school if needed. That was the basis for dropping me from HR to the lower rate. I had hr for the last two years and the award was until next year. I have asked for a MR but that was rejected and now I'm waiting on a date for a tribunal hearing.

The assessor insists that because driving a car is so complex and needs considerable strength, dexterity and a lot of thinking, that I am clearly not disabled enough. Even though in the same report she states muscle deterioration since the last f2f.

Driving is complex. But do it enough and you do it without thinking. Same with something like touch typing. I have been doing both things since I was a teenager and I'm now just two weeks away from turning 50. I barely think about what my hands/feet are automatically doing.

Buswankeress

I'll swap you.

I bought my son a pair of Bing pyjamas with his DLA bonus. Even though he doesn't really need new pjs and I despise that idiot rabbit. He wanted them and I was outta excuses.

The £17 million is half one day's spending on Foreign Aid.

According to Quentin Letts book, 'Patronising Bastards' the Foreign Office spends £33 million A DAY on this. One example he gives is £9 million given to a Nigerian girl pop band. While Foreign Aid needs to be given, the amount seems a tad high especially after reading some of the stories on this thread.

So, £17million is really a drop in the ocean and a miserly one at that!

sashh

Ding Dong Merrily On High.

My DP just got awarded PIP backpay of a few grand. I'd love to know what the naysayers crying about a £10 Christmas bonus think about that...

Fucking brilliant SimplySteve, Merry Christmas indeed. Make sure and spend some of it on something frivolous you both want rather than need.