To be thinking about starting adult webcam work?

[StaringAtMyWalls]

I'm in a really bad financial situation.

Due to physical and mental health I cannot work full time, I struggle to even work a part time schedule (good and bad days), but part time isn't nearly enough to pay my basic bills.

I've honestly tried all avenues already - applied for LCWRA and PIP numerous times and keep getting declined even though my issues are genuine, I already live in a cheap area rent wise, cut down all bills.

I'm considering doing webcam work as I could completely choose my own hours around medical appointments, insomnia, and bad days I could take time off. It would reduce my social anxiety as it's behind a screen and if I freaked out I could just shut down the screen.

I am a shy person though and I have a LOT of stretch marks. I'm not sure I have the balls for it tbh.

I don't care if anyone finds out or records me etc, so long as it doesn't massively impact my chances of a 'regular' job - I'm happy to accept that if found out I won't be able to be a politician (!!) or work with children or say as a lawyer (!!), but would it stop me doing care home, retail or cleaning work?

Does anyone have any experience of webcam work?

I work for my local parish council - remote and totally flexible apart from one meeting once a month for two hours. Could you do something like that?

Have a look at debt relief orders. Citizens advice ( and other places £do them. You might be able to reduce your deductions from your uc. Self assessment debts can definitely be included. Don't pay for the advice. Search for citizens advice debt relief orders to find out information. It won't do you credit score any good. But that sounds damaged anyway. Good luck

Also OP, the Census is hiring for thousands of positions this year:

www.censusjobs.co.uk/

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but it's definitely not as simple as you seem to think. You have to be confident, have a variety of nice clothing and lingerie, you need to know what you're doing. You won't get an audience easily or quickly and when you do you need to keep them around. It isn't flexible, it isn't as simple as closing down the screen if you change your mind. It's only empowering and dignified if you're choosing to do it with the intention of doing it to empower yourself, not just for the money. I have no qualms with sex work or workers but it's not an easy way to get cash.

@DianaT1969 I will ask my daughter to look into that. I know she'd really struggle to work outside of uni. My son is still at school. I would get benefits for him had he not went to live with his manipulative father who can afford to buy him everything he wants and doesn't enforce boundaries.

@CSIblonde

There is sril a lot of Reception temp work. PA/Secretarial is dire tho. Could full time reception at £10 an hour (London rate)pay the bills? It's not mentally or physically taxing,you're sat down all day & I could just about cope with it when I had very bad depression. I did Chatline work when in debt & you have to be able to switch your persona on no matter what. It's really mentally draining pretending you're into stuff when it's not your thing or some boring fetish (balloons for example ,God, half an hour of that that was boring beyond belief).

Yes I could hopefully cope with reception work, if you say you just about coped with it with bad depression then sounds like I could. I won't get in though without any admin qualifications or experience and no work history or references. I really need to get qualified in something.

My son had a job in a cinema alongside Uni.It was fairly undemanding. I know Covid has spoilt this for now.

@WizardOfAus Thank you for taking the time to post me those links. I will look into them for definite. I would need to get employed work as well though and the combination would need to meet my bills. I can't just earn it on top of my benefits because that's fraud as far as I'm aware, but if I declared it then my benefits would be reduced accordingly and I'd be in no better a situation, actually worse when the minimum income floor comes back in.

Thank you though because it could help be the top up I need without going into camming if I manage part time other work.

It's only empowering and dignified if you're choosing to do it with the intention of doing it to empower yourself, not just for the money.

@SplendidSuns1000 i agree with the majority of your post however I'd just like to point out that work doesn't actually have to be empowering, and I didn't see anything to indicate the op thinks sex work is. Customer service and cleaning was never empowering for me but I didn't care because I was just working for the money, and I've never met a survival sex worker who cared about their job giving them empowerment either. It's completely irrelevant.

The previous posts telling the op not to do sex work because it's not empowering or exploitative are forgetting that she is in a terrible situation financially and doesn't have the luxury of seeking empowerment through her work, just like people who are struggling to get by in every other industry. I don't mean to go on and on but I'm just so angry not only that there are people in this situation, but also that there are people who think the answer is to get on their high horse and theorise when people can't afford to live.

Empowering is total bullshit.I feel very sorry for the OP and would like to think on the UK in the 21st century, there is a way forward.

OP - it sounds like a very tough situation.
Have you appealed all the way to the tribunal for your benefit issues?
Re the debts - it seems that you have been screwed indeed, debts will be statute barred but if you start paying them again then the clock starts again.

Graphista - saying CAB is shit is like me saying a whole community/city/country is shit. It's senseless. CAB is comprised of many many independent and independently run Bureaux who just have a membership to the main body and therefore certain help and expectations on that end. But they are very much independent, organise their own funding, are run by an independent CEO etc. Some Bureaux are fab and some aren't. I used to work in one and did employment law and I certainly wasn't shit. I won many of the cases I took to tribunal (and I took most if I felt they deserved it, regardless of whether or not they would be hard to prove/win) and that didn't cost a penny to my 'clients'. Our CEO at the time wasn't the best but he was hard working and tbh I didn't envy his job: earning 35k being CEO of a CAB Bureau isnt a job I fancy, it's a lot of work for little reward compared to the 'private' sector.
Don't tar all CABs with the same brush please.

OP - I don't know if sex work would help. I suppose you could try but do explore all the other options and continue to do so as it's hardly a long term plan anyway.
Wishing you all the luck in the world.

Empowering is total bullshit

The idea that work has to be empowering is total bullshit. As is thinking empowerment matters in work when you can't afford to live.

@StaringAtMyWalls are you near a PDSA? I've a friend on universal credit who gets free treatment for her pet with them. I know you've probably thought of all this but I'd kick myself if I didn't mention it. I'm glad you've had some good suggestions about making money from home on this thread.

Food banks, Bread and butter Project.

OP, you say that you wouldn't mind if your family were to find out that you were doing webcam work; do you include your children in this ? As well as the impact this could have on worsening your fragile mental health I would worry about the impact on your relationship with your children .

@FeminismIsForALLWomen

It's only empowering and dignified if you're choosing to do it with the intention of doing it to empower yourself, not just for the money.

@SplendidSuns1000 i agree with the majority of your post however I'd just like to point out that work doesn't actually have to be empowering, and I didn't see anything to indicate the op thinks sex work is. Customer service and cleaning was never empowering for me but I didn't care because I was just working for the money, and I've never met a survival sex worker who cared about their job giving them empowerment either. It's completely irrelevant.

The previous posts telling the op not to do sex work because it's not empowering or exploitative are forgetting that she is in a terrible situation financially and doesn't have the luxury of seeking empowerment through her work, just like people who are struggling to get by in every other industry. I don't mean to go on and on but I'm just so angry not only that there are people in this situation, but also that there are people who think the answer is to get on their high horse and theorise when people can't afford to live.

Yes I agree with you completely.

My problem is firstly my financial situation. I know sex work would be worse for my mental health than a 'normal' job.
But not being able to pay my basic bills and survive would be undoubtedly worse than sex work.

I am trying to figure out a way not to have to resort to sex work, but I'm actually really grateful the option is there as it's better than destitution and I know that can still happen even in a rich country there are holes in the welfare system. Strange as that may sound to some.

I have thought about sex work for some time as my financial situation has worsened. I'm under no impression it's empowering.

@shinynewapple21

OP, you say that you wouldn't mind if your family were to find out that you were doing webcam work; do you include your children in this ? As well as the impact this could have on worsening your fragile mental health I would worry about the impact on your relationship with your children .

I wouldn't like it if my children found out no. I am confident though that I have a really strong relationship with them that I'm almost certain it would be easily overcome. Honestly.

I just don't get the shame part.

I don't think the CAB are shit. It was the CAB who told me I don't have to pay back my historic debts when step change were insisting I include them even if statute barred.

Maybe I just got an advisor not too knowledgeable on the disability benefits side of things.

I dont think adolescent boy and a young woman would cope well with seeing images of a parent sex worker. Also the ex partner may use it to prevent access.

You seem to want to talk about penetration and sex acts in some detail and to encourage others to do the same. I'm out OP.

@NoCureForLove

You seem to want to talk about penetration and sex acts in some detail and to encourage others to do the same. I'm out OP.

are you reading a different thread?

@randomer

I do get that. But it's unlikely they'd find out. I'd have to tell my daughter I think, and stress to her that it's not a good thing for her to consider and that she is highly unlikely to ever be in my position. My son would be horrified yes but I know it wouldn't destroy our relationship. Ex twat cannot prevent access as son is too old for that. I raised him til a teen and his dad persuaded him to live there most of the week as he has all the latest gadgets for him there a full gaming room that cost many thousands and buys him designer stuff, gives him money and never disciplines him. I'm sure ex done that as I finally started persuing him for maintenance years after we split, and to get back at me too.

And @randomer I don't have the luxury of choice. Unless I can get some other way to pay the bills. I'm really hoping I can get full time work I'm able to do.

@NoCureForLove

You seem to want to talk about penetration and sex acts in some detail and to encourage others to do the same. I'm out OP.

Eh? I am not a troll somehow getting kicks out of this situation I'm in if that's what you mean.

But not being able to pay my basic bills and survive would be undoubtedly worse than sex work.

You're absolutely right. Being homeless and destitute is worse for mental health than sex work for most, and yet so much energy is focused on telling people that sex work is not empowering when it should be focused on making sure no woman ends up choosing between between being a survival sex worker and losing their home. The answer to this is, of course, making sure women don't end up in poverty. Unfortunately there are a lot of people who I've met both in real life and online who seem to think that if someone is claiming benefits they must have enough money to live on and are therefore spending it wrong, which is obviously and laughably incorrect but it means they just don't have any real comprehension of survival sex work because they can't even imagine the poverty.

I really wish I could help but I know from experience how difficult it is and I'm sick that I can't x

You seem to want to talk about penetration and sex acts in some detail and to encourage others to do the same. I'm out OP

I've seen a lot of discussion of financial alternatives for the op. What the fuck have you seen?