Surely there's benefits for people like me

[Bpdqueen]

I'm a single adult, kids moved out I work 30 hrs a week my take home pay after tax and NI is around £1000 4 weekly. My mortgage payments are £450 a month. Leaving £550 a month for all bills food petrol the only benefit I get is 25% of council tax which brings ct down to £100ish a month. I used to get working tax credit but I apparently earn to much I have lots of medical conditions but I don't think anything enough to claim pip as I'm Mobile and capable of looking after myself and working. Am I missing something or am I expected to be able to live on this.
Aibu - yes that's more than enough to live on.
Yanbu - no you should be entitled to help on such a low income

If you worked a normal full time 40 hour week you would take home and additional £4k annually.
Surely this is your best option to supporting yourself rather than looking towards the state.

Same position but with added issue of DP being unemployed but because I work he doesn't get any benefits at all - I have to keep him. Which I do obviously but we're not even married!

I also have lots of medical conditions like yours and was turned down for PIP many times. I was put in touch with an advice centre who helped me. I was awarded it this time, as they helped me answer the questions correctly and not to hold back or feel ashamed. I have an underactive thyroid which is the cause of behaving like somebody with BPD and anxiety. Talking therapy and anti depressants will not help us with those issues, as we lack or have too much of a hormone.

You are only working 30 hours because full time would be even more of a struggle. PIP could be awarded to make your commute easier, shorter or to help cut your hours. I think you would also get more UC if 30 hours is a struggle and you need to cut down. My underactive thyroid affects my breathing, so walking is very hard work on top of pain from having CFS. I can only walk to the nearest bus stop and will ache for days after. I can also only clean for 5 mins at a time, as it hurts. These physical issues on their own was not enough for me to get PIP. The people at my PIP tribunal asked a lot of questions iro how I feel and how things affect me. They decided anxiety and depression was also a major issue which stopped me from going out and doing things. PIP was awarded so that I can access transport and feel safe when I go out. I actually just do not go out as events make me anxious. If you rely on your car to stay mobile and get to work, you might get something. Some are anxious about using public transport. If you just manage work but are too exhausted to do the cleaning and some personal care, you might also be eligible.

I have one DC, I'm self employed and work 30 or more hours a week. I receive UC if I haven't earned "enough". Enough to the government is £1200 a month.
That's for me and the kiddo.
Our rent is £760 a month!

So yeah.... About the same here. Which is dire.

Speak with Citizens advice. They are brilliant.

What about your prescriptions? Pre payment certificate will save you loads if you've lots of tablets etc

58Bpdqueen

"I have borderline personality disorder, pots, hypothyroidism and cardiovascular disease so 30hrs is a struggle as it is I wouldn't be able to do more but when I looked into pip the questions where can you dress yourself and feed yourself ect which I can"

I can dress myself, feed myself,cook a meal... I get PIP. I need help to put on anything other than slip-on shoes, I sit to meal prep and cook, I have shower seat.

It is not about your condition as much as how it affects you.

So... I need to take codeine for pain. They ask about the side effects of that... sleepiness, constipation. So yeah, the pain is reduced, but at a cost. I can't function well.

I have kidney failure, so, again, tiredness. Surgery once a year to change a stent.

I have anxiety and depression, again, tiredness....
It's amazing I'm ever awake!

CAB are not the best for help with this, but your CPN will be fab.

I got mine with the help of the Housing Association that I rent my house from, support worker. I have since helped a couple of other people get theirs and got mine renewed.

Feel free to pm me for more specific help.

I would still apply for PIP. You have several medical conditions which makes full time work difficult. The criteria for PIP seem not to fit on the surface, but it’s not just about whether you can do the things they assess for, it’s about how you do them. Do you need help, do you, or could you, use any aids of appliances do you have pain or exhaustion, does it take you a long time to do them and are there any safety issues ?

Head over to Gransnet and have a look at the Pensions and Benefits forum. There’s a thread on there which has a comprehensive guide to claiming PIP and other disability benefits. It might give you a better idea of whether or not you would qualify - even at the lower rates it would provide a bit more income.

@HulaTallulah

You need to work full time, take a lodger or downsize your home. Not sure why the state should pick up the tab if you're not willing to do any of these things.

Because she can't manage to work full time and her mental health can't cope with a lodger. I'm perfectly happy for the state to make up the 7 hours or so difference to full time work.in those circumstances.

Try contacting Citizens Advise and ask for an appointment to see them. They have experts that will know what help would be available to you. Good luck :-)

Getting a lodger might not be comfortable for you but what about air b&b. People only stay for a couple of nights, a week sometimes so much more manageable …also you can charge more per night than a lodger wd pay. I also used to hunt boot car and jumble sales, do the items up and sell on eBay….toys always sold well.

I am sorry can’t help with benefits have never claimed any

Look on www.entitledto.co.uk/ xx

@QueenCamilla I don’t think your award can be correct. Even if you are single under 25 with a child born after 6/4/2017 those 2 elements alone without any housing element would still leave you with some UC if your earning are £1200.

Single under 25 element £265.31
Child born after 6/4/2017 £244.58
Total = £509.89

Earnings (£1200) - Work allowance (£344)
= £856 x 0.55 = £470.80
£509.89 - £470.80 = £39.09

Then you would also have the housing element. And potentially more depending on your age and DC’s age.

Entitled to or benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/ both will work out whether you are entitled to any benefits. You have to contact the DWP for the form for PIP - it is a long ordeal and many have to appeal but if you genuinely have health issues affecting you and can get proof of this from your GP etc then it might be worth your while pursuing this. It can take about a year sometimes to get through the whole process so be aware of thihs.

It's quite unlikely OP would meet the criteria for PIP, and posters shouldn't encourage her to exaggerate.

@tkwal

If you have a lot of medical conditions you should apply for PIP as I know prescriptions can be expensive. Even if you were to be awarded the minimum amount it would still help and you may also get some help with the mortgage interest

PIP isn't awarded to help with prescription costs.

@Bpdqueen

"I have lots of medical conditions but I don't think anything enough to claim pip as I'm Mobile and capable of looking after myself and working."

Many, many people on PIP are mobile, capable of looking after themselves AND working!

I'm one due to lifelong hearing loss and, since it's not means tested, there's no restrictions on how many hours a week I can work.

Apply and see what they say. You've nothing to lose.

@Bpdqueen Is your POTS optimally managed and treated? It sounds like it probably isn't from what you've said.

@Innocenta

It's quite unlikely OP would meet the criteria for PIP, and posters shouldn't encourage her to exaggerate.

Totally agree that people should not be encouraging her to exaggerate but I think she may qualify. PIP doesn't just look at whether you can do an activity but how it affects you. So if you can shower yourself but it causes pain or it takes you ages or you need to rest afterwards then you may score points. It's always worth a try I guess especially if conditions are chronic and likely to get worse in the future. To be honest I've been in the line of work for some years of helping people with PIP forms and I'm very surprised at the awards some people do get. Then there are others when you think no way will they be refused it and they are. I agree with others that half the battle is knowing how to complete the forms without exaggerating the truth, to adequately show the difficulties you have. You only need 8 points to get standard rates.

@Babyroobs I have an unlimited award of the higher rate of both components, without having had an assessment, so I know how the process works! It's certainly not impossible OP could qualify, and I wasn't trying to say that, but I do think people are pushing her to present her issues in a way that may verge on falsification, which is a bit concerning. The descriptors are too strict, no question about it, but the answer isn't to massage the truth.

@Bpdqueen

My neighbour is in a similar predicament she phoned up her GP who got her a referral to a support worker/ social worker who did an assessment sorted out lots of stuff

Assistance with utilities - capping gas/electric and water
Access to a community larder
Some UC but gave her free prescriptions etc and
she got a bus pass (like the over 60's) which really helps
Some cognitive therapy to help her mental health
She owns her home and loves it hence not wanting to move as everyone is nice on our street

I'd reach out to your GP or phone your local councils adult social care
I really hope they can help

@Innocenta

It's quite unlikely OP would meet the criteria for PIP, and posters shouldn't encourage her to exaggerate.

@Innocenta I think you don’t know what PIP is.

The OP has several conditions that is affecting her daily life.
It IS worth for her to try.
He fact she might be rejected at the first go doesn’t mean she is not entitled to it either. Most claims (around 70~75%) are accorded at appeal.

I think one of the big issue is that the government has made extremely hard to get anything lie this.

It has also done so on the back of ‘tackling fraud and people claiming when they shouldn’t ’ So now most people don’t even bother to claim because they think they aren’t unwell enough for it. And that’s even though they ARE filling all the right boxes in the first place!

Basically lots of disinformation and making people like shit because they want or need to claim, which reduces claims in the first place. :(

Apologies if someone’s already mentioned this but could you remortgage over a slightly longer period to reduce the costs a bit since it currently finishes in your mid 50s? Obviously it’s not ideal as being mortgage free will be a big help for you at that point - but perhaps the saving would be better for you now?