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Share your experiences of the cost of living payments with the Government

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Tori_Scope
Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,503 Disability Gamechanger
edited April 2023 in Cost of living
Please complete this form to share your experiences of the Government's cost of living payments.

Hi everyone,

I hope you're all as well as can be :)

Call for evidence on the cost of living payments


Scope are responding to a 'call for evidence' from the Parliamentary Work and Pensions Committee. They're asking four questions around the Government's cost of living payments. 

We'd like to include some comments from people with lived experience of the payments in our response. As a reminder, these payments were in:
  • July 2022
  • November 2022
  • September 2022

Complete our form

Please complete this form to share your experiences.

The questions on the form are optional, and you don't have to answer all of them. You can leave the form at any time.

Any quotes you provide on form used by Scope would be anonymous. The form doesn't collect any personal information about you, like your name or email address, unless you express an interest in hearing more about becoming a Scope storyteller. In this case, your quote would still anonymous. In all cases, we'd remove any information from your quote that could identify who you are before using it.

The form will close on 28 April 2023.

If you have any questions or concerns, please comment on this post, or email campaigns@scope.org.uk 

As this form is anonymous, we aren't able to reply to your individual response. If you feel you need support, or to talk to someone who'll listen without judgement, please remember that the following services are available to you:
  • The online community (of course!)
  • Scope's helpline: call 0808 800 33 33, or email helpline@scope.org.uk, to speak to a friendly adviser
  • Samaritans: call 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org 
  • SHOUT: text SHOUT to 85258 to speak to a volunteer over text message
Thank you!
National Campaigns Officer, she/her

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Comments

  • Tori_Scope
    Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,503 Disability Gamechanger
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    This is now live again :) Please do complete it if you have a couple of minutes, and want to be part of our work around disability and the cost of living crisis. 
    National Campaigns Officer, she/her

    Sign our petition calling on politicians to stop demonising us
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  • SurvivorEmpowered
    SurvivorEmpowered Posts: 56 Connected
    edited April 2023
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    A POEM @Tori_Scope

    COST OF LIVING

    Oh no the cost of living been raised again
    Is legislation putting a forced noose over our head
    Damned as we do 
    Damned as we don’t
    Blooming hell bells
    I don’t know what to do…
    Come on government give us a clue?

    Government you have duty of care to all citizens 
    No matter their colour, culture, gender, seen or unseen disabilities, 
    Or religious beliefs, working status or not.
    Deprivation! Have you experienced it yet?
    Our voices being suppressed and oppressed? 

    The government playing the part of the sixteenth century Latin Dominatrix 
    Their Indoctrination…it’s the economic climate
    Brought on by environmental change, war zones in other countries
    Constantly told there is know immediate threat or alternative.
    Such as solutions or quick fixes

    As our PRIME MINISTER…flies around on his jet..
    At task payers expense
    Gosh…Blooming sick of double standards.

    Our the people of our country becoming accepting? 
    That for some of us our caught in severity of the poverty trap
    Strikes abundant for most of our services
    Nothings been seen like this through out history.

    Rapping in song, expressing our views
    Bank’s creative, graffiti…
    Trying to raise awareness expressing through creativity the people views
    Disappointingly the council steps in sending the very people banks was trying defend.
    They take away his creativity
    Ermm… contradiction again…know their using statutory health and safety legislation ‘ A duty of care to the community.
    Again double standards implemented
    The POINT bank’s stood up for our human rights. 
    Think on….

    No income that’s stretches to buy basics
    No income that stretches to buy toiletries
    No income that stretches to put shoes on our feet, winter coat on our backs
    No income that stretches to turn on our gas or electric
    Much worse to buy nappies or baby milk
    Woman’s personal hygiene

    Oh my god what’s happening to society?
    Shivering applying more layers to keep out the cold
    Misery becomes the daily reality.
    Age concern televising people suffering, help will soon be their
    That can’t be right
    The Samaritan’s  promoting their free number ‘speak to us where here’ we care.
    Oh my god Families splitting up because of the cost of living

    What’s happened to good news better days smiling faces?
    Our we all on a waiting list to go... to the WORK HOUSE?
    Where living in times of prioritising personal hygiene
    That’s way down our survival prioritising lists
    The list of to do’s 
    The list of don’ts 
    The list of maybes
    The list not anymore.

    Gone out the days of taking for granted
    Out with family or friends to meet for a quick coffee.
    Thinking recklessly no longer a thought
    Even the cheaper alternative taking a picnic

    The poor old oven has become decommissioned
    In favour of our air fryer, the steamer and the economical slow cooker.
    Gone our the Friday nights of fish and chip 
    Or a quick family pizza


    I’ve found one positive a healthier alternative 
    Slither cut carrots celery parsnips cucumber to dip into home made dips or salsas.
    Finally micro-waved  pop corn as we settle down under our throw to watch Saturday night family TV. 

    Life has changed I know for some they don’t get any treats
    There living this time all alone
    Most in extreme cold, without any hot meal
    Similar to those homeless out on the streets. 
    As the rising costs quickly put many into debt
    Finally made homeless, some cast aside, without maintaining any dignity.

    For now I think on and I pray
    For all of those people facing those for ever tough challenges 
    Reach out... don’t live in silence
    The government our wrong to keep turning a blind eye.
    There our organisations out their 
    Who cast no JUDGEMENT

    Together will help towards finding a new solution. 
    Its called believing in HOPE
    Implementing EMPATHY
    Showing compassion and humanity actions
    Opening our hearts to giving out human KINDNESS
    Pulling together in everything we do
    Keep moving forward, until we beat the odds once again
    Reminding our selves 
    Homelessness could happen anyone... at anytime.
    Reach out... I don’t want to hear of no more suicides. 


    Wrote by SurvivorEmpowered Shezz April 2023

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  • Tori_Scope
    Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,503 Disability Gamechanger
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    Thank you for sharing that poem with us @SurvivorEmpowered :) I found it really powerful. This part in particular struck me:
    The list of to do’s 
    The list of don’ts 
    The list of maybes
    The list not anymore.
    Have you shared your thoughts on the form I've linked to in my post? It sounds as though this is a topic about which you're passionate, so you're very welcome to share your thoughts on there too!
    National Campaigns Officer, she/her

    Sign our petition calling on politicians to stop demonising us
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  • Beaver79
    Beaver79 Community member, Community Co-Production Group, Scope Member Posts: 21,789 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hi @SurvivorEmpowered You poem is brilliant and tells the story of how difficult life is for lots of people at the moment.
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  • Sandy_123
    Sandy_123 Scope Member Posts: 52,484 Disability Gamechanger
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    Nice to see you on the forum @Tori_Scope will look in a min
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  • Lou67
    Lou67 Community member Posts: 7,604 Disability Gamechanger
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    @Tori_Scope
    Hi I hope you’re good, I just filled the form in, as always thanks for your support.

    ❤️
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  • Tori_Scope
    Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,503 Disability Gamechanger
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    Thanks @Sandy_123 and @Lou67! I hope you're both well :)
    National Campaigns Officer, she/her

    Sign our petition calling on politicians to stop demonising us
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  • Lou67
    Lou67 Community member Posts: 7,604 Disability Gamechanger
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    @Tori_Scope
    Thanks Tori I’m good thanks, watching my baby granddaughter just now . 
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  • Tori_Scope
    Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,503 Disability Gamechanger
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    How lovely @Lou67 :) I hope you're having a nice time!
    National Campaigns Officer, she/her

    Sign our petition calling on politicians to stop demonising us
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  • Sandy_123
    Sandy_123 Scope Member Posts: 52,484 Disability Gamechanger
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    I'm good thankyou @Tori_Scope will fill form in now 
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