How has the cost of living crisis affected your everyday life?

Community_Scope

The cost of living crisis is hitting disabled people hard. We’ve heard time and again from people struggling even to afford the essentials.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-WTENl4jto

You may have seen in our recent advertisement that Scope have partnered up with ITV to raise awareness of how the cost of living crisis is affecting disabled people.

We can’t get away from the cost of living at the moment and on the online community we’ve been looking at the rising cost of energy, food price increases, how the media is portraying the crisis and doing what we can to help each other through it.

The online community is a great place to make friends, talk about what’s going on in our lives and get advice that makes things a little bit easier and that’s never been truer than now.

If you want to talk about the cost of living crisis and how it’s impacting you, feel free to dive right in. You can comment below or join in with any of our recent discussions including:

• Opinions on Frances Ryan article, the “cost of staying alive” crisis
• There are how many disabled people in England and Wales? 
• Food prices: Have you changed what you eat?
• Is the cost of living crisis impacting your health?

We’d also love to hear any tips you have or about any organisation or charities who have been a great support to you during this time.

You can also get help directly from Scope through:

• Helpline
• Disability Energy Support
• Employment Support Services
• Advice pages on: Benefits, Help with food and bills, Families with disabled children, Disability equipment, Housing and home adaptations, Money and Mental Health

Rubeth753

I'm finding it really hard my little 1 bedroom flat. I pay £181 per month just on electric. I need my bed raiser to help me get up from lying down. I need my recliner to help me with my muscles.  They both need to be plugged in. I'm not using my cooker as we are.told to use other means. But my bill is still stupidly high.benefits just don't cover it.
 
 

poppy123456

Rubeth753 said:

I'm finding it really hard my little 1 bedroom flat. I pay £181 per month just on electric. I need my bed raiser to help me get up from lying down. I need my recliner to help me with my muscles.  They both need to be plugged in. I'm not using my cooker as we are.told to use other means. But my bill is still stupidly high.benefits just don't cover it.
 
 

That's a huge amount to pay each month for just a 1 bedroom flat. I live in a 2 bed house with my daughter and my DD is £123/month and this is for both gas and electric. I cook by electric too, have my computer on all day, have a recliner sofa which is electric so needs to be plugged in all day. TV, lights, lamps, chargers and all the other usual electrical items.

If you're having problems paying your energy bills then you can speak to your energy supplier, there maybe some help available to you.

JessieJ

I know some of how you feel, @Rubeth753. Although, I'm in a two bed flat.

I pulled the fuse of the electric heating in February 22, as my bill was £180+ then.

It's underfloor heating (only in lounge & hall) that comes on 3 x a day, there is no off switch, only the lowest setting of 1 (and that was warm). I don't have a full cooker/oven, just an air fryer & 2 plate induction, no tumble dryer. All bulbs are LED, then I have the normal things plugged in, plus my riser chair & powerchair. The next month's bill after pulling the heating fuse was £53+.

For the winter last year, I bought a £6 snuggle blanket, I received a present of a heated knee rug & some bootee slippers & then I sometimes used my full leccy blanket for an hour or so. I worked out that my usage pre Feb 22 would now cost £290++

Some of my health problems need warmth, Reynaud's for one, but I made do & survived, it wasn't pleasant & sometimes it was bleddy awful, but, there was no way I could afford to enjoy a more 'comfortable' life or donate any money to the leccy company's shareholders. Thank goodness it's spring!

iza

Hi all, I think it is one of the best advertisement I ever saw underlying the crises problems and open eyes how much another person life can be affected. 

mousey

I stopped putting the heating on, full stop. Hot water goes on once a week to have a wash. I still pay £120 a month gas / electric. Only £35 of that is electricity, because I barely use any. Spend most days on my phone at home so don’t do much other than charge that and have the lights on in the evening. 

Alex_Alumni

I'm sorry to hear you're having to cut back so much @mousey that must be hard to manage. Are you living with anyone at the moment?

Remember, you can get help directly from Scope through:

• Helpline
• Disability Energy Support

We might be able to help you find grants to help with the cost of energy bills if you're struggling, so please do get in touch if you feel it would be useful  

mousey

Alex_Scope said:

I'm sorry to hear you're having to cut back so much @mousey that must be hard to manage. Are you living with anyone at the moment?

Remember, you can get help directly from Scope through:

• Helpline
• Disability Energy Support

We might be able to help you find grants to help with the cost of energy bills if you're struggling, so please do get in touch if you feel it would be useful  

Thanks Alex, I'll get in touch soon as that would be very helpful! I don't live with anyone, it's just me.

val23

Hi it really unfair how they expect people to live .there times I don’t eat 
at the moment I’m in supported accommodation with out the support and care that a whole different area and being taking higher ,
I  have to pay housing 21 116 pound every month that before normal living expenses like basic food ect 
I’m in wheelchair and I also have recliner for my physical needs and the hospital bed which to needs plugging in full time 
I also owe over 5thousand for care which I did not have the full time dates or showed and care for properly .
I do my own care now which is difficult but I can’t afford any outside care 
I lost my hubby in January this year and he had issues I had to do his care that how bad this place is 
I’m in horrible condition with my mental health and under the crisis team .
im awaiting a priority  move but there saying there no places for a disabled person in a very wide area I think there just trying to not help me 
once I move I will not have to part with 116 a month 
I will not have to leave in a place I feel unsafe in plus other reason 
I’m still awaiting my money be sorted properly as I’m not getting the money for being sick and disabled and unable to work so someone needs to get the matter sorted as with people like our self we need to have basic essential and have are appliance for needs plugged in as well as everyday essential .

Hannah_Alumni

Hello @val23

It sounds like you have been through so much, I'm so sorry. Can I ask, have you raised your concerns with your local authority? 

val23

Hi yes I have gone and still going through so much I have contacted my housing officer but she told me there no places out there for me as I need adaption as I’m wheelchair uses full time .I have been told by mental health team bu one there workers there are places for me but I just fill I’m being left to live in the horrible conditions and it really is not helping my physical or mental health 
is there any advice you may be able give please 

Hannah_Alumni

I would recommend reaching out to Shelter. They have an advice page on how to move up the housing waitlist that could be useful to read. I really hope they get you sorted soon. 

val23

Thankyou I will do this much appreciate 

val23

I’m living in extra support accommodation can I still ask for the shelter to help .

PollyPick

Quite honestly the politicians have absolutely no idea about everyday living they're all 'fat cats' who don't give a second thought to the things they say or do - our PM has no idea about costs, his family are ok he's one of those 'fat cats' who have no need to count costs, they just want us back in the EU and we had it bad with that lot - anyone notice how much better grade our fresh fruit and veg became once we were away from the EU rubbish - I now enjoy a beautiful crisp apple and fresh salad without wilted leaves. My son bought me an air fryer and now my electric cooker get very little use which has cut that bill down a bit more - anyone else find that?

val23

Hi @PollyPick yes I manly use air fryer taste better as well 

tillywhippet22

I have just switched suppliers as my bills rocketed from £97 per month to £249 per month. We only had the heating on in the cold spell just before Christmas and used the gas fire for an hour each evening instead.As a result,we have damp and mould in the bedroom and on the bed.We have mostly been using the slow cooker for meals and only put the oven on once a week to batch cook bread.My new supplier has just given me a bill of £269 for the period 26/04-15/05.When contacting them,I was told “you must be having building work done or something” and they were incredibly rude.I can’t sleep for worry and we have just sold the car to pay for bills and food as PIP have stopped my money in February(I’m appealing but it is incredibly stressful)So that’s what the cost of living crisis has done to me and I know there are so many people in the same situation. It’s terrifying,to be honest.I don’t know how families with young kiddies are coping.

poppy123456

tillywhippet22 said:

My new supplier has just given me a bill of £269 for the period 26/04-15/05.

That's ridiculous for just under 3 weeks. That's more than my most expensive month during Dec/Jan which was £220 (both gas and electric) for me.

My heating (gas) was on permanently with my thermostat set at 20 degrees during the day/evening and 16 degrees through the night. I did this through the whole Winter.

My DD is £123/month but from Oct to March that increased by £66/£67/month with the Government grant. I'm still in credit too.

If that was me then i'd be checking that it's correct and that there's not something wrong somewhere.

Alex_Alumni

@tillywhippet22 thanks for sharing I'm sorry to hear about the mould, as well as the prices you've been charged!

I'd also encourage you to follow this up with your new supplier, and perhaps to check in with your GP if you have any health concerns around the mould. 

If you feel there's anything we can do to help, please ask.

tillywhippet22

Thank you.I have raised a dispute with the new supplier,who are blaming the old supplier for giving inaccurate readings,even though I sent them both photos.Why is everyone out to fleece you these days?

Alex_Alumni

I hope you can get it resolved soon @tillywhippet22 what a pain!