Are you prepared for the start of the weather change?

onebigvoice

Now I know there are lots of things going on and the most important to me is my health and that of my family.
  We have already seen the skies open up and try to surround us all with floods everywhere.  Then there are the ECO people stating that July last year was the HOTTEST in the last 200 years with September and October being the wettest.
  So where are we?  Now comes the cold snap.  All the crops planted for this year have been ruined or washed away, and the consequence of this is that already we are seeing stocks in the Supermarket becoming less and less.
  As for the cold, with energy prices still being decided, when applied to the pensioners and sick and disabled, we have had no definitive answer as to a different tariff as we already know that to run a household with sick and disabled people costs more.
  The Government is also well aware of this yet do we see a resolution? 

  Right, that's the bad bits over, how are you preparing for the snow...
Yesterday in Cardiff, we had a flurry of things to come, so my wife thinking ahead made me do this...............

  Only buy what you need, as the advert says that on average just in Veg we throw out about £80 a month.

  Me on my first sign of rations.......  

woodbine

We never worry about the weather just look outside in a morning to see what we have, however I feel sad for those who have been flooded (many for the 3rd and 4th time), but looking forward to some snow which might not be long now.
Looking at the forecast it would seem no snow for us for another week now.

Autism_at_40

I didn't know that there were talks (If I just read that right) about disabled people having a different tariff for utilities.  That would be nice, given that I am home all day.

I watched the 10 day forecast last night, I think it's not certain what or who will get the snow, if we do get any.  

I am going to be prepared though, I have barely anything left in my fridge and cupboards as I've not done a proper shop since 22nd December.  So I will be going out tomorrow to get some food in.

@onebigvoice I lived in cardiff last year!

Ada

@Autism_at_40 That’s the nearest city to me. Although many miles away 

Ada

Well prepared or not. I can only shop fortnightly and on line grocery delivery. So if I run out of something it’s to bad as the bank will say no. 
My biggest concern is feeling so cold and can’t top up the gas meter  

Autism_at_40

Oh is it? @Ada, are you in The Valleys?

Ada

Autism_at_40 said:

Oh is it? @Ada, are you in The Valleys?

🤫

Autism_at_40

@Ada I'm sorry to hear that. Sounds tough.  Thankfully I'm on direct debit for my gas, but I'm sure my bills will go up from this month, since I ran out of credit. I've been trying to stick to only putting my heating on once a day.. but it's got really cold and is only going to get colder.. so no doubt it will be on more.  Hopefully, will qualify for one of those cold weather payments though.

I've been thinking of getting deliveries so I don't have to go out.

woodbine

Autism_at_40 said:

@Ada I'm sorry to hear that. Sounds tough.  Thankfully I'm on direct debit for my gas, but I'm sure my bills will go up from this month, since I ran out of credit. I've been trying to stick to only putting my heating on once a day.. but it's got really cold and is only going to get colder.. so no doubt it will be on more.  Hopefully, will qualify for one of those cold weather payments though.

I've been thinking of getting deliveries so I don't have to go out.

We have a delivery every week from Tesco pay £4.99 a month as long as we spend £50 and have it delivered after 3pm works out ok for us as a taxi there and back 4 times in a month would cost £54 so we save £50 a month and you can start a shop and keep going back to it up to the night before to add to the list.

onebigvoice

My point about the weather is a light hearted look at how people prepare, but there is a serioius side to this, and that most, because of the cuts to benefits, increase in cost of living and generally having spent any saving they may have accumulated, are not prepared.
  this is on a weekly basis, where every week is a juggling act to pay bills, pay rent, pay heating costs and transport costs whether its car or bus, and the last is always heating.  Some where along the line there is something that says, sometimes I can't even buy a packet of fags and resort to rollies, some might stretch to an occassional can or two.  You also noticed I didn't mention eating?
  But why are we in this situation?  Why are we living week to week?  When do we get a chance to have a Weekend away, or a cheap week in Spain with the kids?  Why are we having to buy yellow stickered items at the supermarket?
  I am not the only one that has been hammered by this government, who do promise the world and cuts, BUT its always to their advantage.  When was the discussion of Disabled and Long Term Sick people having a different Tariff when being house bound or released from hospital to free up a bed for others only to find that the "home care" is Zero, or very little because they don't have the staff to do house visits.  
  A Doctor in Wales has set up a practice, Dr Beth Howells, to aleviate the burden on the NHS waiting lists for "ASSESSMENTS."   I am only using this as a comparrison and do not detract from what she is trying to achieve,
  She has a private practice that offers a 20 minute consultation assessment for £75.  But after the consultation where does the patient go having now confirmed that they need, a hip replacement, or a Bi-pass operation, or knee replacements?  Do these people who have been now diagnosed go onto the NHS waiting lists? Or do they bump someone who has been on the list for some time?  Or are they sent to another private branch of the NHS that do private operations at a cost, if you can afford it to the claimant?  The answer is simple if you can afford to go private then you will pay privately but at the same hospitals as the NHS?
  The cost of the Hip operation on NHS is £3800 including aftercare, the cost privately paid by you £7000.+after care separately.
  This whole issue started with a snowflake, and has now snowballed into a blizzard.
  I have to make light hearted comments on a serious subject since most are not prepared for any change not only the weather but in their health.  £75 for 20 minutes, relates to £225 PER HOUR.  Why are these same rates not applied to the NHS so that the assessment you get from the NHS pays the NHS Doctors and Nurses that look after you now.
  SO, why is this government allowing private practices to charge one amount and then not pay the NHS the same.  WHAT HAPPENED TO PARITY AND LEVELLING UP.
  If anyone is being affected by anything discussed here please say so or contact ADMIN who I am sure will direct you to someone that can help.
  The first step is to admit you are struggling the second is to ask for help.  Don't suffer in silence.
  

Ada

Well @onebigvoice I still think you are quite rude. We don’t choose between cigarettes or tobacco. 
Its extremely bloody difficult.  

onebigvoice

Ada said:

Well @onebigvoice I still think you are quite rude. We don’t choose between cigarettes or tobacco. 
Its extremely bloody difficult.  


  I don't believe any such thing. and your comments are uncalled for.  My point if you actually readthe whole thing was that people who are disabled have been on the wrong end of the stick for many years.  And the 1.  Ability of these experts to get an assessment for access to benefits is still hit miss.
  Yes there are some here that say they never had to given any information and get full entitlements.  Well to those I say you are bending the truth or you are removing big time periods or emails and letters back and forth before a decision.
Fact:  Everyone is assessed the same, if you state that you got it without supplying information about your condition then I can oinly say what area that is and have you seen others on a regular basis have the same type of assessment as the assesments I has had/seen come in 42 pages as a starter then an assesment. so pray tell us how you managed.
2.  I was not comparing Fags with Tobacco and being rude, as about 7 years ago the DWP said when Paying Homeless people or people who ndid not have a bank account, a Post Office Account.
Fact.  Thousands of people were given a Post Office account that they would collect their Gyro from and pay it into that account, At Cardiff there was a problem as when people were using their account to purchase/buy things like Tobacco or Drink they were restricted.
Fact:  It was against human rights to restrict purchasing of any product by the DWP  as that Gyro was issued to a homeless person.
3.  My whole point was that we have been given lip service to many benefits, the last where UC would combine SIX BENEFITS INTO ONE where access by any of the six benefits could access the central computer and look at what was entered by you.
FACT:  This includes your medical files, your medical history and your BANK ACCOUNT because on page 5 of the UC form you gave permission for that.
 Can you state where my rudeness has occured in stating I have been their done that and I still have the teashirt, and still being ruffed up by the DWP when trying to claim my rightful benefit entitlement which people state you can't have yet I have a certificate for life never to be assessed again but for admin purposes will look again on the 29th December 2029.
Fact I can send/print this document if anyone doubts that I have one as the Certificate for the Mobility vehicle is till December 2029 and is already 3 years old.  Comming up for my change of vehicle in May 2024.
  Please comment, as again this was my own opinion and not meant to be rude as I was talking generally but really about what has happened to me. : 

Ada

onebigvoice said:

Ada said:

Well @onebigvoice I still think you are quite rude. We don’t choose between cigarettes or tobacco. 
Its extremely bloody difficult.  


  I don't believe any such thing. and your comments are uncalled for.  My point if you actually readthe whole thing was that people who are disabled have been on the wrong end of the stick for many years.  And the 1.  Ability of these experts to get an assessment for access to benefits is still hit miss.
  Yes there are some here that say they never had to given any information and get full entitlements.  Well to those I say you are bending the truth or you are removing big time periods or emails and letters back and forth before a decision.
Fact:  Everyone is assessed the same, if you state that you got it without supplying information about your condition then I can oinly say what area that is and have you seen others on a regular basis have the same type of assessment as the assesments I has had/seen come in 42 pages as a starter then an assesment. so pray tell us how you managed.
2.  I was not comparing Fags with Tobacco and being rude, as about 7 years ago the DWP said when Paying Homeless people or people who ndid not have a bank account, a Post Office Account.
Fact.  Thousands of people were given a Post Office account that they would collect their Gyro from and pay it into that account, At Cardiff there was a problem as when people were using their account to purchase/buy things like Tobacco or Drink they were restricted.
Fact:  It was against human rights to restrict purchasing of any product by the DWP  as that Gyro was issued to a homeless person.
3.  My whole point was that we have been given lip service to many benefits, the last where UC would combine SIX BENEFITS INTO ONE where access by any of the six benefits could access the central computer and look at what was entered by you.
FACT:  This includes your medical files, your medical history and your BANK ACCOUNT because on page 5 of the UC form you gave permission for that.
 Can you state where my rudeness has occured in stating I have been their done that and I still have the teashirt, and still being ruffed up by the DWP when trying to claim my rightful benefit entitlement which people state you can't have yet I have a certificate for life never to be assessed again but for admin purposes will look again on the 29th December 2029.
Fact I can send/print this document if anyone doubts that I have one as the Certificate for the Mobility vehicle is till December 2029 and is already 3 years old.  Comming up for my change of vehicle in May 2024.
  Please comment, as again this was my own opinion and not meant to be rude as I was talking generally but really about what has happened to me. : 

@onebigvoice your obviously far more intelligent then I  

Autism_at_40

Well that conversation took a turn, didn't it?

Jimm_Scope

Not commenting on what else happened in this thread.


But I lived in Glasgow during the winter storm of 2018 "The Beast from the East". The main roads into Glasgow couldn't be traversed by lorries for a few days. By the third day you could see people selling loaves of bread for a tenner on facebook! 

Most things stayed in stock though, only really fresh vegetables and bread ran out. The most perishable of items. There was still plenty of frozen and tinned food to be had. I don't eat bread due to my Crohn's and at the time I couldn't eat a lot of vegetables or fruit either, so hardly affected me! I have some old pictures of the storm and the University of Glasgow along with Kelvingrove park. Might be nice to post them up here sometime.

onebigvoice

Would love that, on TV down in Wales it was showing the storms of the 1980's I was doing 24hour recovery in that.