Hi, I am so worried and would love to speak to you all about benefit cuts

mummy1223

Since this discussion about benefit cuts I can't eat, sleep or hardly breathe, I am having so many panic attacks. I feel sick. Since teenage years I've been on anti depressants, I have social phobia and severe anxiety and panic attacks. I left school at 14 for being bullied and beaten daily. I have PTSD. I never left the house my whole teenage years then age 21 I went to a party and met a man who was 39 and got pregnant the first time I ever had sex, he was abusive and frightened me To death, I had two kids with him, his left me with even more ptsd we've not seen him for years his disappeared and left me with two children. I was awarded LCWRA for social anxiety (never left the house without my mum, never beeb on public transport, always been on anti depressants etc) I think I have autism but never been diagnosed, i was awarded lcwra in 2021, and never been reassessed since and was awarded high rated motability pip, so I have a motability car, I am 31 now, and am able to raise my kids, one who has autism, I raise them with the money from PIP and LCWRA as I do not get money from there dad, I'm terrified labour will target us with mental health problems I dont know what I'll do if I lose my lcwra and pip, I think I'll end my life, I am so scared I Take my kids on holiday once a year to like Spain but with my mum as I do not leave the house with out her, I am scared they'll ring me and say if you have social anxiety how can you travel? I can't stop crying I feel like I am going to have a mental breakdown sorry just need to talk to someone

Topcat71

You will always get support and remember nothing decided yet..When it does that doesn't mean your health will be good so you appeal and seek advice and you still get benefits. I been worried about I get benefit and work 12 hours but I decided that I cannot continue like this . Make sure you tell your doctor as every e consult goes in your file. Then when you next apply you have this on file as well. All the best.

Holly_Scope

Hi @mummy1223 bless you, I can completely empathise with how you're feeling. Please know that you are not alone with these worries. The initial announcement isn't set in stone, and now we've entered consultation which allows us to push back, which our community is absolutely doing.

The media isn't always the most helpful, with a lot of scare mongering news stories so please make sure if you're seeing a lot of it, you take a break and do something nice for you. It sounds like you put a lot in to looking after your children with little financial support from your ex partner so please don't be hard on yourself and make sure you get some you time.

Are you receiving support for you mental health and support with your children from family/friends? 💛

Remember you have a community here for support too. We have a few discussions that might be helpful. The first is the New Green Paper Discussion where you can keep up to date and talk to other members about the government proposals. But we also have Emotional Wellness Week! 💜 which I personally found helpful for some tips when things become a little overwhelming.

SadOldPanda

Only thing you can do is log off all social media (except here if you don't get triggered here) and only check news every few days if you need to, reading all the hate towards us or even tbh the stories of how scared people are has messed up my head so very much. Disengaging is hard because you feel like you need to know what's happening but it's just not worth torturing yourself