How has the online community helped you? Let us know!

RachaelC

this community has help me a lot especially during my whole uc claim

OverlyAnxious

The community helped me many years ago after I failed my first PIP claim. I did eventually end up getting PIP through tribunal, and can say that I definitely wouldn't have got PIP without it. I must admit, it isn't really the 'same' community now though. The top posters have changed. The staff have changed. I don't mean that in a bad way, just that it's different now.

I also found the community useful more recently in the run up to my UC migration. I knew what to expect, and what my local Job Centre was incorrect about (which turned out to be most things!).

Interestingly, the reasons that I use the community most frequently are pretty much the same as Kimi's. I can't do much in real life now, but can still feel helpful but trying to advise others on here. I also have quite a bit of time to pass without many options to do so in my current living circumstances. It is something I morally struggle with a bit…wondering whether I'm genuinely wanting to help people, or whether I'm doing it for more selfish reasons of passing my own time and making myself feel better!

StarryEyed

@OverlyAnxious IMO, people who enjoy helping people are not selfish, because truly selfish people do not enjoy helping people.

Passerby

I became a member on this forum end March 2022 just to drop one or two enquiries for which I received satisfactory answers by Poppy12345 and Calcotti and I wasn't planning to become a regular forum user, hence I chose "Passerby" as my username. I came back last March when the Green Paper was published and we were all stressed out and I've been since "faithful to the post".

It's a community in which members help one another, sharing information and providing advice to one another.

These days, you get more information on various issues, including health, on forums compared to making phone calls to offices.

In addition, helping people makes me feel happy.

Definitely, this is a very helpful forum.

Rachel_Scope

Sorry everyone, just catching up with all of these lovely posts!

It seems like it's a great mix of the community being helpful with benefit claims and as a place to find others who understand what you're going through. I also love how helping others is helping some of you; that's a huge part of why I love my job 😊

niloferm40

online community makes me happy makes me feel better it makes me focused on things and understand better relationship thank u community

Zipz

I love the Games Den but I'm actually thinking of leaving the forum for several overlapping reasons:

1. The one-upmanship of some users who set themselves up as "experts" and are super-quick to knock down the thoughts of others.
2. The apparent inability to begin a thread on a specific topic with a needy user or an "expert" turning it into another general thread.
3. The format enables a serious discussion of key political issues turn into a childish attack on politicians' appearance, etc. This sort of post enables good, solid information to be lost in the banter.
4. The format enables a user to write an insult to another user and then edit it out. The recipient then sees a notification in their box. They open it to find one or several blank messages.

Your question was how has the Scope community has or does help. I have to say that I've seldom found it helpful and currently find it a quite distressing. It does nothing to help my situation and, in fact, is another reminder of my social isolation. It's also a warning that I'm as likely to be hurt by another disabled person as by Joe Bloggs the local Reform Party candidate.

Bluebell21

Hi @Zipz, I would be very sorry if you left the forum. I would miss you.

humbug

Hi I am my sons carer he has autism plus health problems, this community has been a life line for me. We have had many hurdles to overcome regarding UC/ESA. Kimmy gave me some invaluable information and signposted me in the right direction 😊. I can't praise this very valuable lifeline enough.

Thankyou to you allx

terry123

I've recently come on here with concerns about universal credit and with some great advice from Kimi87 I'm hopefully on the right road to getting it sorted. Can honestly not be more grateful for the time and effort that was put in to help me. Thank you so very much Kimi87

terry123

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1071636#Comment_1071636

Kimi87 you are an amazing person and I truly can't thank you enough for the help and advice you gave me. I'm really grateful