How is the cost of living crisis impacting you?

SueHeath

Does any one else think the same as me ie with flights etc these firms were to quick to get rid of staff to save money and now they have come unstuck.

woodbine

It seems they have over sold holidays and flights and that the airports are desperately short of staff, it's about time the govt.strpped in and sorted them out. Re; only 5% of our fuel comes from Russia that's true but the price of oil has gone up and stayed high due to the situation which is complicated because Russia is demanding that their oil/gas is paid for in Roubles not $.

janer1967

I've just had email from British gas offering me fixed rate of £1780 pa against variable rate of £1343 at current prices 

Don't know whether to just chance staying variable 

Can they charge over the cap if on either ? 

About holidays too our flight has been cancelled for December as whizz air have axed 13 routes out 9f doncaster Airport 

Djorton

Check out Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert as some fix’s might be worth it, but the whole picture is rather grim 🥴

Biblioklept

scary times ahead for most of us  

janer1967

@Teddybear12 it's for 12 months 

We will try and get a different flight or different holiday at least plenty of time to sort it 

woodbine

Username_removed said:

woodbine said:

I must admit that I find what is currently being called "a cost of living crisis",difficult, true it's far from an ideal situation but as someone who lived through, power cuts, the 3 day week, no petrol in the garages, inflation over 25% and interest rates around 15% that was a crisis, but compared to the help announced recently no real help back then was offered.
I believe the problem is that a whole generation has grown up with inflation below what it is today and therein lies the problem anyone under 40 is not used to inflation and it scares them.
The help that has been announced is all well and good but what will they do to help next year ? because inflation will be with us for most of next year, and fuel prices are set to soar.

The difference between then and now is minimal because wages have fallen in real terms and so have benefits. In real terms the last 10 years alone has seen a 25% cut in wages. Some people certainly aren’t used to high interest but they’re certainly used to having less year on year far more than any of us who lived through the more interesting part of the 1970s.

of course you will provide evidence to back up your figures mr [removed by moderator]?  people on a three day week, no petrol at any price, power cuts inflation at 25% interest rates at 15% could in no way be covered by higher real terms pay, the problem is and the point I was making is that this is worse than at anytime in the last 40-50 years. Those of us who lived through the 1970's remember them as very dark days indeed and I for one don't want my kids and grandkids to live through something like that .

SueHeath

Really sorry to hear about your flight @janer1967 xx

Biblioklept

hope you can find a different flight or holiday @janer1967

Penybont

Lost my disability bus pass because of bridgend council no longer issues them, they handed it tfw.wales who have moved the goal posts meaning it’s harder to get a disability bus pass then claim pip.

Penybont

Here is a link that shows what the new requirements are https://tfw.wales/info-for/over-60s/travel-card-eligibility. Before all you need was proof your on pip and a letter from a doctor or someone who knows about your disability.

poppy123456

Penybont said:

Here is a link that shows what the new requirements are https://tfw.wales/info-for/over-60s/travel-card-eligibility. Before all you need was proof your on pip and a letter from a doctor or someone who knows about your disability.

Just read that link and it says a PIP award is proof of a disability. If you scored points in the following acitivity/descriptor. What PIP award do you have exactly?

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Statement of Entitlement, which shows: 

8 or more points under Descriptor 7 “Communicating Verbally”; or 

12 points under Descriptor 11 “Planning and Following a Journey”; or 

8 or more points under Descriptor 12 “Moving Around”. 

Please note:  The PIP descriptors and their individual scores MUST NOT be added together.

poppy123456

Username_removed said:

I can’t help thinking this will happen in England in those places where the national scheme has extended local criteria. Imminent and inevitable local authority cuts make such things an easy target.

In my LA a PIP/DLA award doesn't automatically qualify you to the disabled bus pass.

Penybont

poppy123456 said:

Penybont said:

Here is a link that shows what the new requirements are https://tfw.wales/info-for/over-60s/travel-card-eligibility. Before all you need was proof your on pip and a letter from a doctor or someone who knows about your disability.

Just read that link and it says a PIP award is proof of a disability. If you scored points in the following acitivity/descriptor. What PIP award do you have exactly?

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Statement of Entitlement, which shows: 

8 or more points under Descriptor 7 “Communicating Verbally”; or 

12 points under Descriptor 11 “Planning and Following a Journey”; or 

8 or more points under Descriptor 12 “Moving Around”. 

Please note:  The PIP descriptors and their individual scores MUST NOT be added together.

My pip is basic/standard. I was awarded the disabled bus pass back in 2018 here is the points I was rewarded back in 2017. I contacted pip and asked if they could sent out a letter showing my points. That’s why the date on the the letter in screenshot is this year.

poppy123456

I'm assuming you didn't score any points for mobility?

Amberpearl

I'm really struggling 
I'm on uc 
I have to rely on food banks to get food 
Prices have gone up 
I don't go out unless I'm. Forced to due to anxiety and depression and ptsd

Penybont

poppy123456 said:

I'm assuming you didn't score any points for mobility?

there two issues I have here the first is I did not need any points in mobility to get the bus pass in 2018. The second issue is with pip the disability I have is ankylosis spondylitis which is a mobility issue yet from what I know they give me 0 points in mobility need to find out why.

poppy123456

Penybont said:

poppy123456 said:

I'm assuming you didn't score any points for mobility?

there two issues I have here the first is I did not need any points in mobility to get the bus pass in 2018. The second issue is with pip the disability I have is ankylosis spondylitis which is a mobility issue yet from what I know they give me 0 points in mobility need to find out why.

If you were entitled to the bus pass previously, did you have a mobility award then? According to Mike the rules haven't changed at all.

May i ask when was the decision made on your PIP claim? If it was within the past 13 months you can request the Mandatory Reconsideration on that but you will need to state your reasons why you didn't request this within the first month. Do also bear in mind that PIP isn't awarded based on any diagnosis.

Penybont

Username_removed said:

I just worked through the TFW form out of interest. With the various documents to hand, which I always have stored on my iPad anyway, it took around 8 minutes even with my VI. The criteria looked identical to a cached version of the pass application which used to be done via the Bridgend site. Very linear and straightforward. The added bonus of a companion option too. As far as I can tell nothing has changed criteria wise at all. Other than the inevitable use of red and green, which is always unhelpful, I was pretty unimpressed. Absolutely nothing like as long as claiming PIP. I wonder if there’s some misunderstanding here?

When bridgend did it all that was required was proof you where getting pip and a letter from doctor, social worker or someone else that knows about your disability.

Now with TFW you need points in certain categories from pip to get the bus pass.

poppy123456

Amberpearl said:

I'm really struggling 
I'm on uc 
I have to rely on food banks to get food 
Prices have gone up 
I don't go out unless I'm. Forced to due to anxiety and depression and ptsd

Are you currently claiming either PIP or DLA? If not, have you had a look at the criteria for PIP? This is a good link to have a read of. https://pipinfo.net/