can't make ends meet any more

Keeki

I'm on UC with LCW as I have dialysis 4 times a week, I use a wheelchair as an amputee and am non-verbal autistic so it's hard to work

I can't make my money stretch any more. What is everyone else doing? 

I receive £334.91 a month to live on. 
-£50 for paying back advance I had to claim when joining UC
-£75 towards my rent 
-£18 for council tax contribution

= £191.91 a month for all my bills and food. 

- £107 for gas and electric bill this month 
-£25 for water
-£14 for my phone

= £45 for food and travel to appointments each month

bg844

@Keeki Do you receive PIP? I agree £45 is such a small amount, would you consider asking for food bank help?

Keeki

Our food bank only lets you access them once a month and I've already used it in the last 30 days as I had no choice. I don't have any areas left to cut back. I sold my TV as can't afford the license or electricity. 
I use the internet a lot to help with communication but had to give that up so need to travel to library to use theirs. I'm spending most my days in the library at the moment because it's warm and there is lots to read. 

I don't receive PIP. I scored 4 for communicating verbally so not enough for daily living and 4 points for mobility.

Sandy_123

Hi @Keeki sorry to read that you are struggling. When did you apply for pip? I would of thought you were entitled to lwcra element of uc. With what you have told us. 

CharlieRose256

Hey Keeki

I think it’s very strange that your not on LWCRA and PIP, considering what you’ve told us. Is it worth appealing for both maybe? Could you make an appointment with your local citizens advice? They might be able to help you. I personally have found the help of my local council welfare rights office very helpful, so if your local council has one, I would strongly urge you to get in contact with them.

I’m so sorry your struggling so much, I wish I could give you more advice. 

Tori_Scope

You're certainly not alone in feeling this way @Keeki. I know that doesn't make the problem go away, but I hope that it helps you to feel a little less alone.

Have you checked whether you may be eligible for help with paying transport costs to appointments? The NHS website has some information on this. 

We have a page on our website about getting free and cheap food, which may give you some additional ideas to work with.

Are you aware that you can challenge a PIP decision if you don't think you got awarded enough points? Citizens Advice have some information on this.

Keeki

I did appeal PIP as originally I scored zero points. I had a paper tribunal and they scored me 4 Daily Living and 4 Mobility.

@Sandy_123 and @CharlieRose256
I looked at the criteria for LCWRA and I don't meet it because I can use a wheelchair and convey a message by typing or writing and no others fit. They don't account for me having to be at home on dialysis over half the week and how ill it makes me or anything else. 

@Tori_Scope I do get transport to hospital appointments but not to GP or physiotherapy so it only helps a bit. Taxi to hospital would be £30 a time so I am grateful I do not have to cover that.

My bills used to be half what they are and food is so much more expensive now. It used to be tight but not it is just impossible. The only other thing I can give up is my phone but it is how I communicate because I'm non-verbal. 

poppy123456

When was the decision made on your PIP claim? If it was within the past 13 months you can challenge that decision by requesting the Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) if you're outside the 1 month then you need to give a reason why you didn't request it within this time.

The most likely outcome of this would be the decision remains the same but there's a much higher chance at Tribunal stage.

It's always better to challenge the decision than to reapply.

Same for the LCW decision, when exactly was that made?

For rent shortage, you can apply for a discretionary housing payment from your local Authority. It's only paid for a short time though before you have to reapply. It's well worth doing that and then if they agree then at least you will have a little more money each month. See link for how to apply. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments

Keeki

I appealed my PIP and had a paper tribunal some months ago that is where I got 4 points for Daily Living and 4 for mobility as I got zero on both before that. I suppose my conditions just do not meet their criteria.

LCW was made 3 years ago or maybe more.

Thank you for the discretionary housing payment information. I am going to apply for that when I come back to the library tomorrow.

poppy123456

Keeki said:

I appealed my PIP and had a paper tribunal some months ago that is where I got 4 points for Daily Living and 4 for mobility as I got zero on both before that. I suppose my conditions just do not meet their criteria.

Paper based Tribunal hearings only have between 5-8% success rate, compared with about 70% for those that either appear in person or telephone hearing.

For the LCW you can report a worsening of condition by putting in a change of circumstances on your journal. This may prompt them to request another fit note. You should then be referred for another work capability assessment.

You may want to get some help filling in the DHP forms because speaking from experience, they are quite complex.

janer1967

Hi there 

K would certainly try again for both pip and lcwra 

I am an amputee and I get enhanced pip both daily living and mobility and also lcwra I did have to go to tribunal for lcwra 

I know everybody is different and manage tasks differently and I do have other conditions on top 

I would have thought at least you would get mobility for pip 

Get some help with your applications if you need to 

L_Volunteer

A really supportive and insightful thread! Thanks everyone for continuing to contribute to such a supportive and friendly space, especially in such trying times. 

@Keeki How are you doing at the moment? We are all here for you if we can do anything else to support you