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Welcome to the Changing Realities archive. This is where you can search and read our diary entries about the realities of getting by on low incomes.
โ–ผ Found 181 entries
11 Sep 2024
Diary

Bessie J

Temperature dropped to 3ยฐ last night.

The winter tiredness season has begun for me as cold in my bed which keeps me awake.

Anxiety of the cost of topping up pre paid fuel meters.

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11 Sep 2024
Diary

Roxy N

I am so tired of not making enough money to live, when does it end

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11 Sep 2024
Diary

Sandra C

I feel soo stressed and tired emotionally. There is increased pressure on finances and am looking for another part time time to make ends meet

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11 Sep 2024
Q&A

Sandra C

What changes are happening in your life and how are they impacting you?

Change happening in my life is mainly work related. The new managers or coordinators are letting the place operate with shortage of staff.

Almost everyday there is a person or 2 people short. Itโ€™s affecting everyone and causing stress and pressure for me in work. There are far too many complaints from patients but I feel there is nothing I can do because I cannot control the staffing levels

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10 Sep 2024
Diary

Sophia V

Nearly half way through September and there is a lot going on. Change of weather, children going back to school and starting a new academic year. This means my child needing more support due to learning difficulties.

Working in retail Christmas is fast approaching and the demand for additional help from staff is always a priority without an incentive.

I am hoping it is not a harsh winter and we make it through another winter.

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10 Sep 2024
Q&A

Sophia V

What changes are happening in your life and how are they impacting you?

The changes I am experiencing right now mostly come down to finance.

My child going back to school can be a costly time of year.

School friends birthday parties and presents can not be avoided.

UC appointments every month build up anxiety i feel i am having to think about putting my youngest child into day care. This will be an extra cost not only in care but in transport.

Preparing my home for winter so i can preserve as much heat as possible, for example buying a hot water tank cover, thicker curtains and warmer clothing.

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10 Sep 2024
Diary

Victoria S

"long term sick" is something I'm seeing a lot of in media, especially since labour took over, "getting the long term sick back into work". Cos they don't want to admit they're picking on the vulnerable and disabled. Better to say long term sick than admit they're targeting the disabled.

And focusing on encouraging us back to work, the problem isn't with us, it's with employers not willing to make the accommodations needed to get into work, it's that for many work makes us more sick, especially those of us with chronic disabilities like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, just getting out of bed and moving around my ground floor flat is exhausting, let alone finding a way to get to a workplace, navigate the workplace, finding the energy for dealing with people who don't understand what it's like to have a hidden disability and then get fired for being off sick too often, like it's something we wake up and consciously choose to live with. "Oh I know what'll be fun, how's about living in never ending pain and dizzying fatigue each and every day, that'll be a hoot" FFS. No wonder suicide rates are on the continual rise, gov would probably wish us dead then at least they wouldn't have to pay to keep us alive anymore. And so much of these chronic illnesses are made worse by long NHS wait times and GPs pig headedness to rush through appointments and not listen to patients, so by the time we do finally get help it's not enough and we're left medically playing catch up with disabilities many GPs don't have training on.

Stop punishment of the disabled for being disabled, for some of us we wouldn't be so unwell if it weren't for the lack of medical and financial support needed to help us physically function better.

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10 Sep 2024
Q&A

Faith N

How do you manage unexpected costs?

Itโ€™s so difficult as they are unexpected and spontaneous. When they come out of the blue itโ€™s hard to find the financial resources for them. My biggest out of the blue costs are always school related. Recently my daughter was given 2 GCSE Music trips to go to. None of them are subsidised due to budget cuts. I literally had to ask family for help on one and cut down on necessities to make the other one work. Terrible but true

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10 Sep 2024
Q&A

Ed I

What changes are happening in your life and how are they impacting you?

My life changes rapidly now a days as started full time work to meet family ends. My daughter started her apprentice job since last week. It seems everyone gone busy and have a less time to family interaction. Moreover, summer going to finishing soon and back to cold weather and long night where needed to reason for worrying again for the heating bill and others. Hoping for the good days to come.

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10 Sep 2024
Diary

Sandra C

I would like to have a life without stress of money and fear that I will fall into debt and fail to provide for my children

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9 Sep 2024
Q&A

Annie W

What changes are happening in your life and how are they impacting you?

My mother in law is needing more help as time goes on. Itโ€™s a struggle to fit time in. My husbandโ€™s works Monday-Friday. And Iโ€™ve got one child in school and 2 with a child minder. Youโ€™d think Iโ€™d have a lot of time but I donโ€™t I only get Monday, Thursday and Friday from 9-2.30. Trying to fit all housework in and then doing shopping and taking the mother in law where she needs to be. Iโ€™m just exhausted all the time.

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9 Sep 2024
Q&A

Mollie U

What changes are happening in your life and how are they impacting you?

I haven't experienced any big changes lately, but I have used the majority of what I had saved up over the past few months to buy a cheap second hand car. I have realized now that if there are any big repairs or issues with it, I will struggle to pay. I didn't realize how expensive it was to own and run a car, but we had very little choice but to buy one as we live in the suburbs and having a child with additional needs meant walking around with narrow pavements was a real safety concern. I only take it out when I know I absolutely have to, (to reduce the fuel cost) but it's definitely been a learning curve.

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