I have just read the post from another participant saying how a couple of Easter eggs is now a luxury for many families. It is so true and not just Easter, but all celebrations or occasions are beyond the financial limits for those living on a low income. Since the pandemic which was followed by the cost of living crisis that many people seem to think is over prices of everyday goods and essentials have risen to a point that is now not possible for those living on a low income, this includes basic foods, toiletries and cleaning items before you even think about clothes and utility bills that is is not possible to live without. On top of this we now have a government that has made a decision to cut benefits and support for millions of people including the sick and disabled leaving even more low income families in the face of destitution. I myself have struggled for years as a single parent living in poverty, struggling to meet the daily needs of my family. I am now at a point where I am frightened and cautious about spending a single penny on anything that we could possibly do without due to fear of what is ahead if I lose any of the income I currently receive. Any cut or reduction in my disability payments will have a serious and lasting effect on the ability and the prospect of me being able to survive in a meaningful way. How has it been allowed to happen that in a modern world we are all encouraged to believe that we are equal, have free speech and human rights, but when it comes to those claiming benefits or those who are unable to work due to disability or ill health these rules do not count ?.

Hey everyone

So sad but will be okay

Feeling fed up.

A trait of autism I've been blessed with is hypermobility in my joints and I get injured often. This time I've torn my ligaments around my knee and can't walk. At the start of half term with 3 kids. Joy.

My car failed its mot on Monday and cost me 3 x the amount I'd accounted for so well into an overdraft I cant afford with no way of getting the kids out in the holidays is giving me anxiety. I really could do with not having to be up and down cooking and the ability to order the kids' food would be a god send but it's just not an option.

Exercise is my therapy and medicine but I can't do that and today is the last day of sun we're supposed to be getting 😪. Honestly it doesn't just rain does it?

Hey everyone

I'm very sad today lost a brother 😢

Hello

Not a good day baby is crying so much is so hard 😢 💔

Mental health is a topic less spoken of. Yet it is very important, difficult to deal with and those struggling with it could actually be completely ruined silently as it is not a physical thing and may be taking for granted.

The struggle is deep the anxiety, depression and fear no one may know

I miss pre-Covid days, when payday meant a week of relief, sometimes two. Now payday comes, bills get paid, food gets ordered, then it’s the dreaded "see what’s left" moment. I’ve a little over £30 left from today’s payday—to use towards Easter, getting out ’n’ about, getting to appointments later in the week.

It’s too little to even add to my emergency fund pot that’s been dry nearly a year now. It’s so depressing. I’m a master of budgeting—cuts here, coupons there, vouchers there—and yet even after all that, there’s no spare pennies left.

And I have PIP. It blows my mind: pre-Covid, when I didn’t have PIP, money stretched. It was tight—I had to be creative (and still skipped meals to fund kiddo’s activities)—but it stretched. Now, years later, I have PIP and the health element of UC, yet pennies just don’t stretch the same.

Utilities cost more for a flat now than I ever paid for a detached house before. Food’s gone up by over 300%, and quantities for those inflated prices have shrunk. Paying more for less. Kiddo’s activities are 200% more on average. Transport costs—up. Clothes costs—up. Cleaning supplies—up.

It’s depressing.

I’ve heard a lot of people saying this last week—that the proposed PIP changes are an excuse to legally cull the weaker members of our nation. I can’t find reason to disagree with anyone who says this to me.

It feels like an attack on my value as a person beyond my disabilities, on my very existence and my possibility of a future. If it feels like that for me, I can only imagine how hard it feels for those less fortunate than I.

Cuộc sống ngày càng khó khăn đối với tôi khi không có nguồn thu nhập nào. Tôi là mẹ đơn thân, sống cùng con gái 6 tháng tuổi ở nhà xã hội. Không có thu nhập và tiền trợ cấp rất ít 100 bảng anh cho mỗi tuần, nó không đủ để cung cấp đồ ăn cho chúng tôi. Tôi rất buồn và áp lực về tiền bạc, stress rất nhiều.



Life is getting harder and harder for me with no income. I’m a single mom living in social housing with my 6-month-old daughter. No earnings, and the benefits are so little—just £100 a week—it’s not enough to feed us. I’m heartbroken and crushed by money stress. The pressure is unbearable.

I was escorting a friend to the airport and I saw a news headline.

Chancellor rejects claim that cuts will push thousands into poverty.

I could not believe what I was reading because to be fair, that's exactly what it's going to do.

I'm beyond shocked!

Is anyone else dreading the Easter half term?

I have my sons 13th birthday on Sunday and mother's day 😫. Then my car MOT is due mid April and insurance has just been renewed and increased by over £120 a year , water had shot up , fuel and utilities all on the rise and then I walk into the local supermarket to look at Easter Eggs for the kids to see they've almost doubled in price.

I'm so frustrated right now because while everything is getting more expensive particularly those things we need to provide stability and security for our children but benefits are being cut and the potential for my pip tribunal to go in my favour is looking bleak right now.

Where am I supposed to magic the money for food and essentials? How am I supposed to feed the kids? Right now a couple of Easter eggs are a luxury most of us can no longer afford. What is this country coming to?

I lost my glasses due to my brain fog a month ago, and I struggle without getting headaches etc - but I cant afford to buy new ones without PIP. There are many ways it would help me live an easier life accessing the community easier and also help me on my worst days with different aids but right now I'm looking at a future where I become more and more isolated because of the decisions this government is making.

I am so scared of the future right now...

Today I went to take my daughter to the doctor. I don't speak English, and it seems like they discriminated against me, which makes me feel isolated, hurt, and very sad.