I have experience of getting grant from my local council. I applied for the white goods when transferred from my temporary home to permanent home by my local council. They provided me small washing machine and wanted to provide a basic cooker but I denied as was not fit for the purpose. Apart from that I received few times cash support from post office via showing council letter to post office during Covid 19 school closing times.

Received council help few times as a form of shopping voucher during corona time in order to provide hot food to children. Besides that few years back got some discount on my council tax bill when my partner lost job due to her illness. Also received one time support during living cost crisis time.

When we first moved, we spent all our money on carpet, and had nothing left over for white goods, (fridge/freezer) or beds for our children. We applied to the local authority to see if they could help. I was told I would get a call back from someone in the Wellbeing team but never did. When I tried to chase it up, I went around in circles being passed to various departments and no one seemed able to help. We ended up receiving support from an organisation which was referred to us by our health visitor. We are really grateful for that referral, because three years on the beds are still being used and are very sturdy.

Tôi không biết hội đồng địa phương có thể giúp gì cho tôi. Ai đó có thể giúp tôi nộp đơn không.

I don't know what the local council can do for me. Can someone help me apply?

I haven’t applied for help before because I wasn’t really sure what support was available or how to go about it. I think part of the reason is that I don’t know where to start or who to ask. I’ve found it quite confusing, and it would be helpful if there was clearer information about what the council offers and how to access it. Thank you

The supermarkets are stocked up to the rafters with everything for the easter weekend. From chocolate eggs to mountains of vegetables, joints of meat, and slabs of cake in every variety.

Who on earth can afford to buy such things at today's prices?!

It certainly isn't me. I'd love to be able to but it would just go to waste with only the two of us.

Maybe I'll wait until next week and see what's still left.

More and more, as the weeks go by I'm feeling sick to my stomach from all the worry of what is to come for me and countless like me.

It's plain ridiculous to expect to find work in my position.

I looked on job sites today, with the intention of sending off a cv or two, in an attempt to jump ship before being pushed but I had second thoughts as it's just madness to do so.

I searched work from home roles. I haven't the foggiest what any of them were. I wouldn't be suitable for those type of jobs either nor would I be able to manage one. Between everything else that goes with managing a health condition, taking meds, practicing physio, attending appointments, keeping up with housework, there's enough to be done already when you factor in that I'm running at half the capacity of a normal adult on a good day, less than that on anything other than a good day.

So how else am I supposed to earn enough to live a fulfilling life please? Save for retirement? Take care of myself and my family? It's just not possible to do.

This Government really has it in for us disabled people.

Why are we all tarred with the same brush as people with mental health issues or the young?

I never knew mental health issues had an age limit until recently.

Personally, I'd rather be poor, and penniless than coerced into a job I can't or don't want to do.

So shame on this government for treating decent 'hard working' people this way.

There's definitely a stigma to seeing a counsellor and trying to heal from past domestic abuse, whilst been on reduced hours. The HR policy within work stating my sick record is high, but I know I am doing best I can for my son and I xx

We cannot afford the £3.66 chocolate eggs but instead we boiled for 30 mins some eggs then once cooled we decorated and painted them. My son 12 but time together is important. This can be hard when social media “create different social pressures“ of expensive eggs or lots of days out etc. I feel sometimes I am not “good enough“ parent as I cannot give my son “those experiences“ xx

Hello everyone hope you are all well, am feeling a bit happier today as we are approaching Easter weekend hope everyone is excited as I am.

Good support to getting into employment for me looks like help with adequate levels of education for those who have been out of the academia for many years.

As a mother of 2 young children and working part time my focus has shifted into raising the next citizen of this country. So my personal further educational journey has come to a stop.

I would like the Government to support and encourage older mums like me to go back into education in order to achieve better work prospects.

Having basic Maths and English skills is not enough.

It seems education is only for the young and once you become a parent you should be in full time employment at this stage.

If the government are demanding mothers to work more hours there will be no room for growth or development educationally.

I never got any support from job centre plus. I have chronic health conditions and need regular medical treatments. That's why unable to back to work. Initially from job centre plus used to get notification to back to work where they they didn't focus on my health conditions which made me worried and vulnerable to live on my low income. Now, I am getting PIP and my husband works for full time and not getting any notifications from JCP. JCP should consider job seekers health conditions as well as mental conditions before push them to go to work as everyone prefer to work themselves as it keep their body and mind fresh.

As an asylum seeker who can’t work in the UK, I’ve never used the Job Centre myself, but from what I’ve seen and heard, it seems like the support can be a bit hit or miss. Some people get real help, but others feel like they’re just being told what to do without anyone really listening. I think if someone has a disability or a health condition, there should be a proper effort to understand that and adapt the support around it. Good support should be flexible, understanding, and actually helpful—not just a checklist of tasks to get you off benefits.