Mental Health and it's effects.

Mental Health and it's effects

 

I myself suffer from mental health, anxiety, stress and depression and at times it can be very tough, the tiredness, the loneliness and the sense of  feeling a Burdon.

 

At this moment I am going through a particularly bad bout of depression, that has just crept up on me since Christmas, with the last few weeks being very bad so much so I have now had to start seeing a councillor again and I feel I have given in, which I know is not the case, all I have done is seek help.

 

The real big thing that I realised I needed time to myself and some time to get myself together was a week ago when while in college we were doing a task and I mentioned that I had a problem with my knees and another student piped up if it is not you knees, its your shoulder, if it is not your shoulder its you have got something else wrong with you, I told them to "FUCK OFF" and with that someone else then replied ooowww I got up and offered to take them outside and sort them out (Not ME), I decided to walk out of Class to get away from the situation.

 

I ended up going for a walk outside and have a good cry, a couple of the tutors came a found me to have a chat, I felt at my lowest ebb and felt I had let myself down, my fellow students down and my tutors down. After talking to my tutor, they explained that this was not my fault and that I had nothing to be ashamed about and that I needed some time off to get myself right.

 

I asked my tutor if I could address the group, they suggested I do it one on one, This I refused I wanted to say what I wanted to say in front of the whole group or not at all, you see one on ones are not my thing but I feel more comfortable speaking to a group, I went in front of the group apologised and explained as best I could what I was going through, they were very understanding and wished me well. Doing this and explaining the situation helped me no end and took a big weight off my shoulders and the relief was immense, I took the rest of the day off and had some time to myself.

 

At counselling I started to open up about some of the things that had been going on from before Christmas, up to recent events, having my benefits stopped, worrying about being made homeless and some of the mucking around that has been going on in Class, which has taken it's toll as you try to concentrate and the more you concentrate the hard you try and the more tired you get mentally and thus go more and more into the depression you are in.

 

The thing with depression is you put up a mask and hide it, try to deal with it in your own way and the more you do this the more and more tired you get, you don't sleep at night, you don't shave, very rarely eat until you reach breaking point and for some people their is no return from this.

 

I do know what it is like to have the thoughts in your head about taking your own life and it is frightening and I hope they never come into my head again but they will always be at the back of my head deep down.

 

Moving forward I have started to train again in the gym and this is helping me realise all the energy in a positive way, I have a practical assessment coming up in the next month and then I should be a qualified personal trainer.

 

I suffer with this illness each and every day, at times it is hard and yes their are times when I get really low.

 

What I will say to anyone who is suffering from depression or any other mental illness, speak to someone, open up and let people know what you are going through, the ones that matter will care, they will approach you with care and will help you, don't push them away and open up to them they are only their to help.

 

That's my story, so if you know anyone who is like me and needs the help they deserve and your understanding please help them.      



Improving your Job prospects doesn't pay

Well as the title says, improving your job prospects does not work or pay dividend, ask someone who know, like myself.

 

I am currently studying a level 3 Personal Trainer diploma course to improve my chances of getting into work within the fitness industry, as many of the jobs in this industry ask for a Level3 qualification/ equivalent or above or even start my own business, so I should be congratulated for doing this, well that is not exactly the point as I have been punished for it.

 

What do I mean by being punished, well as I am classed as in full time education I have had my Job Seekers Allowance stopped, well as you can see it is the governments way of punishing people for getting off their backside doing something to improve their chances of getting back into work, re-training as they say.

 

This is the governments way of manufacturing the unemployment figure, so under their rules I am quote "Technically in work" which is not the point as I am in College studying, thus meaning I am under their rules unable to work, lets put it this way I am in college 15 1/2 hours a week, so how can I not be able to work or even be classed as in full time education and this where they fall down with their rules, from what I can gather full time means anything over 20 hours per week, with the average working week being 40 hours or more, yet the DWP rules state that 16 hours is classed as full time.

 

So why is it that people who re-train and change their skills to try and get back into employment are punished or should that be discouraged from doing anything to help themselves, just sit at home do nothing, claim all the benefits they can and do nothing, yet the people who do something to change their prospects of work get new qualifications to do this get given no help.

 

This is the situation I now find myself in no money, threat of eviction and no Job Seekers Allowance, although you are still expected to look for work and give up you college course if you find a job.

 

What sort of incentive is it for someone to re-train if they are going to be punished for it, stopping you money, housing benefit and council tax benefit, yet some people do nothing to enhance their chances of employment sit on their backside and do nothing claim what they can.

 

I can apply for a Job Seekers Hardship Allowance, but only if I have asked family or friends to help me out, they want you to do what? Yes you read right they want you to ask family and friends to help out, yet I have paid into the system for well over 10 years and now I am being told I have to ask other people to help me out, yet it is the government who have put me in this position, they want you to work, want you to improve your chances of work and then stop your money because you do, double standards, instead of stopping you from enhancing your employment prospects, they should encourage you, by giving you an allowance to re-train or go back to college, well you are helping yourself and the government by improving your chances of employment, thus getting into employment and paying back into the system via national insurance contributions and income tax, so they would be getting their money back for helping you, it is simple economics, you speculate to accumulate, because your are either going back into employment or go self employed and employ other people.

 

This is something the government don't see, all they want to do is punish the simple man, who is doing everything to improve their chances of employment.

 

SO WHY PUNISH THE HARDWORKING PEOPLE WILLING TO CHANGE WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO IMPROVE THEIR CHANCES OF EMPLOYMENT. 

The Benefits System and it's down falls

Well the benefit system, now what can I say about it, well it is something that is used and abused by the few and the many are pilloried for it.

I myself am currently on JSA not through choice mind, it is because I was bullied out of my last job some 3 years ago, and was left with no choice but to claim benefits, you see I am a proud man and felt ashamed to claim, but as was pointed out to me I have paid into the system so I am entailed to it so I claimed and got JSA and Housing Benefit, so that was some 3 years back.

 

So here we are today and tomorrow I will have to sign off as I am now classed as being in full time education as have enrolled in college to study to become a personal trainer and improve my chances of getting a job, well I had plans to start up my own business firstly as a Health, fitness and Wellbeing Coach and ultimately a Personal Trainer.

 

There is something called the New Enterprise Allowance, which I was hoping to go on, yet I am unable to.

 

Now if I was a drug addict, an Alcoholic or sick I would be able to claim benefits and still be able to go to college, there are many people that all they do is sign on go home and do nothing to improve their chances of a job or even look for a job, yet they are still able to get their benefits and keep any other allowances they get.

 

Let me point out I am not one of these people I want to work, in fact I am going to start up my own business with or without the help of the government, I am unable to get a business loan or a start up grant, I may even have to give up my home somewhere I have lived for over 18 years, yet their are these people who get everything and me well I will get nothing for doing something to improve my chances of a job .

 

Yet I am penalised for this and not given any help what so ever to do this, maybe I should use and abuse the system like many others do. 

Where the Governments New Enterprise Allowance falls Down.

The New Enterprise Allowance, the governments way of helping the unemployed starting up their own business, well that is what it is supposed to do, it is suppose to help bridge the gap between starting your business and the short fall you may have, it is £65 per week for 13 weeks and £33 per week for another 13 weeks and have a viable business pan, which I have and signed off.

 

You need to be claiming Job Seekers Allowance and some other benefit to qualify, well that's me I qualified for this New Enterprise Allowance to start up as A Health, Fitness and Wellbeing Coach while studying for my Level 3 Personal Training Certificate.

 

I am still on JSA at the moment, so therefore qualify for the New Enterprise Allowance, I am also studying at College 19 1/2 hours per week for my Level 3 PT, the Job Centre were asked to refer me for this allowance some 4 weeks ago, yet they won't because I am in education.

 

It wasn't the fact I would get the £65 and £33 over the 6 month period, but it would give me a chance to build up a client list with the help of a business advisor/mentor and this is the part that would help having that advice and mentoring there when I needed it, to help me with any business problems that may come up, it would also give me the chance to speak to someone with experience and know how of business.

 

This is an allowance to help people become their own boss, to work for themselves yet even though I am on JSA, because I am now in Full time education I do not qualify, but I will still have to sign off JSA and therefore have no money and will have to try and get a client list from scratch and with out the help I could get, lets not forget I would have to sign off JSA if I got this allowance any way.

 

It seems that all I am is another statistic to keep the unemployment figures down, a person who will have no other choice but to beg, borrow and may have to give up his home because of some person in the job centre who makes these choices, they are supposed to be there to help you not hinder you.

 

The thing is I won't give up on my dream and I will carry on immaterial of what this government want to throw at me, there are people who get benefits who well how can I put not deserve them, don't look for work, don't do things to improve their chances of work and use and abuse the system, I am not one of these and never have been, all I want is the help, I feel I deserve. 

 



The UK today

THE UK TODAY

 

So it is that time of year again, when Gideon Osborne, goes to the House of Commons and delivers his budget.

 

The UK national debt is growing at £5,170 per second, yes that is per second.

 

The average household in the UK has non-mortgage borrowing of Close to £10,000, I myself am over £18,000 in debt built up of Loans and Credit Cards that total over £11,000, plus repayments to DWP and store cards.

 

It will be interesting to see what Gideon will do Wednesday, but there is one thing for sure the poor are going to get poorer.

 

Mr Osborne has stated he has to make £4 Billion worth of savings, not satisfied helping his mate and I use that in the looses of terms Iain Duncan Smith to cut Sick and Disabled peoples benefits by £30 per week, only today I read about a young woman who was going to have her mobility car taken away from her, her only link to the outside world.

 

Mr Osborne has stated he is going to crack down on Tax avoidance a loophole that allows TV stars to be paid off the books, yet he is claiming TAX payers money for expenses.

 

He is going to make cuts to public sector Budgets and this will cause more problems to the country as a story that broke only last weekend when it came to light that David Cameron's own mother had lost her own voluntary job because of the cuts being made, not a good sign.

 

What I am finding with this government is that they will quite gladly allow the rich to keep more of their money by increasing the threshold they have to earn before they pay tax, but cut the benefits to the sick and needy within society, Britain is gradually becoming a third world country run by a dictatorship.

 

The country is falling apart at the seems, so here is a radical plan for you, instead of spending the Billions the country does on needless wars all over the world pump the money back into the country and the people that need it most and not one person would be left out, instead of the MP's getting a pay rise, they should look at helping the sick and needy, poverty in the UK is a growing problem.

 

Children are starving and food banks are opening all over the country, this should never be not in this day and age, you have the slime Ball Iain Duncan Smith cheering in the chamber when Gideon announces the living wage will increase yet he is the man sanctioning people through his department, telling the sick and needy are going to lose £30 per week and over 6,000 deaths because of the sanctions and reduction in the ESA, these are the people who this country should be helping, not punishing within society.

 

This is going back to 1930's Germany when the sick, disabled and venerable were persecuted and driven out of there homes.

 

Lets look at what is happening with the junior Doctors, people her the phrase Junior and think they are 20 something's, yet a majority are in their 30's and 40's and have studied for over 5 years just to get to where they are today and if they want to get to the next level they would have to study another 4 years, yet the government are going to impose a new unworkable contract on them, which will make working conditions worse and unsafe for the patient.

 

What I ask is why, did the people of the UK vote this Government in knowing what they were going to do, or was it better the devil you know, than the devil you don't, yet the country is going to nose dive into an even deeper state and more and more people will get poorer, yet only time will tell.

 



Going through Debt and the effects it has on you mental health.

Debt an it's effect on your mental health

 

This is a blog I have thought about doing for some time now, but have been to afraid to do it as I thought the response I would get is that it is your own fault you done wrong now you have to pay for it and as you read you will understand what I mean by this.

 

14 years ago I pleaded guilty of benefit fraud, stupid I know but it happened, I served 3 months in prison for this and as they say you do the crime, you do the time, and in my case this happened, you then have to pay the money back, not a problem and I was, in fact when I found employment I was paying it back at an amount I could afford (I'm not going to go into how much at this stage but I there was an agreement in place).

 

I worked for nearly 10 years for the same firm until the summer of 2013 when due to a mental illness and being bullied I was dismissed from my job and became unemployed, even though I was claiming Jobseeker Allowance, the agreement I had was still in place with no problem what so ever with it that was until May 2015 when the agreement I had was scrapped.

 

This is where my problems started and this government, well lets put it this way are screwing who ever they can the rob the poor to pay the rich so to speak.

 

From the time I lost my job up until May 2015 nearly 2 years I was receiving £73.10 per week, £292.40 per month, plus my housing benefit of £300 per month, by the time I had paid all my bills and other out going in was left with about £1.75 per day to live on. 

 

So to my shock and horror in April 2015 I received a letter from DWP stating they were going to be taking £29.60 per week from my JSA a sum total of £118.40 per month (I know some people reading this will say well serves you right you defrauded the government) well to them let me say this before I go any further, I had an agreement in place was paying the money back at a rate I could afford, never missed a payment and was always on time with the payments). This left me with about £2.10 to live on per week, I tell you this you try and live on £2.10 per week and tell me your opinions and how you cope with it.

 

So I went to the CAB and was advised to do a mandatory reconsideration stating financial hardship and is it possible to reduce the repayment rate, this I did, then I received a reply stating the following "Due to a ministerial announcement on 3rd November 2014 stated the department would no longer reduce deduction's rates of recovery of overpayment and Financial Hardship was not an adequate reason for reducing the deductions" I guess this Minister is Mr Iain Duncan-Smith the man who pays £30 for a breakfast and then says people can live on £3 per day (What a knob, Sorry but he is), This is the same Minister who is reducing some sick benefits by £30 per week really and this country put these idiots in charge of our country.

 

I was sent a speech that The then Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude gave at a Dobs Conference on Debt, in it he stated the following:-

 

"There are people who genuinely cannot pay and need our support - and what they don't need if different arms of government chasing them, we need to be chasing the won't payers and not the can't payers who can pay a bit"

 

My question to this Tory Government is what happened to this idea, why was it not taken on board.

 

What I will point out at this moment is this "I HAVE NO RIGHT TO APPEAL THIS DECISION MADE" so this means that the government have got you over a barrel and you basically have no rights in this country, well that's what I thought so I made a complaint to the European Courts For Human Rights, article 22 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights act 1948 states everyone has the right to affordable housing, medicine, education, child care and "ENOUGH MONEY TO LIVE ON", AND medical help if we are ill. My complaint was unsuccessful, so thus this means that this government can basically do what every the hell they like and get away with it.

The effect this is now having on my mental health is very profound and I have some days where I feel what the hell am I on this earth for as I have bills coming in and have no money to pay them and the pressure is getting more and more profound, so much so it has come to the point I don't sleep at night and have no energy, I go some days where I don't have anything to eat which is no good for you state of mind or your body, (THERE WILL BE MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE READING THIS AND SAY WELL YOU ONLY HAVE YOURSELF TO BLAME), to them I say this yes I realise what you are saying and understand where you are coming from, but and this is a big but I have done my time and now 14 years later I am still paying for it, is this right who knows but it there is one thing I am is a fighter and I don't give in.

To Mr Iain Duncan-Smith in his £1500 suits who cheers in Parliament take a good long hard look at yourself and tell us the people of the country the real figures of the people who have gone on and taken their own lives because of "YOUR" policies, that I have no doubt will send this country at some point in the future anarchy.

I will leave you with this.

"Failure isn't about falling down, failure is staying down"

POWER TO THE PEOPLE  



The DWP's new legislation on fraud repayments

                                The DWP's new legislation on fraud repayments

 

Some of you may not know the predicament that I am in at the moment, 13 years ago I was convicted of Benefit fraud, done my time and have been paying the money back ever since at a rate I am able to afford and have never missed a paymentor so I thought so?

 

On May 5th this year I received a letter and it stated that from 16th May 2015 I would be deducted £29.60 per week 40% of my Benefits, yes you are reading right per week, not per month, so I went to the CAB and sought help and advice over this matter and was told, sorry advised to ask for a mandatory reconsideration of this decision siting Financial Hardship as the reason, which I dually did and sent off afore mentioned form.

 

I then on 29th May received a reply from the Department for Work and Pensions and this is what they "As the Overpayment was due to Fraud and further to a ministerial statement on 3rd November 2014, Financial Hardship can not be taken into account for a Mandatory Reconsideration and The Decision has no right to appeal"

 

So Financial Hardship is not a reason for a Mandatory Reconsideration so what is the definition of Financial Hardship "a condition  or Conditions that is difficult to endure; suffering; deprivation; oppression". So I am left with a decision weather to eat or pay my bills, how can that be right.

 

Since all of this started I have been going through a bout of Depression brought on by the Worry of what decision I am going to make do I eat or Do pay my bills, this is something I have to do daily and some days I do not eat at all as I can't afford to, there we are now you have it "Financial Hardship" having to make a choice because you can't afford to eat.

 

It was also stated no right to appeal, really no right to appeal, so after taking a bit of advice from a family member, they stated look at The Human Rights act, this I did and guess what I found, well I found the following from the Universal Declaration of Human Right act 1948 and it is and act adopted by The UN and The European Union and as Britain are part of The EU at the moment shouldn't it apply to us, section 22 states this "Social Security. We all have the right to affordable housing, medicine, education, and childcare, enough money to live on and medical help if we are ill or old" 

 

So as you can see and I never knew this it is a fundamental human right to have enough money to live on, really so this current government are in breach of my human right by not giving me enough money to live on by taking £29.60 per Week, The state says the minimum you should get to live on is £73.10 per week, so you take the £29.60 per week off then I am left with £43.50 per week to pay my bills and feed myself, So now I have a reason to appeal against the decision they have made, they are in breach of my human right by not allowing me enough money to live on.

 

So this would also state that the new legislation and come to that the old legislation is fundamentally floored and thus illegal, but the Tory Government won't care that you are suffering Financial Hardship, just as long as they screw you for every penny they can get out of you.

 

Today I have filled in and sent off an SSCS1 with the very aim of appealing the decision the DWP or more importantly Mr Iain Duncan-Smith who lets be fare has never done a hard days work in his life telling them they are in breach of my fundamental human right of having enough money to live on.

 

I will also be looking into how I go about getting a judicial review on this legislation because it has surely not be looked through and the damaging effects it can have on a persons mental and physical health.

 

They say that poverty will go down under this government, but I am afraid to say it will go up and I am also afraid to say the suicide rate will, until someone makes this shithole of a Tory Government sit up and take note of what they are doing to the poor in this country.