It's a normal weekend ...

[Susanne35Cat]

Difficulty getting to sleep until 5am last night (this morning).

I was in too much pain from my right shoulder, hands and left knee ... and my mind was racing about finances. What am I going to do about the £16 I am having to pay out for Bedroom Tax & Council Tax?? I have my older son Max's 11th Birthday next Wednesday and no idea yet how I am going to buy him a gift. Arrggghhh.

Woke up this morning at 11am, my boys were already downstairs. They had let the dog out in the garden and fed the dog and 2 cats. I couldn't hold anything, my right hand was looking like witches claws, fingers swollen, stiff & curled and incredibly painful. Shoulder still in agony. Legs stiff, it took me ages getting down the stairs. Elliott got the cereal bowls & spoons, Max the Weetabix and milk. They had breakfast. I'm lucky my boys are ok looking after themselves. After breakfast my boys cleaned out the cat litter. They both hate it, lol.

Don't have the energy to get myself anything and my hands are too sore to put the kettle on for tea. So I'm sitting in my dressing gown, taking my handful of tablets with the water Elliott brought me. Gotta sit and watch TV for a couple of hours until my tablets kick in.

[Hidden]

Aren't you lucky to have such wonderfully helpful sons? I hope your tablets are starting to work.

These cuts are really cruel, I wonder if you can get any help/advice from the CAB or even your local councillor. I have read that there are exceptions for special cases.

All I can offer you is some sympathy.

[Susanne35Cat in reply to Hidden]

Yes, I'm very lucky.

My ex-partner and I share custody equally, so when they are with me they are a great help.

You only get DHP temporarily and if you have a significantly adapted home. Mine is having the bathroom adapted to suit my needs over the next 2 months. I have no idea if this is significant enough. In the meantime, I'm appealing the bedroom tax and council tax in an effort to halt the process for now.

I just feel sorry for people who can't fight for themselves at all.

Thank you for you kind reply. xx

[Hidden]

I really do sympathise Susanne it must be so hard having to face this kind of thing on top of RA with two sons to think about and RA obviously giving you a lot of grief too currently.

But one good thing about your sons is that they will have learned a really good lesson about caring and being independent. Lots of young ones never learn this until they suddenly have to fend for themselves and aren't prepared for the knocks of life. Your boys will be and will probably make incredibly kind partners and fathers one day for what they are learning now.

Hope this gives you some consolation about relying on them so much.

I really hope this stupid bedroom tax is exposed and got rid of very soon indeed but failing that I hope your appeal succeeds - it's so wrong to push people in your situation into sleepless nights and extra pain and suffering. Tilda xx

[sylvi]

Suzanne,if you have two boys they need a bedroom each,are you in a four bed house,if your only in a three bed one,surely you wouldn't have to pay. I would appeal as it would be too stressful for you. Don't give up on your appeal. I am sure things will soon start to look brighter for you.xxx

[helixhelix in reply to sylvi]

The rules are really rough, children under 16 are expected to share a room if same sex (under 10 if different sex) so I have no idea how they are expected to get enough peace and quiet to do homework for example. And if couple is separated only the main carer gets the children's bedroom! I think the rules were written by someone who doesn't live in the real world....

But really impressed by boys who help out like that at 11, what marvellous kids they must be. Polly

[miss]

Hi what lovely boys you have.I have a sept son who is quite some year older then yours, who now is much more helpful since i was diagnosed

I can only agree with others you must fight the good fight were the bedroom tax is concerned. Best wishes xx