No Benefits

The system fail and fails people over and over again, and no one it seems can come up with a way of getting the help and financial support to those who really really need it. We hear so often of people who cheat the benefits system out of thousands but the real human stories of those who live in poverty because of a contrary and arbitrary system don't sell newspapers

Recently a lady my husband has been working with called on us. She has severe arthritis and walks with the aid of sticks and a walker. You can see its not easy for her but she perseveres. We got chatting about this and that and I asked her if she was getting DLA. Oh I was knocked back for that, she said. I was absolutely incredulous! No blue badge, No DLA,, No income support, nothing. The only money she had coming in was incapacity benefit, she lives on £57 a week. Now whatever list you look at, Britain is in the top ten of the worlds richest countries, yet we cannot or wont provide the support and financial assistance for thousands of people who fall through the system every year. This lady thought that was it. Once she was turned down no one told her she could appeal or reapply. She doesnt know where to ask advice, what answers to give, what questions to ask, she didn't realise she could get help with her application. So there we have it, another person living on supermarket end of day reductions on her own. Her cat died recently and she cant afford the company of another one so she makes do in a tiny flat with 4 tv channels for company. She is only 49. Its a sad sad story and one that should make us all in British Society very very ashamed. I know I am.