When will the powers that be wake up that low-income families are not surviving because of the price rises? It is all very well to say to reach out to a charity but there is no quick remedy available.
Suicide is at a record high and people like Yee-King Ho, known as ‘Fion’ to friends and family, came to live in London from Hong Kong in April 2022, moving to a flat in Richmond in what family hoped would be an exciting chapter in her life, felt there is no way out which resulted in her taking their own life.
***Warning Sensitive Material***
In Loving Memory -RIP
‘Intelligent, dedicated’ woman, 27, takes her own life after struggling to afford £900-a-month rent and having to choose which meal to eat
Here are a few comments that were with the article below:
james moss This is what is wrong with a low-paid economy, people do not want to just survive, people want to have a life, where they can save, and save for a pension, as well as find a home they can afford whether single or families people need proper wages to be a full member of our society, the conservative governments have broken the link between low pay and social homes, we were told that private renting would self-regulate, instead, the rental market has driven the housing market to the crisis we are now suffering, the young woman in question was like many people in this country drowning in the cost of a place to survive, and that is what she was trying to do survive, to live in the UK today and cover the costs 35K is needed, with less than that people are surviving on the crumbs and it is sadly wrong, 2 people on minimum wage can manage, but again it is marginal.
DBDavid Beech The inept political awareness and lack of action from UK citizens simply assist the corrupt to thrive, when poorer citizens cannot survive.
Master Plan
Maybe this is the master plan to help get rid of the poor people living off the state. Imagine how much money they would save if there were fewer people dependent on them.
Question to the Powers That Be.
Do you not find this article alarming?
Do you not see that people in the comments agree that this is disgraceful?
Have you ever had to worry about putting food on the table or worry how to pay your bills?
Were you born privileged with a silver spoon in your mouth?
How about supporting small businesses, the disabled, and the vulnerable?
The Powers That Be Do Not Care About Low-Income Families Or The Vulnerable
They say they care but in reality, they don’t. Has anyone done the maths on £104 a-week tax credits which equates to £2.60 an hour?
I get it, a self-employed person has to do everything in their power to get more work but what if the person does everything they can and still no more work comes in, how are they supposed to live?
Even if you are single over 35 on universal credit which equates to £334.91 per month = £2.10 per hour or £83.73 a week to live on.
Do the sums not add up, do you need to go back to school to resit your maths test?
Example of Living On Universal Tax Credits & Housing Benefit For a Single Person Over the Age of 35 (Unemployed)
Here is an example of a single person living on Housing Benefits and Universal Tax Credits.
Housing Benefit £590 even though their rent is £650
Universal Tax Credit £334.91
Total = £924.91 ( Equals £5.78 an hour based on 40 hours per week)
So if you continue with the calculations:
Opening Balance: £924.91
Rent: £650
Closing Balance: £274.91 (or £68.72 per week divided by a 40-hour week = £1.71 per hour to live on)/
If a person lives on £274.91 and just pays their utility bills there is nothing left over to pay for food.
Arguably people who are disabled or on the sick may get £247.40 PIP per month (lower rate) Personal Independence Payment (PIP): How much you’ll get – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) but people who are unemployed because small businesses are not hiring, do not want to spend money on services that they will try and do themselves to cut costs. Even the likes of Elon Musk closed down many offices around the world and laid off people, so how are people supposed to live when they can’t find suitable employment? Small businesses are also struggling.
Can no one see the bigger picture here or is it just me?
I welcome any comments and do share this with your connections.
If you are feeling suicidal, remember there is always a solution to every problem.
I think the large corporation should pay taxes and there should be a profit threshold cut-off, where excess amounts of profits go back into the system.
Do not let your thoughts get the better of you. Speak to someone just to get things off your chest or send us a message via our Facebook Page (we will keep your information confidential).
“Personally what I find therapeutic is to vent my frustration online for everyone to read”.
If you have suicidal thoughts, talk to someone about them, don’t bottle things up. If you do not have any friends or family, reach out to the Samaritans on 116 123 For Free. Sometimes talking to a stranger can help you put things into perspective and helps you tackle daily challenges. Arrange an appointment with your local doctor and explain how you are feeling. Do not drink alcohol or take recreational drugs as this may make the matter worse. Seek professional help asap.
Treating disabled people unfairly in the workplace.
Treating disabled people unfairly in the workplace is going to land you in hot water and if you are not careful, FINED!
Employees are less likely to complain for the fear of losing their jobs especially if they rely on their salaries to live. 61% of workers in insecure employment came to work when they were unwell. GMB. Precarious Workers Poll. June 2017. Available from: www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/millions-insecure-work
Working long hours increases the likelihood of a major depressive episode Virtanen M, Stansfeld SA, Fuhrer R, Ferrie JE, Kivimäki M (2012) Overtime Work as a Predictor of Major Depressive Episode: A 5-Year Follow-Up of the Whitehall II Study. PLoS ONE 7(1): e30719. Available from: journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0030719A company that assumes a person to be well and will give overtime in an indirect way, could be seen as indirect discrimination, assuming a disabled person can work the extra hours. (If you refuse the overtime it could be deemed you are not loyal to the company, that you are slacking and not pulling your weight like the rest of your colleagues).
Employment Tribunal
Time limits – A claim to an employment tribunal should usually be made within 3 months less, 1 day. This is known as the ‘limitation date’. For example, if an employee wants to claim for unfair dismissal, they have 3 months less, 1 day from the date their employment ended to make the claim. You can make the claim or you can get someone to do it on your behalf, such as a friend.
Indirect Discrimination.
I start this post without mentioning the organization (blue chip company) but despite the employee telling the employer at the time of the interview, that they had a disability somewhat one year later the organization has done nothing to help support the person with the disability. The person wants to stay anonymous.
In fact, after sick leave, this company simply said they would ask and not assume after filling in “a return to work form”, yet not even 24 hours later the company disregarded this person’s disability and put them on a very strenuous job knowing that this person would struggle.
Since posting this article the employee in question was put on the spot today on 06/08/22 and when the employee complained about the work load the line manager(N) said “so what can you do” in a somewhat condenscending way, and continued to say because you look normal then you should be treated no different, I can see 🤑 🤑 🤑 signs when this eventually goes to a tribunal.
I am keeping track of everything so that when the 💩 hits the fan, they won’t know what hit them.
Reporting Your Manager
Reporting to someone about a manager especially if they all play happy families in the staff room will not get you anywhere other than making your life even more difficult to bear. Unless you have the names of HR and other Managers higher up, you may be playing a sticky wicket.
The Best Course Of Action
First, log the complaint with the manager. For example, if they indirectly discriminate, you can state the job role is causing you discomfort and distress.
Formally lodge the complaint in writing (that’s if you are brave enough and do not want to be on the receiving end of repercussions, which may follow, where they will find excuses why you are slacking),I have been there, done that, and got the t-shirt, that is why I now work for myself and am my own boss. Moaning about your boss to another boss is not going to earn you brownie points.
This one is by far my favourite report toACAS.They will have your back from Day 1 and anything that happens after the complaint is lodged they will be standing by you. (Obviously, the moment you report the complaint your managers will be all over you like a red hot rash and will try to defend themselves even going as far as putting right what was wrong, but do bear in mind everything is short-livedand once the dust is settled they could go back to their old ways). You need to decide if the company you work for is worth your health.If your health is affected because of a direct consequence of a company that has done little to support you, you have to decide if you wish to continue to be treated like a door mat or take action by being compensated for your ill health due to the company’s actions of treating you unfairly, never mind your legal rights and how the company has broken the law. Sometimes we have to weigh up if working for a company that does not support disabilities is worth our blood, sweat and health.
As An Employer, Of Disabled Employees You Have To Make Reasonable Adjustments
As an employer employing disabled people must make reasonable adjustments to support disabled job applicants and employees. This means ensuring disabled people can overcome any substantial disadvantages they may have to do whilst performing their jobs. (Equality Act 2010).
An individual can take you to an employment tribunal if they think you have not made reasonable adjustments.
Many reasonable adjustments involve little or no cost and could include:
making changes to a disabled person’s working pattern
providing training or mentoring
making alterations to premises
ensuring that information is provided in accessible formats
modifying or acquiring equipment
allowing extra time during selection ‘tests’
Disability law
Discrimination
It is against the law to treat someone less favourably than someone else because of a personal characteristic, such as being disabled. There are different kinds of discrimination.
Discrimination does not have to be direct to be illegal.
You can discriminate indirectly with working conditions or rules that disadvantage a group of people more than another.
How you can be discriminated against
Discrimination can come in one of the following forms:
direct discrimination – treating someone with a protected characteristic less favourably than others
indirect discrimination – putting rules or arrangements in place that apply to everyone, but that put someone with a protected characteristic at an unfair disadvantage
harassment – unwanted behaviour linked to a protected characteristic that violates someone’s dignity or creates an offensive environment for them
victimisation – treating someone unfairly because they’ve complained about discrimination or harassment
Employing disabled people and people with health conditions:
Cost of Living And The Impact On Struggling Low-Income Families & Entrepreneurs.
Content:
In The News.
Average UK Salary & Overheads.
Self Employed On A Low Income.
Reasons Why Rachel Mclean Minister Does Not Have A Clue.
Mental Health & Low-Income Families.
Mental Health.
Suicide Due to Cost Of Living.
The Government, Brexit, Deficit Spending and Debt Ceiling.
The Hidden Secrets Of Money – Mike Maloney.
Financial Difficulty.
Useful Links.
Final Thoughts From The Editor.
About The Author.
Possible Solutions – Start A Business.
Start A Second Income – Start a Business.
Disability Support.
In The News.
According to Rachel Mclean Minister stated people struggling with bills should ‘work more hours or move to better-paid job’.
Ms. Maclean said: “Over the long term we need to have a plan to grow the economy and make sure that people are able to protect themselves better – whether that is by taking on more hours or moving to a better-paid job and these are long-term actions but that’s what we’re focused on as a government.”
Firstly not all employers have the budgets to give extra hours.
Secondly, if it was so easy to get a job everyone would be doing it and we would not have so many people unemployed.
Thirdly the average salary for the average U.K. full-time worker as reported by the ONS equates to £31,772 over the year. However this may be an average yet there are many jobs that pay the National Minimum Wage based on 40 hours working week at the national minimum wage of for example £9.18, which equates to £17,625 before tax and NI.
⚡️The average energy bill in 2021 was £95 per month but, based on our average family using an average amount of energy, this will rise to £153 per month.
📈Council tax payment – £189
💧 £56 for water.
💻Broadband inc television and landline average £80 per month.
📱Phone bills are £45.00 per month each.
🚝 Average commute would cost them £288 per month.
👨👩👧👦 Childcare costs have risen to £1303 with one child in nursery full time and the other in breakfast club.
🥘Feeding the family costs on average £424 a month.
The Self Employed With a Handful of Jobs With Zero Profit:
Incomings (Excluding Business Overheads) Per Month:
£00.00 Business Profit
£590 Housing Benefit
£400 Working Tax Credits
£240 Personal Independence Payment
Total£1230
OutgoingsPer Month:
£655 Rent
£262 Utility Bills (Water. Gas Elec)
£80 Telephone & Broadband (Without Broadband I cannot work)
£200 Food
£91 Insurance
Total Per Month £1288 (Do The Maths).
Reasons Why Rachel Mclean Minister Does Not Have A Clue:
Getting another job may be in breach of the contract of the current employer.
Tax Implications.
The unemployed who cannot find work (so how is someone in employment going to find work so easily?
People with disabilities who cannot work? How are they supposed to live?
Disabled People in Employment? Disabled people find it more difficult to get work because even though we are supposed to live in a non-discrimination society, a person for example with OCD who has to wear latex gloves to touch things won’t be hired to represent a brand on a high street shop or may feel uncomfortable working in an office environment being the odd one out. Ask yourself this question how many people do you see working who have wheelchairs? Businesses with no wheelchair access are not going to go out of their way to build ramps and fit disability equipment unless that person they were hiring was worth more than his/her weight in gold.
Self Employed on low incomes as they struggle to get more business?
People with children, so are you supposed to get a second job so that you can pay for childcare to look after your kids whilst you are at work? (getting a stranger to bring your child up, I have never got my head around this unless you earn a lot of money and your career is very important to you).
Not all households have two incomes some people live on their own and only have one income.
Mental Health and Low-Income Families.
This affecting people’s mental health with the Governments and the Banks playing God with your prosperity? Lee Anderson, Conservative MP for Ashfield, said in the House of Commons that meals could be cooked for as little as 30p a day. (You can’t even buy ramen noodles for 30p) I suppose if you had eggs and toast or jam sandwiches every day that may bring the shopping bill down, but who wants to eat toast and eggs every day?
Let’s be hypothetical here:
2 Dozen Eggs: £4.00
2 Loaves of Bread £2.40
Butter or Spread £2.00
Total Price of Groceries: £8.40 divided by 7 days = £1.20 a day
I suppose if you ate one egg a day (after all we can’t be greedy) it would bring the cost down by £2.00 which would mean your daily food bill would be 91p per day.
I am sure health professionals would be falling over themselves saying how unhealthy this would be.
But who on earth wants to live like this? This affects a person’s quality of life never mind their mental state. It’s humiliating and downright cruel. No one should be made to starve to fit in with the Government agenda.
The government needs to get its house in order before palming off its problems on the public.
The cost of living crisis is affecting the nation’s mental health and the already vulnerable mind.
Sarb Bajwa, CEO of the BPS (The British Psychology Society) said:
“The absence of measures to support the most vulnerable is glaring, and many families will be swept into poverty over the coming months, as they struggle to pay their bills and put food on the table. The mental health impacts of this are severe – we know that the stress of raising a family in poverty can have huge ramifications on parents’ and children’s mental health and that poverty is one of the major risk factors for the development of mental and physical health problems“.
A Sheffield Labour MP said some people in his constituency have attempted suicide in response to the rising cost of living. Paul Blomfield, MP for Sheffield Central, said: “I spent yesterday morning at a crisis meeting in a part of my constituency where incomes are lowest. And we were looking at the way in which the cost-of-living crisis we’re facing was impacting people”.
The Government, Brexit, Debt Ceiling & Deficit Spending.
Debt Ceiling
The debt ceiling is the maximum amount that the U.S. government can borrow by issuing bonds. When the debt ceiling is reached, the Treasury Department must find other ways to pay expenses. Otherwise, there is a risk the U.S. will default on its debt.
In other words, because the UK left the EU, the Brexit Divorce Bill in July 2021, was estimated at £40.8bn but Downing Street insisted the figure was between £35bn and £39bn. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/51110096 we now have a crisis on our hands. The Government needs to find the money to pay the EU. Goods and services are now subject to tariffs, increasing the cost of raw materials into Britain and finished products out.
Depending on your location Country/Town/City there may be emergency grants available. For Cardiff for example if are experiencing severe financial hardship you may wish to make a claim to the Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF) Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF) | GOV.WALES
The governments have overspent and people and businesses too. So what does that mean in the long run for the British Public? For starters, the cost of living has to be increased to pay back the debts that have accumulated and forces people to borrow even more money. For every pound/dollar borrowed you have to pay interest which is fiat currency to the banks and that is how the monetary system revolves.
If the Government and Politicians are so quick to give advice why don’t they swap places with people living on the poverty line, if one is born with silver spoons in their mouths they will never grasp how the other half lives and it is easy to dish out advice if you have never experienced life, where you have to worry where your next meal is going to come from.
It is easy to pass judgment whilst hosting wine and cheese parties and decorating walls with gold wallpaper at a cost of £840 per roll?
It’s easy to say find a job when businesses are not hiring and do not want to spend.
All businesses are tightening their reigns on their spending, so the chances of a pay rise or an increase in hours are going to be slim.
What happened to all the money that was confiscated from the Oligarchs and all their assets? (is it all just smoke and mirrors simply to confuse everyone so that they do not find out what is really going on?). Why can’t the assets be sold off to pay off the national debt?
Why are the owners at the Federal Reserve getting a 6% commission, why can’t they reduce their cut to 1%; and the rest of the money sent back into the system? (It’s not as if they can take all the money with them when they die).
Creditors should not hound the vulnerable, by phoning or texting several times a day (it is called harassment). If a person has admitted hardship the creditor should put a halt on payments overdue and even come to some arrangement to pay back in affordable monthly payments rather than making a person feel emotionally and mentally unwell. (£40 x 60 months = £2,400) It is better to get something back than nothing at all. The same goes with Utility companies do not force people into corners as you never know what they might do.
About The Author.
I am an advocate for mental health and poverty. I write about Disabilities, Business, Politics, and Finance.
I have Disabilities.
I write in my Online Journals where I share my articles with my network of nearly 11K connections on LinkedIn and on Social Media Platforms, Groups, and Pages.
If I can help just one person, I know I am making a difference one step at a time.
The more people stand up and express their dissatisfaction with how they are being treated eventually something will change.
Possible Solutions– Start a Business.
The Governments instead of throwing spanners in the work with their lame solutions; instead they should encourage people to set up their own businesses and start a second income. Anyone and everyone can start a business and the possibilities are endless.
I can help you start up a second income and offer free advice and support.
The other thing that has been brought to my attention is how cost-cutting the government is with benefits, robbing Peter to pay Paul so to speak, by taking away simple necessities from the already high risk and vulnerable people to pay for their spending on Wars and their own agendas, they are doing the classic “Daniel Blake” scenario.
My daughter has MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and has a Cardiff Bus Concessionary Travel Card, have now said she will not renew her card even though she already was awarded the card; unless she gets the new updated PIP award letter that is still being processed. She has been given a deadline to produce the letter within the next eight weeks which PIP have said they will not be able to do. If people have a long-term illness they should not be expected to jump through hoops to prove they are ill. They should have evidence from health care professionals and should not be expected to perform like performing seals.
As it happens my daughter is going to have treatment again in the next few weeks because she has relapsed and her MRI scan showed new lesions. The powers that be should not be adding more stress to people who are ill that have corroborating evidence.
If you found this article interesting and useful please take the time to share it with your friends, families, and colleagues. Don’t forget to use the links throughout this article and last but not least please consider buying me a cup of coffee. Some of the National newspapers are using paywalls which is annoying so we will continue providing free content, without forcing people to subscribe to read the full articles.
Starting a Business With A Disability & Deciding On A Domain Name.
If you are starting out or already established you should get domains that are an exact match of searchable keywords or phrases. The reason for this is people will more likely to click on an exact match keyword than an acronym or brandable site (made up word) furthermore it is far easier to index and rank using keywords. If you are set on a brandable or acronym you must take into account that it will take you a lot longer to be visible on the first pages of search engines unless you do extensive, advertising. marketing and pr.
If you already have one website you should consider setting up an SEO link wheel and drive traffic from different directions especially if you offer more than one service. A person looking for marketing may not think to check your web design website. Or if you are a hairdresser but also offer beauty therapy, a customer may search for a beauty therapist rather than hairdressers, you could capture traffic using another site linked to yours.
I will keep this post short but we have listed some domain names which are at auction on Godaddy. You can also find them on Afternic.
Obviously, if you are starting out you have to decide if you are going to be a sole trade, partnership, or limited company. You have to make a business plan and work out your finances. You have to decide on the products and services you will be selling and you have to learn all the legal stuff, such as licenses, permits, and trademarks. You have to sort out branding and marketing. For the full spec of things to do the following link will give you a low down: https://www.gov.uk/set-up-business If you are unemployed or disabled you must contact HMRC, they may even give you tax credits. Remember PIP is not means-tested so regardless if you are working or not it makes no difference but you still have to mention it in your tax returns.
The list of the featured domains can be found here:
If you are interested in another niche industry location just shoot us an email and we will send you some recommendations, if your domain is available on the registrar’s marketplaces we will not buy them and then cyber-squat them. We will just tell you what is available and our recommendations including what we also may have on our books that may help you. We won’t find a domain name, buy it for $10 and slap a hefty price tag on it unless we are using a domain for our own purposes such as affiliate marketing and advertising. In some cases, we may point domain names to articles we have written such as www.germawareness.co.uk and www.ocd.cymru.
Natalya Platonova – Serving British Soldier, Talks About Mental Health & Fundraising.
Natalya Platonva – Honors & awards – The Commander Field Army Commendation Jan 2020 for outstanding service to the British Army.
On Sunday 8th May 2022 I will be embarking on a 185km trek from Oxford to Buckingham Palace along the Thames path. I will be cuffed to a 3kg medicine ball the whole way. Why? Because this medicine ball signifies the silent weight, torment, and suffering of mental illness that so many of us carry on our own. I will walk on behalf of everyone who is struggling and cannot find their voice to talk through distressing emotions.
This Christmas I too did not have a voice, I too felt like I could not speak and I came to the conclusion that the best way forward for me was to end my life. What brought me back from that dark period was finding the confidence to talk and confide in loved ones about how I was feeling. It is incredibly difficult to let go of that burden without feeling like you will pass it on to someone else. So we lock it away and suffer in silence. There is still a massive stigma in regards to mental wellness. I want to help break that stigma with every mile I cover. I won’t be approached by strangers whilst I walk and for that curiosity to turn into honest conversations. Remember, someone’s smile could be masking something else beneath the surface.
If this resonates with you, please donate, support, and share this far and wide. Thank you 🙏🏼
Launching Your Business Career as a Young Adult with Disabilities
Starting your career in business can seem like a challenge, especially if you’re a young adult with disabilities. Luckily, by using the right approach, it’s simpler. Here’s a look at how you can launch your business career as a young adult with disabilities, presented by Megan Cooper.
Pick the Right Degree Program
In most cases, a business career starts with a college degree. However, you want to choose the right program from the beginning.
While a slew of degrees could work for a business career, some options are more lucrative than others. If enhancing your earnings potential is a priority, you may want to choose:
Accounting
Business
Economics
Any of those degrees can be the foundation for a business career. However, if you want to take your career to the next level, getting an online MBAcan be an excellent way to sharpen your skills in corporate finance, human capital management, marketing, and strategic planning. Plus, your MBA could help you land career-boosting roles, including positions as a facilities manager, operations director, business administrator, and more.
Plan for College Success
Once you pick your degree program, you want to set yourself up for success. Many students with disabilities have access to a wide range of support services available to them. After being accepted to a college, connect with the disability services office. They’ll be able to help you identify resources and make critical arrangements to increase your odds of college success.
Land an Internship
An internship is an excellent way to gain relevant experience while you’re still studying. Focus on opportunities from highly reputable companies near your school, favoring those that let you build skills pertinent to your future business career. That way, you’ll get on-the-job experience that serves as a head start while also expanding your network and gathering references you can use after graduating.
If you’re wondering where you can find internships, there are three main approaches. First, if you have a particular company in mind, check its careers page. Many businesses list their internships there, allowing you to apply directly.
Second, many job boards do include internships. Just make sure to add the word “internship” when you search or find that option in the available filtering criteria.
Third, some colleges do maintain internship databases. Speak to your career center, advisor, or the disability services office to see if one is available at your school.
Find Your First Job
Once you graduate, it’s time to go for your first job. Use your college’s career services office to learn about positions, as well as get help with job search activities like resume creation and interview prep. Additionally, check outonline job boards to find out about opportunities, and if you have specific companies in mind, check their careers pages to see if there are suitable openings.
It’s also wise to tap your network, as they may know about unadvertised positions. Finally, if you aren’t having much luck, try a recruitment agency. Often, they can help you find experience-boosting roles fast, giving you a want to get your career off the ground as you build valuable skills.
Set Up a Comfortable, Stress-Free Place to Work at Home
Finally, make sure you have a space at home to dedicate to your new job, especially if you’re working remotely. Your space should include comfortable, accessible furniture, great lighting, and plenty of storage. Also, make room for a few houseplants, as these can go a long way toward reducing stress, improving your mood, and creating a relaxing atmosphere. When you’re working from home, having a productive workspace is almost essential for success.
When you have a disability, starting a business may seem overwhelming, even impossible. But with the help of a solid strategy, a thorough understanding of business, a positive workspace, and people who want to see you succeed, you’ll be able to lay a foundation for a fruitful venture.
I have this methology “if life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. I am not the type of person to whinge and moan, I just make the most of what I have and try to get on with it.
I always keep myself busy and set goals. However my physical and mental disabilities are obstacles that daily I have to get round.
My OCD is by far one of my prominent disabilities and have designed a quarantined cocoon area where only I have access to. This area allows me to be free of any anxieties that I would have in the normal environment. I have adopted this practice to save cleaning my whole home from top to bottom day in and day out. Believe me I used to clean from top to bottom every single day until I realised I was wasting valuable time doing something else.
Keeping myself busy does help to block out intrusive thoughts to a certain degree. I am the worlds worse for critising myself. I try to brain train to reason with myself that what I do is ridiculous and out of character to normal people, but it all is related to stress, anxiety and depression. Depending how stress I am under will depend how well my day will be. If I am super stressed, I find that I cannot concentrate and even do minuscule tasks.
My OCD is germ contamination related and I am even more conscious of my surrounding and the things that I touch. I dislike people visting me and visa versa. I prefer not to go out, hence I am not going out any time soon pandemic regulations or not.
I actually wrote an article on my other blog about germ awareness and cross contamination: https://marketingagency.cymrumarketing.com/2021/02/16/saliva-and-mail-cross-contamination-of-germs/
As for my other disabilities:
Cerebellar Atrophy (I lose my balance or grip and muddle my words up especially when I write, I also have mental blocks).
OCD (I am aware of germ cross contimination and and am careful what I touch).
Social Disconnection (I prefer my own company and not go out and socialise, although we can’t anyway but you get my drift).
PTSD (I have flashbacks of the physical and mental trauma I endured in the past and certain things trigger my depression).
Clinical Depression (This is related to past physical and mental trauma I endured, in which there are days where I go to a dark place).
Rheumatoid Arthritis (I cannot bend my knee, again from past physical trauma/abuse).
Dysphagia (I sometimes choke of food, I get a painful feeling followed by trouble swallowing and breathing and only when the food is dislodged does the feeling subside, gross I know but what can I do? I have been told I could have surgery but there is no gauarantee that it would work. I am not going to go under the knife for anything, I can tell you that for sure).
Epidural Analgesia (Chronic Back Pain, even bending down to feed the cat makes my back spasm, the same goes if I am standing for excessive length of time I have shooting pains from the small of my back to the nape of my neck. Simple taskes like taking out the rubbish or bringing in the grocery shopping has brought tears to my eyes in the past).
So yes I have good days and bad days but I do not dwell on my ailments and try to live the best way I can. I adapt to around my disabilities. Fortuantely for me I offer digital services so I can do 100% of my work online and do not have to venture out.
Stress and worry are contributing factorsto my OCD, PTSD, Depression and Social Disconnection.
Getting headaches (I have regular headaches)
Having stomach cramps (I have a bad stomach most days, but that can be from drinking energy drinks to keep me awake).
Not being able to sleep (I find my medication helps me sleep but it takes a few hours for me to wind down, hence I watch a film or play a game, I also read books from time to time).
Feeling pains in your chest (I do not get them often but when I do it is scary as I have also experienced jaw ache and shooting pain down my left arm in the past). I have had an ecg scan done and the doctor said there was nothing wrong, yet the same doctor also prescribed antacid ‘Gaviscon’ to my daughter even though she was later diagnosed with MS after I admitted her into A&E.
Having constant worring (If I do not keep myself busy I do worry hence I try to keep my mind occupied all the time). Worrying only makes your health deteriorate and although life struggles can get in the way of your happiness, one needs to find a way to tackle the problem we are faced with, rather than sweep them under the carpet. Confronting your inner demons makes you stronger. Sometimes simply writing down your problems is the first step to dealing with whatever is on your mind. Talking to a friend or family member also helps but for me expessing my emotions in the form of a blog is theraputic in itself.
Having panic attacks (I only get these if I have to meet negative people). People that judge or critise, you know the people I am talking about or if I have a deadline in work or something that I have seen or heard that has triggered the onset of sheer panic. However for most part I am organised and know to how to avoid trigger warnings, so panic attacks are subdued.
Feeling shortness of breath, (I only get this if I cannot swallow due to my Dysphagia or at times when I have in the past been in distress, due to the trauma and abuse I endured).
Having mood swings with friends or family (I avoid socialising so no one knows my moods and no one can be on the tail end if I do have a bad day).
Finding it hard to feel happy (Continuously reassuring myself and staying positive that what I am doing will eventually change my life for the better, is enough to motivate me to get up and tackle every day tasks).
Although I was going to do a daily/weekly journal of my health, I am not able to do so at present as I have many projects I am working on and simply do not have the time, but I always try to strive to stay focused and optimistic that tomorrow will be a better day.
Obviously adopting a healthy lifestyle can help with coping with life struggles, such as:
Regular Exercise
Breathing Exercise
Meditation
Eating Healthily
Brain Training
Learning New Things
Staying Focused
Being Organised
Setting Goals
Time Management
Avoiding Negative People
Learning to Trust People
Motivation
Talking to Family and Friends About Your Troubles
Discussing your Problems with Professionals, Health, Finance, Relationships etc
Final Thoughts!
I am a disabled entrepreneur and I have created a business round my disabilities. The way I saw it when I first started out, I would not fit in or be accepted in a normal working enviroment and I am the most happiest I have ever been for a long time doing what I do and it works for me. So the way I see it is my disabilities are a blessing in disguise, as I would not be where I am today without them.
I avoid negative judgemental people especially if they have power trips (Trolls especially that have nothing better to do than try an bring a person down, these get immediately blocked).
As for me I will help anyone that genuinely needs my help. I am very good at analysing people and situations and I am very astute.
Stay safe, stay focused and stay motivated, nothing stays the same forever unless you let it…
Working from home is now becoming the new norm and where people with disabilities may find it more difficult to work in normal working environments they can essentially adapt their homes around their disabilities.
The days of lining someone else’s pockets whilst you slog your guts out for someone else are long gone when you finally can say you are your own boss.
You no longer will have to explain yourself to no one and you will not be scrutinized if you come in late or take time off work. You can choose the hours you work to suit you.
The feeling you have once you master how to make a living from the comfort of your armchair is very rewarding and the feeling is amazing. You finally can say you have found a purpose in life.
Working as an entrepreneur does not come without hard work. You have to put in the hours which in turn will make your business into equity. Your business will become your asset once you become successful.
1. You can set your own hours of work
You can choose the hours you work and if you work from home you basically eliminate travel time and travel costs. Some people find it difficult to get up early for work. Working for yourself you get started whenever you are ready and not a minute before. Your efforts will be rewarded by the amount of time you put into your business. What you put in is what you will get out.
2. Scheduling your day around you.
Where before you would need to have a childminder whilst you were at work you now have the freedom to child mind whilst working for yourself. Why have a stranger bring up your child when you can do it yourself. By setting up critical time paths (CTP) you can schedule your routine around your home life and your business and have more flexibility in taking your children to school, doing errands, and going to the gym.
3. Setting Foundations
A business startup starts with an idea that is branded, foundations set and the wheels are put in motion to allow the business to grow and be nurtured. You need a business plan and carefully construct all the steps to make your business a winning success.
4. Office politics
In a normal working environment, you can not sit and chat you have to get on with your work which you will be scrutinized and even reprimanded. On the other hand, working for yourself you can choose to chat and for however long you like without it interfering with your work and you won’t have someone looking over your shoulder.
5.Earning potential
It is actually possible to make a decent living from working online, vlogging, dropshipping, and influencing and affiliate marketing. Many millionaires have been made this way. You can also offer services like website design, marketing, and SEO. Research and learn everything there is to know about setting a business from home. Remember nothing is guaranteed especially when it comes to entrepreneurship. You will only get what you put in. Being an entrepreneur will not make you a millionaire overnight, you need to work hard at it to succeed.
6. Turning your Business into a Success
You will have more time to do the things you like once you have built your empire. You will then be able to work as many or as few hours as you like once your business is a success giving you more time to do things you love doing such as painting, photography, traveling, volunteering and charity events, etc.
7. The World is your Oyster
You are only a step away from being your own boss and there is plenty of advice on the internet including books that you can read. Knowledge is Wealth. What you learn no one can take away and that in itself is an asset.
There is a social stigma attached to people who have disabilities and ministers of the DWP are making it difficult for people that are disabled to obtain a better quality of life.
Some disabled people need the extra financial help to get about and for disability aids and in my case Dettol, face masks and disposable gloves, disinfectants, and cleaning products.
Some may need to pay someone to do household chores or gardening etc. Some need help to attend doctor’s appointments etc. So there is a whole list of things that disabled people may need to spend their money on just because they have a disability.
This newspaper article is a bit old, two years old in fact but as the journalist suggests the system is very controversial:
Ministers are doing everything in their power to make claims even more difficult. By forcing disabled people back to work they essentially are trying to bring the unemployment levels down.
I understand that in some cases there are some that are playing the system but for the rest of the honest folk that genuinely need financial help, it is unfair to put everyone in the same stratosphere and force them into work when they are genuinely not fit to do so.
Some people genuinely need financial help especially on low incomes and would not be needing help otherwise.
From my own personal experience, both my daughter and I had our claims rejected in the past even though I have suffered from my disability for over 30 years and my daughter who has a brain, spine lesions and diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) was told there is nothing wrong with her.
If people are entitled to the money then they should get it without having to beg.
Don’t make a law and then move goalposts. If there is enough medical evidence to corroborate a claim and proof the person has a disability then do not make their lives even more miserable than they already are.
Do not go to lengths of humiliating a person to perform like a performing circus seal,
Degrading a Person because they claim to be disabled.
so that you can assess them. There are Specialist Doctor Consultants & Professors who have enough qualifications to diagnose a person without a person being degraded and have their dignity taken away from them. This in itself is discriminating, traumatic, and extremely humiliating.
People with disabilities do not choose to be disabled. I am sure people if they had a choice they would not choose to be disabled.
People with disabilities may be forced to work or maybe forced into working for themselves if they cannot find suitable work or in some cases, employers may not be willing to employ a disabled person especially for health and safety reasons. It is hard to prove an employer is discriminating if they do not give a job to a disabled person.
A disabled person who cannot make ends meet may consider entrepreneurship as a necessity rather than a desire.
When disabled people are not considered for jobs because of their disabilities as their disability could be a hindrance or health and safety issue the frustration of not finding suitable employment can go one of two ways either the person gives up looking for work, loses confidence and self-esteem or may try to work for themselves if there is no other way.
I chose to work for myself not that I had to but more because I wanted to. I was ready to start back up again after the birth of my daughter and taking time out to raise her I also had a chance to partially heal and return to work. I knew working for someone would not be an ideal option because of my disabilities and in a way regardless if I had a disability or not I would still have chosen to work for myself. I have always been independent. By being self-employed gives you a reason to get up in the mornings and gives you a status that you are your own boss and that you are independent and people can look up to you providing you give them something valuable like a product, service, or a piece of advice.
I find what I do very satisfying and helping people gives me a sense of purpose.
PURPOSE.
Unlike some disabled people who are on the sick indefinitely and have lost all motivation to go back to work because they have been rejected so many times, I actually do have a purpose.
I know for others it is simply impossible to hold down a job and it would be reckless to stop benefits or force someone to work when their disabilities are so severe or if they are terminally ill that they literally cannot work. Read this article about a terminally ill person that died: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49524259 People who do not know how to defend themselves will be penalized.
By doing what I am doing is therapy. Not only am I helping others, I am essentially also helping myself. Just because you have a disability and you are mobile (providing it is not severe – depending on the disability) you can still essentially work and if you cannot find work then create one!
If a person is self-employed and disabled and applies for personal independence payment it is not that they cannot work as they are already working and are applying for extra financial support.
This type of person is defined that they are trying to prosper and want some financial help. They cannot be categorized and associated in the same bracket with people who are lazy and want to be unemployed for the rest of their lives and are even perhaps trying to scam the system.
Supportingmedical evidence can prove if a person is disabled or not.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Entrepreneurship is not easy. You need to have an idea of what you are trying and achieve and have all the building blocks to build a foundation for your business. You need to learn the skills and master them to perfection. You need to want to do the job rather than having to do the job.
Not everyone has it in them to work for themselves. most are clueless and prefer to just work for someone else. Some just do not have what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Consider what you can do to start a business from the ground up, there is tons of information out there if you know where to look.
If you crave independence and want to be your own boss you need to be able to find a niche that you are going to be good at and live and breathe your idea and make it into reality. There are plenty of tools and help on the internet to get you started. There is also a lot of financial support for low-income families on the GOV website:https://www.gov.uk/browse/disabilities
To Apply For Personal Independance Payments Visit:
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