Budget

I've had quite a busy week. Last Saturday I went for my IB medical and was told that I would receive the results in about 10 days....I got the decision within 3 days, and I still qualify for IB. Received a decision from the DLA saying that their original decision stands...no surprise there...so now it means getting in touch with the CAB about an appeal. I have finally received the housing benefit form and filled it in....just keeping my fingers crossed that this one doesn't "get lost in the post."

This week saw the first budget by the new chancellor Mr. Darling. A lot in it that won't affect me. I don't drive, drink or smoke. Child benefit goes up for the first child...good for families..children are so expensive. Pensioners are to see an increase in the winter fuel payment..great..many pensioners fear the high bills in winter. But what about people like me? Single....no dependant children.....under pensionable age ...and disabled...nothing. If we are lucky we get a £10 pound bonus at Christmas. Just the fact that we will have to prove that we are unable to work. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't that why we have to have medicals at least every 2 years? The news that housing and council tax benefit rules are to be changed so that families will be better off if in work is good....but how will that affect the disabled. Does it mean that we will have this benefit reduced because we are unable to work? It's bad enough that the benefit we do receive is means tested without taking the little that we do get away.

The beginning of the week saw me not doing much as 3 trips into town drained what energy I have. It has taken me 3 days to catch up with the housework. Just keeping the house reasonably tidy has become a real chore. At least it's done now so hopefully I can try and spend a little time doing some parchment craft. It's something I am trying to learn but it is time consuming, especially for a beginner like me. I also want to try and make some time to participate in a ATC swap on a craft forum I belong to. For the uninitiated ATC stands for artist's trading cards. They are swapped or given (RAK...random act of kindness) but never sold. They are a good way to show your work to others and/or try out new techniques.

The medication has at last started to kick in. I find that I don't need as many painkillers during the day and the night time ones practically knock me out. My sleep is still poor quality but it does seem better to be able to actually get to sleep almost straight away than lying awake tossing and turning for hours on end. I have to see the doctor again as the stronger painkillers are not on repeat prescription and I have to go and find out the results of the biopsy I had last week. I don't anticipate that anything untoward was found as I'm sure the hospital or doctors surgery would have been in touch with me by now.