I'm still around

 Long time no see.  It's been a shaky road since I last posted. To cut a long story short I am no longer on JSA (Job Seekers Allowance). After seeing a disability adviser and being told that it would be very difficult for me to find employment and be better off financially....the job centre made concessions to my conditions. Not much but a start. I also attended a  mandatory "group session opportunity" to apply for work experience. Well I applied for 2 and waited.Ii was contacted by the job centre and told that my applications had been rejected on the grounds that the businesses concerned were not willing to "employ someone with health issues and could only work limited hours".  Employ?  They were getting free labour!!  I also had to start a mandatory computer course for 2 full days. I told them that would be extremely difficult for me to do, so they made it 3 hours once a week for 6 weeks. The aim of the course?...how to write a CV...huh?  Anyway, a couple of weeks into that and really struggling with the other appointments at the job centre and having to log in every day onto the computer for job searches, being threatened with sanctions for not applying for job, I received a call from the job centre. Would I like to apply for ESA (Employment Support Allowance) at the appeal rate.  YES I WOULD.  So now I am on ESA at the same rate as JSA and not having to sign on and stress my self out. Money is still tight.....I lost £30 a week when they stopped my Incapacity benefit...but at least my blood pressure is staying down and my GP is happier with that. Managed to sort out the mess with Housing and council tax benefit that always happens when your circumstances change. And even better...my electricity supplier is reducing my monthly payments by £18!!
During all this my mojo disappeared so not done any crafting which has been frustrating. I have been doing the garden...but as it's been so hot I've been going out there for an hour in the evening when it's been a little cooler.  I'm going to try and make some crafting time this week....just get stuff out and play a bit...see what turns out. I have my Making Cards magazines so they should give me some inspiration, and I could just follow the samples they show using the papers that come with it.
Hopefully things can only get better .