I have always been a caring person
yet the system is failing to care for me in my time of need!
Trying to get some financial dignity is becoming impossible. But I do not give up I am my mothers daughter and I will find a way somehow. I was supposed to receive the reduced ESA payment yesterday but it was not there in my bank... it has taken 2 days to get through to the DWP.. phone lines bumped me off 4 xs yesterday then 5th time on hold and no customer service agent. Today laid on bed with the classical music hold for hour and then got a kindly agent answer. I feel that the agents are frustrated with the system as much as the claimants. I am in a cusp of waiting for the Work Capability assessment report - I attended that last Wednesday in West Ealing. A lovely staff nurse from Charring Cross did the assessment. We were both agreeing if I had been in a fixed NHS contract when all this happened with Amine breaking my arm then leaving me after his ILR then I would have had the support of the NHS occ health, the right to 6 months sick with full pay & thereafter half pay and helped back into some part time hours and then maybe full time hours if I could... but I was in Zero hours contract being agency.. so no work no pay! I have not been a wimp, but women do have to go through some horrid pain of depression, need to detox from the ugliness of violence upon them... and to do all this with limited funds or drops in support is difficult and can exacerbate the pain not help. The present system can lead to the risk of suicide from the drops in support and the depression. It feels like the system becomes your perpetrator battering you deeper and deeper into poverty and the feeling of being a non person.
Last week not only did I have to touch all the past pain in a 2 hours assessment for the DWP but then unprepared unannounced the E.ON collectors came to me on the next day. I have been trying to get E.ON to work with me and get some package of support together for women survivors of domestic violence. I have a ever increasing bill to pay with no funds to pay it. Other bills and food and clothing I need too pay too. I try so hard. But have no £$£$ assets to help me!
I have volunteer hours with a British NGO one day a week that I can build my portfolio with and follow staff training programmes and it may lead to some paid work. But the agent for the DWP says volunteer work is not accepted by the DWP for JSA as it is thought if you can do volunteer work you must find paid work... but I am 64yrs and paid work is not being offered me only volunteer work..... Even today I dropped into my local hospital to see if I can help with teaching - but the education department say there is no funding to offer me as a visitor lecturer or some part time teaching. They could only offer me volunteer teaching... which I suppose I could earn from writing up articles about... But then I have been trying to get some work in publication... It is a long time since I have had professional articles published.... even though I have been working online with a Palestinian nursing student and writing articles together we have not had them accepted for publication. I have also been working online with Syrian refugees and tried to get an article in publication on the counselling we have been doing with the patterns and trends of feelings and emotions of what is shell shock.
I am writing this update today to try and show you and me that I do have a worth in the world...but all I need is someone to help me with paid work or sponsorship.
I have grabbed some books from my bookshelf just now to show you my knowledge base and skills this is only a glimmer of me and all my experience. I have worked in specialist areas of Coronary care including scrubbing for angiograms and angioplasties, I have worked in Oncology in both a regional radiotherapy unit and professorial Gynaecology oncology unit. I have worked in A/E and medical and surgical areas, I am a midwife worked in top teaching hospitals with experience in facilitating SVD in both high and low risk cases, caring in HDU and scrubbing for C-section - I was well liked by the Obstetricians that had private patients and would help with their caseload and worked in research posts too. I enjoyed research and data base management too.
I have classroom teaching experience for adult education on the Access to Higher Education Health pathway..... I love blossoming people to reach their full potential.... I have a TEFL to help teach English and love teaching English for health professionals... My work with the Syrian refugees has made me aware that I love working with children too - in fact when my girls were little I would help in the classroom and the teacher would say Marjorie why don't you train to teach. But I opted for SEN RN RM BSc Nursing and took my career as nurse and midwife.
But I fell victim to violent controllers and my life has been ransacked by not one to two perpetrator "husbands" - unworthy of the title of husband... as husband should be loving and caring for his wife, valuing her and respecting her for all she is and does.
So here I am penniless reliant on the DWP helping me from all the tax I have paid in over my years working. My first job in 1969...but as I am 1954 born I am denied my state pension which would afford me some financial dignity...
I enjoy my volunteer work with refugees and my personal project Family Link Up but need funding for this... all attempts for grants, funding and sponsorship as led to no offers. But I will keep trying - the more I am challenged the more I wil fight for a better platform of support for women.
I have to keep turning my pain into campaign to help all women's voices heard!
A society without compassion ceases to be a society for it is compassion that holds it together.
Turning pain into Campaign!
Reform to help women heal and rebuild.... when will we get this right and fair for women? Sign the petition it is still on the go till I get some debate for reform. Petition for Strong & Stable Pathway of Support for Survivors
This campaign must continue till achieved it goals no matter what happens to me... I have to get a better pathway of support for women!
This campaign must continue till achieved it goals no matter what happens to me... I have to get a better pathway of support for women!
