[MsManicure]

Hi all I am new here so not quite sure if this is the right place to post so I apologise if not. I am having a nightmare and feel like have been going round in circles forever. I guess I shld tell you a bit about me first tho...

Was diagnosed with Borderline/Avoidant Personality Disorder about 4 years ago and since then I have worked hard and was lucky enough to go through a Theraputic Community (18 mnth intensive therapy). I have been out of therpy for just over a year and on the whole am coping well. Since leaving therapy I have complete level 2 Counselling and am currently self funding level 3.

The problem I have is that in order to become fully qualified I need to also complete level 4 which is part time over two years. The course itself is approx £1600 per year then you have to pay for your own monthly counselling as part of my ongoing development so I estimate it will cost approx £2 K per year in total.

Therein lies the dillema......NO FUNDING available for part time courses !!!

I feel as if i'm on the scrapheap at age 40 with no hope of being able to ever get back into employment. I know I could take a job that I don't want to do but I don't think that would help my overall mental health as it wouldnt be for the right reasons.

I have worked all my life up until I became to ill to work yet the JC are no help, local gvmnt site only for full time students and all avenues i have tried have been ignored or rejected.

Can anyone please tell me what I need to do to or who I can ask about funding as am at the end of my tether and this is feeding into my current course as I kind of feel whats the point as Im never going to be able to complete the course and do the job Ive always wanted to do.

Sorry for being so long winded but I needed to vent !!

[Universal Credit]

Things will get worse IMO. I'm expecting the people with authority to become more and more unpleasant as things start to fall apart. Work in the future is easy to find but living wages are going to be another matter? I'm expecting they'll work the most vulnerable to death, like in a earlier time. Then those with authority, they'll all start to take to stomping around in uniforms...the way they do...thankfully I'll be well out of the picture by then...won't take much over exertion to give me a fatal heart attack.

[manic666]

you say you carnt afford to study for the job of your dreams , an you dont want to do a part time job to be able to afford it. Surely the job of your dreams is worth a part time job just till you get you exam results, i dont get it you have come all this way to fall at a small hurdle.

[ramboself]

I've always resented those mind student councillers i've seen as people with the money i haven't got, some would say i'm embittered but yes i know the dilemna, to complete the course you have to be in therapy for a year and have to pay for it

Remember some mind counciller saying now i've got the dla i could afford it, in fact i couldn't and to get the dla my health had to deteriate, not that my health was ever good "stabilised" on drugs for schitzoprenia

[MsManicure]

manic666, on 17 February 2012 - 06:18 PM, said:

you say you carnt afford to study for the job of your dreams , an you dont want to do a part time job to be able to afford it. Surely the job of your dreams is worth a part time job just till you get you exam results, i dont get it you have come all this way to fall at a small hurdle.

I understand what you are saying Manic but I am already doing as much p/time as I am currently able to cope with and as a single parent what money I do have is precious and for me to fund this course myself I would need to do more than the permitted hours or lose what benefits I do get in which case I would have to work full time just to pay rent, c.tax, gas, elect etc so I have thought about all aspects. Also, just because i've been through therapy it doesnt stop me having PD just means I am more self aware and have better coping mechanisms. Having PD is like being an alcoholic it will always be part of me and effects me on a daily basis.

Thank you for taking the time to respond tho.

[manic666]

Im sorry i didnt think you meant comming off your benifits , i thought you ment a cash in hand job, if you were to go to colledge an get the results you want, would you be able to hold down a job , with a child an high stress levels. Im not being rude just practical is ok haveing the qualifications but can you handle the commitment. I am a bricklayer sort after by a lot of firms, plus i made megga money, but my illness won in the end no matter how good i was.I dare not take the chance again my last breakdown near as killed me.

[CeeBee]

Just out of curiosity, is the lack of funding based on this year's rules or has it been updated? The reason I am asking is that I know there are some changes to funding coming in from September of this year which will affect part-time students, although I could not say whether they would apply to you specifically.

[ramboself]

Maybe if your on the actively seeking work level of esa they'll fund it to increase your employment chances

[mld]

Are you sure that you get all the benefits you're entitled to?

I use my DLA, or half of it, to go to the college to do a course. We also get other benefits. Have a look on google for a benefit entitlement site.

Good luck with finding the funding.

M.

[CaptSpaceBat]

There is also "Access to Work", http://www.turn2us.org.uk/ and the Advice and information service.

[MsManicure]

mld, on 18 February 2012 - 04:02 PM, said:

Are you sure that you get all the benefits you're entitled to?

I use my DLA, or half of it, to go to the college to do a course. We also get other benefits. Have a look on google for a benefit entitlement site.

Good luck with finding the funding.

M.

Hi Mid,

As far as I can tell am on the benefits am allowed. Am on lower/lower DLA but even if I was in a position to utilise all of it I will need to find £160 per month which exceeds my DLA.

Thank you

[MsManicure]

CaptSpaceBat, on 18 February 2012 - 04:17 PM, said:

There is also "Access to Work", http://www.turn2us.org.uk/ and the Advice and information service.

Thank you Capt,

I have looked at all of those sites and applied to anything that came up but with no luck unfortunately.

Have now also written to my MP to see what he says on the subject but needless to say he has passed thebuck so am waiting a reply from a diff minister.

[popeye]

MsManicure, on 17 February 2012 - 09:20 PM, said:

I would need to do more than the permitted hours or lose what benefits I do get

I went to college for three years [& worked VERY hard] to get a computer qualification [European Computer Driving Licience].There are 7 modules to
complete [I passed ALL 7]The rules are that if u fail one module,u fail the lot.

Even the modules u haven't yet attempted,and also,those that you have.Thats what I call pressure

Perhaps u could consider your own circumstances AGAIN after reading my post.

[ramboself]

one support worker wanted me to take the european driving license. i just got tired of going to camden to be tested on it, i didn't regard it as presure, as one disabled person put it isn't computer courses the modern version of basket weaving

[Universal Credit]

ramboself, on 18 February 2012 - 08:21 PM, said:

one support worker wanted me to take the european driving license. i just got tired of going to camden to be tested on it, i didn't regard it as presure, as one disabled person put it isn't computer courses the modern version of basket weaving

Depends on how far you want to take it? <<< >>>

[toffee]

Have you got on the martinlewis moneysavingexpert site? He has links to lots of grants for studying.

Rules applying to part time students are changing in 2012. Part-time students are now going to be eligible for a student loan.

You may have to delay your plans for a few years while you save up. Counselling is something you can easily keep doing until you die so it is not a massive rush.

Have you also done a 'money makeover' on all your expenses? For example, have you got yourself onto the 'social' tarrifs for all your utility bills etc... so that you are saving as much money as possible?

[ramboself]

Heard they're stopping the social tarrifs, you can get a one off payment from the elecy board of 160 i think, i apppplied they said they were referring me to some firm that does checks, i've heard nothing though a friend was sent a form to fill in, don;t know if my savings count as fraud, seems they'd rather i had zero and in a crisis it was made worse

[Universal Credit]

ramboself, on 19 February 2012 - 03:55 PM, said:

Heard they're stopping the social tarrifs, you can get a one off payment from the elecy board of 160 i think, i apppplied they said they were referring me to some firm that does checks, i've heard nothing though a friend was sent a form to fill in, don;t know if my savings count as fraud, seems they'd rather i had zero and in a crisis it was made worse

The point of the exercise is for all the authorities to look good on telly, not to spend money helping poor folks.