I am all lined up to go uni, but I can’t decide to commit. This is because I don’t want to lose benefits and the privilege of not working for money, vital for my mental health.
I think I will lose pip when going, but I should take advantage of going uni, especially while I’m still young, otherwise the experience wouldn’t be what I had in mind. I don’t want to be old going.
I know my limits and stressors and this doesn’t seem right. But I can’t stay on benefits for life? I might have to because coping is extremely hard full-time. I just don’t want to lose my pip because it’s a lifeline, and I do get enough to be comfortable. When the job after uni is what £300 more, considering you have to pay back the loan and pay full council tax, I’d be worse off.
It might help my self-worth and meet people though, but I don’t want to waste this opportunity I have now to be able to stay home and rest with my mental health. I might not even want to delay for a year, I need a sensible decision and asked everyone. I am yet to make a decision still. Any advice? This is so hard.
Not too debilitating, I am on current med switch from olanzapine-abilify, again. Happy about that btw. Symptoms aren’t really causing any harm and will fade with months to come, and ill be considered normal.
From past experience, tests or studying is very hard for me, I take on extra pressure and worry about it too much to pass. It’s not my illness, but that does cause me to not cope and get overwhelmed. It’s more money orientated and sensible decision making affecting me here, because I know I cant work long term and won’t be able to help that, so maybe 1-2 years and that’ll be me falling back but this time I wont have benefits available.
I would stay on benefits if you don’t think you can work long term. If it’s meeting people you can always join a club or something. My 2 cents. Whole point of university is to get a degree to work.
It was a backup plan for something to fall back on, but it’ll ruin my current situation for pip like i’d rather a telephone assessment than face to face or even better just the form to fill for my review. However, I’d have to report a change on my review and that can cause problems like non access or reduced payment and have to go facetoface to be told I’m not entitled.
The reason for uni is I cant rely on pip my whole life because there’s a possibility I wont get it anymore, so I would need this degree to then work if I must. I would refuse to work at a low paid job and id really like my choice if completed degree.