I received a letter telling me I have been granted disability benefits until March 2029. However they can start the reassessment process a year before that date, and if the assessment process is quick and I lose again, my benefits will be stopped again as soon as I lose, even if it’s before 2029. So I only have guaranteed payments until March 2028. Two years before this could all start again. This is despite the fact that I had letters of support from my GP, mental health therapist, a social worker and my landlady all confirming my disabilities, the amount of help I need and the fact my condition isn’t likely to improve much.

On the plus side at least I didn’t have to have another assessment. I sent in so much medical evidence that they judged me on the evidence alone - confirmation of my conditions and how they affect me from hospital consultants and the physiotherapist, copies of medical records, letters from people who know me like those already mentioned and print outs of my prescriptions, along with a statement I wrote about myself and how much help I need.

But I’m so worried about the fact that I only have two years. I had been hoping get the maximum 10 years, and to quit the medical treatments and medications that don’t help me and just cause me side effects and stress. But with only two years to go until the next assessment I feel I have to keep attending unwanted medical appointments and taking unwanted drugs or I’ll fail the next assessment as they’ll use it against me. Plus the fact that the government keeps threatening to make it more difficult to qualify for disability in the future, and says they are slashing the amount in a few years.

I want to thank everyone here profusely for the incredible amount of help I have received - moral support, friendship, food vouchers, money and physical items sent through the post. I can’t imagine how I would have survived all this time without you. I was so desperate at my financial situation I was actually on a suicide forum trying to find someone to kelp me un@l1v£ myself, and that is how I discovered hexbear/lemmygrad - someone on there told me about it and suggested I ask for help. I thought I’d be lucky to get one meal, I never imagined you would all support me so much for over a year.

There have been a couple of people here during this time who have spent weeks teasing me with offers of help that never came and seemed to enjoy doing it, but most people have been wonderful. Prior to finding this place I actually asked Christian organisations for help and was rudely turned away. The food bank is a nightmare and many only allow you to go three times every 6 months. Macmillan stopped giving grants to cancer patients and my local council stopped the household support fund, I had literally nowhere else to turn.

So, I now have a (low) income for the next two years. It’s still going to be a struggle - along with typical expenses like rent/utilities/food/transport etc I have additional expenses like buying things I need for surgeries and other medical stuff that the NHS doesn’t provide and if anyone ever wants to keep helping with supermarket gift cards to make it less of a struggle I would be so grateful, but even if no-one is able or willing to do that I really appreciate everything and wish I could repay it somehow.

Thank you all, you’re the best people I’ve ever known.