Chronic pain yet refused disability benefits – one mother’s struggle for help

Hawa’s fibromyalgia causes her chronic pain and fatigue, yet she’s been refused disability benefits.

The 42-year-old left her job in a nursery six months ago when the pain became too much to manage and she and her two teenaged girls (Firdaws, 16, and Jena, 13) live in a one-bedroom flat in Hoxton.   The Universal Credit they receive isn’t enough to meet their basic needs.

They’re among those supported by Hackney Foodbank.

Hawa said: “It’s very hard living in such cramped conditions. My children are desperate to leave and have more space – they argue all the time. They’re embarrassed to bring friends home because there isn’t enough room to sit.

“My older daughter is studying for her GCSEs but it’s hard to focus and find a quiet place to work.”

The food bank’s caseworkers are helping Hawa with an appeal for PIP (disability benefits) and, while it won’t change their living situation, it would ease the financial pressure.

She added: “I don’t understand why I was turned down for PIP the first time. I have pain all the time in my muscles and I walk with a stick now.   It’s hard to manage the stairs to our flat. When I worked at the nursery we managed financially – now I have to turn to the food bank and to my family for help.

“I’m brave, I have a lot of positivity and the children come first.  We’ve been referred to a homeless team at Hackney but it could take a very long time for them to offer something bigger.”

Hackney Foodbank has a good success rate when it comes to appealing for disability benefits for visitors.  They’ve lodged the appeal for Hawa and are awaiting the outcome.

Caseworker Manager Lara Callaway, said: “Every day we meet families like Hawa who are struggling to afford the basics: food, warmth and hygiene products and who live in cramped, unsuitable accommodation. In addition to providing emergency food, our team is helping them on to better situations.  There’s hope for Hawa and her girls – with the right benefits, things may start to look brighter.”

Hackney Foodbank’s No Child Left Hungry campaign aims to fund vital food for children like Firdaws and Jena and caseworker support to help families like theirs on to better situations. Click here to donate.