I’ve never been one for relying on technology. I have very little confidence and get so stressed whenever I have to do anything that relies on me using the internet. I have a few learning difficulties and suffer quite badly with my mental health. The world is moving far too fast for me, and I am aware that people are now having to rely even more on technology and the internet. This is an absolute nightmare for me, talk about being left behind, I think I’ve been forgotten about and left to just muddle on as best I can.
I guess people think this is all my fault and I should try harder to get used to this changing world. I struggle to get through each day, never mind trying to get to grips with everything going online. My day is like Groundhog Day. I get up, go to my mams, come home and do the very same the next day.
My mam or my sister log on to my Universal Credit account and check my messages and I pop to Thrive every week so that they can help me with everything else.
I’m trying to move house. I am scared where I live now and that is why I pop to my mam’s every day. The only way to actually get a move is by logging on to some housing account and bidding. You can no longer speak to your patch manager and the only way to leave messages for your patch manager is to go ‘online’ – type in a message and hopefully someone may get back to you. It is not that easy for people who struggle. So, with help, I tried this last week. I went online, got my mam to type in that I wanted to speak to my housing officer, left my phone number and my mam’s email address – and the message that came back was that I needed to set up some sort of gateway account and add in a code. We tried this and an error came up. It was all beyond me and left me feeling angry and frustrated. I’m not even gonna bother trying to do that again. Why can’t you just see people anymore and just talk to them? It would be so much more helpful.
So, I am still stuck in a flat I am scared to be in. Still haven’t spoke to my patch manager and have no idea how to get a move. I guess I will go and see my mam again tomorrow.
Written on behalf of Thrive Teesside Volunteer.
