Life on benefit a struggle

Guest View: Onerahi mum Wendy Giffin
To the people that think beneficiaries have it easy...try being one.
And as to the person who wrote last week about beneficiaries putting back food in favour of smokes etc. Get real!! Have a good look in a supermarket, a real good look and you will be able to tell who is struggling and who is not by the contents in their trolleys.
 It's not the rich and the poor anymore, it's the 'overpaid' and the underpaid'.
We don't always choose this as the way we want to live but sometimes, as in my case, you don't have much choice. I am 'stuck' on a benefit at present. I want to work but because of injuries and arthritis as well my options are limited.
 l am in pain all the time which makes it hard to get around. My knee injury cost me my job as a home support carer as l became a liability because my knee could give out on me at anytime which put the people l was caring for at risk.
Once arthritis forms, then it seems that ACC 'writes' you off as well. l was put on 'sickness' benefit but l told them l was not sick so now am on the DPB.
I don't smoke, drink or do drugs and l sill have trouble making ends meet.
I applied to my bank to top up the mortgage and was turned down as my income is to low. l explained to them that l have had to use some of the mortgage money l borrowed (for house repairs) to pay for food and also for petrol when times got tough.
 I volunteer time at my grandchildren's school and help out when l am able at a community garden.
I am sick of struggling and the pressure it puts on my family is huge. My daughter is to sit NCEA this year and she was behind in class.
l had not realised that she needed some items for her work, when l asked her she said there was no point in asking me as she knew l had no money anyway.
As she goes to an out of zone school, the bus fare each week has been $40. There were times when she was not able to get to school as we did not even have the day's bus fare.
Regarding child support; why should someone on a benefit bringing up children on their own not be entitled to this? In a lot of cases this would be the only financial help that people would get from an ex partner for their children. Many ex's refuse to help out because they see that they have done their bit and refuse to help in any other way. Some just vanish and so have no input at all. Once again it is the kids that miss out and it is after all called "Child support" is it not?.
If there are the jobs out there, where are they all?