David Black’s Story
“It keeps you awake at night, thinking about the future. It had never happened to me, to us, before. You’re told if you work hard, save hard and try not to be a burden you’ll be looked after. I felt lied to.”
David Black is one of the Community Commissioners taking part in the North of Tyne Poverty Truth Commission. When his mum’s health began to deteriorate a few years ago after an operation, his family was thrown into a very different financial situation than they were not used to. Delays in NHS processes meant care home fees were fast depleting the family resources and putting their home at risk.
“I’m not sure people would think of me as being in poverty. But my experience was that very suddenly we had to spend all our family savings on mum’s care, whilst we were waiting for NHS decisions. Suddenly I was concerned with very basic needs: food, travel, bills.
“From when you wake up to when you go to bed, it’s about surviving. I’ve worked and paid into the system during my life and now I was caring for my mum. If you have a shorter-term problem, kids, time-off work or family, the system doesn’t take account of that.”
“They [the government] say that the route out of poverty is work. But if you have dementia, or care for someone with dementia, that’s no help. I’ve had to rely on bits and bobs of work since this started. I can’t access any help until that lifetime of savings are completely gone. I had to push and push for letters from three different people confirming we wouldn’t lose the house.”
After paperwork delays by the NHS, the decision was made that David’s mum would not qualify for funded care. This was distressing news, it came several years later than the originally anticipated decision, during which time the family had been depleting their savings and were becoming increasingly concerned about their financial future.
David joined the Commission to give a voice to his experiences, wanting to raise awareness about the real impact of the way later life care is processed and funded.
Like others in the group, he felt that stigma plays a significant role in making the experience of poverty both hard to live with and misunderstood by those who had never lived it.
“At the local Job Centre in the 90’s, there was no blame. It comes down to a lack of empathy from the system itself – you’re always having to battle for you rights, rather than someone helping you to navigate the system in order that you may find the correct support available.
“I wanted to get my voice heard about all the problems I’d encountered with the Social Care system. The groups informing health and care decisions, such as the hospital Council of Governors I am part of and the hospital board we hold to account, were mostly well to do, retired, professionals. I had different experiences to them.
“Taking part in the Commission has transformed my attitude. There have been a lot of opportunities that wouldn’t have been possible without it. I’m pursuing my new role as a ‘positive disruptor’ on issues to do with health inequalities, such as taking on a Trustee role with Support and Grow North East. I want to help as many people as possible. This Commission is a starting point and in many ways the impact the people who took part are having using their voice is the real legacy of the project.”