In short:
Loss of about 50% of joint income. Mental illness issues in relation to part-time work besides studies. Student loans. Can barely afford food, won’t be able to in 1-2 months, especially due to current inflation rates. Have to sell things and/or give up on education without any help.
https://paypal.me/null?country.x=DK&locale.x=da_DK
Background:
My boyfriend and I have lived together for 6 years. In our country, there is student support, which we have been living off of, roughly 1600€ (or 1685$ USD) a month total. This has worked, even during COVID we made things work.
However, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and ADHD, which makes it incredibly hard for me to work part time – in fact, my doctor even managed to grant me more money through the student support system, because they deem me unable to work besides studying, if I am to finish my education.
However, I once dropped out of my education, due to mental issues, which is when I started getting help (around 2018). That meant, I had failed the three exams that semester I needed to pass. When I re-applied to the same education the following year, the system still had registered my exam failures. To my knowledge at the time, this would have no real influence, but it did. Later, I failed an exam, end of 2021, which mean I no longer had the required credits, despite having passed the subjects from last time I was enrolled. This automatically made me lose my income via. the social security system, and I naturally tried to file complaints, and see if anything could work. However, twice I was declined, as this was, apparently, how the system works.
At the same time, I cannot get any other income, without losing my student support rights forever (due to the mental illness paper that was signed from the doctor, giving me more aid, saying I cannot work).
Situation now:
Right now, I live off of my boyfriend’s student support, part-time job and student loans (which I myself ALSO lost the right to take, when I failed said exam). On top of this, he himself is having issues, now, due to inflation from the Russo-Ukrainian sanctions. Gas now costs up to 2.30€ or 2.40$, instead of 1.48€/1.56$, which also means all food and daily goods have increased in prices up to 30% in some cases (for example with meat and dairy). This naturally means, that not only have we lost almost half our income, inflation have skyrocketed and made living conditions impossible.
In terms of help from family, we can only get (limited) help from his father. I won’t go into details with my own family relations, but things are tough.
It may be possible for me to regain student support rights, but it won’t happen before October, when these things are re-evaluated, if I pass 100% of exams.
Economy in short:
The total loss of income is 1.600€/1.700$ per month, and inflation is, right now, set around 6%, while some goods like food are 15-30% depending on the exact item.
Our total income now, which is 0% from my part, is around the same as what is lost, 1.600€/1.700$ per month.
Alternative to current situation:
We’ve made it work before, but now it seems like we might have to sell his grandpa’s things he had inherited (which naturally, neither of us want to) as well as his car in the long run. Even if this continues, we might, worst case scenario, have to drop out of both of our educations, even though we both are about 1 year from finishing to get full time jobs (unskilled labour, minimum wage) instead.
Anything helps, and I would truly be appreciative of whatever anyone might be able to. We will have to make changes to our habits, and maybe we can make it work this way.
https://paypal.me/null?country.x=DK&locale.x=da_DK
(Note: Due to the financial situation, and relation to my bank, it is my boyfriend who will handle questions etc.)