I'm going to be honest here: While money alone wouldn't suddenly solve all of my problems, it would certainly help. Financial hardship makes life all the more difficult to navigate. I have been homeless historically and have struggled without food, heating and other essential amenities.
Although my financial circumstances are better than back then, I am acutely aware that if the financial aid I have were stopped by the government, I would be homeless within approximately a month. I also have debts to pay, and the thought of not being able to fund the minimum monthly payment is a source of significant stress.
I am too ill to work and to partake in the rat race of life. I cannot be a corporate slave and I (along with others in my predicament) am looked down upon for this by the government and by society. Those of us who cannot earn a living (regardless of how hard we have tried to) are considered "scroungers", "lazy" and a waste of oxygen. Aid provided by the government is of course better than nothing. I appreciate there are people out there who have no recourse to public funds or living in places where such support simply doesn't exist. However, it is still barely enough to live off and can be ceased with little explanation at any moment, a situation I have encountered and experienced in the past. If this were to happen, it would massively accelerate my suicide. The application process and assessments involved in applying for disability and employment allowance is truly dehumanising. I have had assessors ask me why I haven't just killed myself yet. I have had assessors literally lie in their reports about my symptoms. The appeals process can be long, arduous, intrusive and even more dehumanising.
If I were wealthy, I would suddenly have opportunities that are unattainable, such as my own home owned outright and all accumulated debts paid for. I would be able to afford the very best treatment for all of my physical and psychological illnesses, which are unavailable under statutory services or utterly unfeasible privately without a very substantial salary. While my disabilities and ailments can't be "cured", I would have the means to fund help, interventions and medicine that would hopefully make existing less painful every day. I would be able to fulfil my dreams with no financial barriers - of writing a book, of starting my own charity, of setting up a right to die organisation that represents people of all ages and illnesses, of fighting for and providing access to better health and social care options available to all.
I am not suggesting all of my woes would be eradicated, but it would give me a fighting chance. Those of us with limited access to resources are regarded as less human, denied life-changing early intervention and essential support purely because of our background and socioeconomic status. For example, I am currently having treatment I urgently need being dangled like a carrot over my head. My application might be accepted, it might not be. I am completely at the mercy of external funding and decisions. They have zero empathy for the impact the entire process is having on me. I would absolutely skip this shit if I could.
If all else failed, I would be able to apply for a euthanasia clinic so that I could die in a peaceful environment with medical support. I would be able to have a few amazing memories before I leave and see my favourite place one last time. I would be able to fund my own funeral and any other expenses so that the financial burden of my death would not fall upon someone else. The fact is, there are so many more benefits, opportunities and privileges granted to those who have a lot of money, even if it isn't necessarily a panacea. That's not to suggest that wealthy individuals cannot or do not suffer in life, only that the far-reaching consequences of being poor (and in any way disadvantaged) are a huge hindrance and limit our opportunities in many ways.
