problem sibling and guilt

Ok, I am feeling really really bad after just hanging up from a centrelink worker from Brisbane, who was there with my brother and calling asking me to help him. I told them that I couldn't help, and am leaving the country in a couple of weeks (true) I can send him money, to get him through the next week or two (but what the hell has he done with his centrelink money!) but that won't make a difference in the long run.

He is 27, (three years my junior) dropped out of school in the ninth grade, has held down a job for a maximum of maybe three weeks at a time, is on disability for severe psoriasis that he doesn't take care of, has been living on the streets for a year (after up and walking out of his homeswest unit with loads of money owing, and is therefore not able to get another house through them) and wanted to come and stay with me. Not really an option as I am, like I said, leaving to the UK in a couple of weeks.

Myself and my family have spent the last 10 years bailing him out of trouble, giving him money when he had none, organising flats for him, paying the depostis (which of course we never get back) paying his bills when his power had been cut off, taking him groceries when he had no money and no food, and generally helping him out. Plus trying to help him understand the principles of money management, But then it all got the better of us, having forked out so much money, time, and energy and never seeing any changes. About two years ago we collectively decided that that was it, we would not do it anymore.

The strange thing is, we both had exactly the same upbringing, opportunities, education, and while it may not have been a perfect upbringing (whose is?) I managed to get myself through school, uni, get jobs, buy myself a house and generally manage to survive in the world. While he doesn't. He can't even fathom that if he spends his entire dole cheque on the first day that he will be hungry for the next two weeks.

So now I am feeling incredilbly guilty, but know that there is not alot I can do to help - no amount of money is ever going to make a difference, and the times I have had him come and stay with me to help him sort himself out have resulted in me doing nothing but cleaning up after him for a month and in the end getting mad at his total lack of life and hygiene skills.

I feel so bad about it - about not being able to help, about making the decision to stop helping, and feeling like I have a responsibility to do something because he is family. It keeps me awake at night worrying about it, and feeling guilty, and knowing that it is basically a hopeless situation for him. I am physically shaking and feeling ill after talking to the centrelink lady. And I am sure my worry is nothing compared to that of my mother's.

Any input? Are we wrong to quit bailing him out? what would you do if it were you?

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