Caught in the 'disabled and professional' trap - please help me get back to work!

bails

Hiya and thanks for taking the time to see if you can help me, it really is appreciated. As with most things it's long-winded but I'll be as concise as possible.

I'm a teacher by profession who's been off work for almost 3 years with ME/CFS. I love my job passionately and have been desperate to return to work the entire time.

My problem is that in order to go back to work I need to build my stamina back up very gradually, which I've been trying to do through voluntary work (I started in Nov '07 on 2 hours and have now increased to 3 hours - as you can see, progress is very slow).
I have wanted to start some paid work but am trapped by what the Job Centre describes as a 'system that isn't designed for professionals'. The advice I've been given is that as soon as I earn more than the Permitted Work weekly allowance I will lose the rest of my benefits. 4 hours work takes me over the PW allowance, and yet it could take me literally years to reach 16 hours when Tax Credts/Return to Work Credit applies.
I simply can't pay my rent and bills on 4 hours work a week, let alone anything else so surely this can't be right?
I don't want to vent about the shortcomings of the system, I simply want to know if anyone out there knows a way I can have a graduated return to work where I can increase my hours at the speed my illness allows and decrease my benefits accordingly til I am well enough to support myself and become financially independent again? I've tried the Job Centre and CAB several times, and have had my Working Links interview postponed again, so I'm just clutching at straws for a lifeline really.
Thanks so much for any help you may be able to give. (And please, no snide posts about people on benefits, nothing you say will hurt as much as losing my life and the career I adore),

GlasweJen

Do you get DLA? This will not decrease even if you won the lottery or worked a 50 hour week. If you don't get it but still have care/mobility needs then apply now.

I'm not sure about the rest but i wish you the best of luck in your recovery.

Oldernotwiser

I think you may have fallen through a crack in the system, although I hope that someone more knowledgeable will prove me wrong. If this is the case, can you not continue with your 3 hours of paid work and build up your stamina with the voluntary hours? Unfortunately many benefits are all or nothing although I hope that this isn't the case here. Good luck.

healy

ONW is right and as you have probably been told by the Jobcentre and CAB the most you can earn with permitted work is £88.50 per week if you are on Incapacity Benefit, there is no way round this.

bails

Thanks Glaswejen and Oldernotwiser for getting back to me so quickly.

I have been getting DLA, although I am worried I may lose this in November, which is 37% of my income (I am reapplying at the mo).
I don't have any paid work at the moment but if there is no other option then I plan to work the 3 hours and use the voluntary to build up as you suggest. This route will just be frustrating from a job satisfaction/self esteem/independence point of view; I want to pay my way and contribute meaningfully to society. I was offered a (very) part time job recently but was unable to take it up because of the financial consequences.

Thankyou so much for your support, I am very grateful. Good luck with med school Glaswejen.

bails

Thanks Healy. If there is no way round this, does it also mean that I would lose my HB and CT?

healy

bails wrote: »

Thanks Healy. If there is no way round this, does it also mean that I would lose my HB and CT?

It depends how much you earn, some people on a low income can still get some HB/LHA and CTB.

bails

I'd be on £104 a week. My rent is £300 a month. Is there a calculator anywhere to work out this sort of thing does anyone know? Thanks.

alwaysonthego_2

Go to the cab again who can do a QBC (quick benefit calculator) check and it will give you a rough guide on what you can get.

www.entitledto.com

Oldernotwiser

bails wrote: »

Thanks Glaswejen and Oldernotwiser for getting back to me so quickly.

I have been getting DLA, although I am worried I may lose this in November, which is 37% of my income (I am reapplying at the mo).
I don't have any paid work at the moment but if there is no other option then I plan to work the 3 hours and use the voluntary to build up as you suggest. This route will just be frustrating from a job satisfaction/self esteem/independence point of view; I want to pay my way and contribute meaningfully to society. I was offered a (very) part time job recently but was unable to take it up because of the financial consequences.

Thankyou so much for your support, I am very grateful. Good luck with med school Glaswejen.

I think that teaching as a volunteer is just as useful to society as doing it for money and hopefully you'll come to see that. Be gentle with yourself; you're getting there.

bails

Thankyou x I don't mean that volunteering isn't valuable, it's just that I'm not using my skills in the volunteering I've been doing. I'm working with the Head of Dept to create a role where I can be most useful, for the school and myself. I am getting there, you're right - it's very hard to see that sometimes so thankyou! Who ever thought a teacher would hate the summer hols eh?