Myalgic Encephalopathy (M.E.), Refused medical retirement

mardatha

Everybody I know with ME has had to stop work, inc myself. Maybe if you stop battling on and trying to cope ? That's what I did and it was a horrible time and made me much worse. Stay off when you're poorly - be kind ot yourself - and sooner or later they will let you go.

Mojisola

TomsMom wrote: »

When I reached retirement age in January this year my IB stopped and my state pension started.

When enquiring about the IB I was told it would not be paid past my 60th birthday and I would receive my pension.

You should claim Attendance Allowance.

TOBRUK

mardatha wrote: »

Everybody I know with ME has had to stop work, inc myself. Maybe if you stop battling on and trying to cope ? That's what I did and it was a horrible time and made me much worse. Stay off when you're poorly - be kind ot yourself - and sooner or later they will let you go.

I'm with mardatha with this. I was diagnosed in 1997 and after this I had months of struggling with work - I was working for the BBC with great career prospects but had periods where I was unable to go into work, unable to function and total exhaustion. When I couldn't get into work I would feel guilty which didn't help at all.

Although work were understanding and even cut my hours, I struggled and tried to push myself, not wanting to give into it, but in the end I had to leave - they let me go due to ill health at the end of 1999. It was tough, I felt a failure, my whole world fell apart and even after that it took me a couple of years to accept that I wouldn't be able to return to work. You have to realise that you can't fight it, in fact the more you try and push yourself, the worse things get.

TomsMom

Mojisola wrote: »

You should claim Attendance Allowance.

From http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/DG_10012425

Who can get Attendance Allowance?
You may get Attendance Allowance if:

you have a physical or mental disability, or both
your disability is severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself
you are aged 65 or over when you claim

I don't qualify because I don't meet any of the criteria. Nor did I qualify for DLA. I'm 60 and I don't need help caring for myself. My CFS was never diagnosed on the NHS, it was diagnosed by a private doctor and my GP just went along with it when she knew I could not carry on working, she just kept on issuing sick notes to allow me to claim IB. It was easier for her, I suppose, than to try and help me. She did suggest CBT but I didn't have any faith in it and it was too difficult for me to get to where I would have needed to go, about 40 miles away. I paced myself for 7 years and am now in a reasonably good place.

I'd be more interested in getting some financial assistance now my husband has had to give up self-employment at age 61 because of cancer. He only has IB and a fire service pension (payable because of an accident at work many years ago) part of which is taken off his IB. Our careful saving for our retirement means we don't qualify for anything according to the social worker attached to the oncology unit.

trying-very-trying

TomsMom, sorry to take this off topic, but what is CBT??

TomsMom

trying-very-trying wrote: »

TomsMom, sorry to take this off topic, but what is CBT??

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

dobefan

I'm happy to hear that some at least are getting benefits, I've been off work since 2002 with M.E. depression, thyroid, heart and have been on and off Incap Benefit many times.

My own GP is very supportive and has helped by writing me letters, but as my wife works there are huge periods of time I get no benefits to live on.

At the moment I'm getting IB but was turned down for DLA, and I'm afraid my capacity to fight them at tribunals is only a glimmer and my condition gets much worse at even the thought of all the hassle they give.

I've had the CBT for nearly 9 months, can't say it helped.

Cheers

TomsMom

dobefan wrote: »

I've been off work since 2002 with M.E. depression, thyroid, heart and have been on and off Incap Benefit many times.

but as my wife works there are huge periods of time I get no benefits to live on.

Hi dobefan

I'm puzzled as to why there are periods of time when you get no benefits? Is it because your health improves for a while and you are deemed fit for work and don't get sick notes?

When I was getting IB I was, in effect, self-employed. OH and I owned a restaurant. I couldn't work, he could, so the income remained the same but because I couldn't work and my GP was issueing sick notes then I got IB for the whole of the time. It didn't matter that my OH was bringing in an income.

dobefan

TomsMom wrote: »

Hi dobefan

I'm puzzled as to why there are periods of time when you get no benefits? Is it because your health improves for a while and you are deemed fit for work and don't get sick notes?

When I was getting IB I was, in effect, self-employed. OH and I owned a restaurant. I couldn't work, he could, so the income remained the same but because I couldn't work and my GP was issueing sick notes then I got IB for the whole of the time. It didn't matter that my OH was bringing in an income.

Hi TomsMom,

Sorry I didn't make myself very clear, I was boarded and the Dr? put me off the sick, my own GP continues to give me my sick notes but they returned them to me saying this claim is discontinued or something to that effect. It was 6 months before I could claim again, they offered me Job Seekers but that wasn't correct so I have no income for c6 months of the year.

I find it so sad as I never was on any benfits in my 30+ years since leaving school, and then when its needed they keep pulling the rug from under me.

Cheers

TomsMom

dobefan wrote: »

Hi TomsMom,

Sorry I didn't make myself very clear, I was boarded and the Dr? put me off the sick, my own GP continues to give me my sick notes but they returned them to me saying this claim is discontinued or something to that effect. It was 6 months before I could claim again, they offered me Job Seekers but that wasn't correct so I have no income for c6 months of the year.
QUOTE]

That doesn't seem right, especially if your own GP deems you unfit for work by issuing sick notes. Is there anyone who can help sort it out, CAB perhaps?