Incapacity Benefit Question

AMH1988

I think I may be entitled to Incapacity Benefit. I'm twenty years old and had seizures in work in late 2008. I would like to know if I would be entitled to any other benefits.

real1314

AMH1988 wrote: »

I think I may be entitled to Incapacity Benefit. I'm twenty years old and had seizures in work in late 2008. I would like to know if I would be entitled to any other benefits.

To get IB you need to be unable to work (as determined intially by your doctor). And then to have paid sufficient national insurance contributions.

Has your doc given a diagnosis for your seizures?

healy

AMH1988 wrote: »

I think I may be entitled to Incapacity Benefit. I'm twenty years old and had seizures in work in late 2008. I would like to know if I would be entitled to any other benefits.

Incapacity Benefit can no longer be claimed by new claimants, it has been replaced by the Employment and Support Allowance.

[Deleted User]

AMH1988 wrote: »

I think I may be entitled to Incapacity Benefit. I'm twenty years old and had seizures in work in late 2008. I would like to know if I would be entitled to any other benefits.

Are you still working?have you seen a neurologist?
have a look round the site below for information on seizures and epilepsy
http://www.epilepsynse.org.uk/

donnajunkie

AMH1988 wrote: »

I think I may be entitled to Incapacity Benefit. I'm twenty years old and had seizures in work in late 2008. I would like to know if I would be entitled to any other benefits.

please let me know of any useful info you find related to this please. i have epilepsy and people i know often ask me why i arent claiming incapacity benefit or whatever it is now. they often say my friend has epilepsy and claims it why arent you? i have found since i have had epilepsy no-one tells me anything voluntarily regarding what i am entitled to. it was only while talking to a fellow sufferer while waiting to see my doctor that i found out that i could qualify for the national bus pass.

in my opinion epilepsy is a big risk and all sufferers should be entitled to incapacity. look at what happened to john travoltas son. he died in his own bathroom by banging his head during a seizure. so imagine what could happen within a workplace. even working anywhere with stairs is a risk because what if you had a seizure while climbing the stairs?

krisskross

donnajunkie wrote: »

in my opinion epilepsy is a big risk and all sufferers should be entitled to incapacity. look at what happened to john travoltas son. he died in his own bathroom by banging his head during a seizure. so imagine what could happen within a workplace. even working anywhere with stairs is a risk because what if you had a seizure while climbing the stairs?

So do you think anyone diagnosed with epilepsy should be sitting in their padded armchair for the rest of their life? what a silly thing to suggest. Most people with epilepsy are well controlled on medication and lead perfectly normal fulfilled lives.

Although your thinking appears to be that epilesy only affects working.

tom9980

Not often i agree with krisskross but they are right its how the disability affects you not what the diagnosis is, in fact lots of people dont even get a diagnosis and can still claim IB/ESA as long as the illness/disability prevents them from working. If reasonable adaptions can be made for someone so that they are able to cope well then i dont see why they shouldnt work.

donnajunkie

krisskross wrote: »

So do you think anyone diagnosed with epilepsy should be sitting in their padded armchair for the rest of their life? what a silly thing to suggest. Most people with epilepsy are well controlled on medication and lead perfectly normal fulfilled lives.

Although your thinking appears to be that epilesy only affects working.

its a health and safety issue in my opinion. in day to day living the risks are hard to avoid without just glueing myself to a chair and staying there. however why should someone with a condition put themselves in situations at work that are risky for other people as well as themselves? before i started the course i am on now i was doing voluntary work but of course because it was voluntary i could avoid any tasks that were a risk. in proper employment i couldnt keep saying cant do that, its too risky. so i am not a layabout so dont start thinking that. however i do admit that in a twisted way getting the jobcentre off my back wouldnt displease me. what you dont realise is with jsa you must be willing to do most types of work. if i was getting a benefit not related to work then that would not be an issue and i could then search for suitable work myself without getting sent on ridiculous slave labour schemes that cant be avoided while claiming jsa. on these schemes you work were you are sent, there are no choices.
i have posted here to try and find helpful advice and not to be criticised for asking whether i qualify for something that the law may or may not say i am entitled to. this thought was only put into my head by many people wondering why i wasnt claiming.

hanny83_2

I think the thing is, yes there are going to be cases where benefits are needed to help ease the effects that epilepsy can bring and could prevent working. But newly diagnosed epileptics needn't think that this is what has to happen, you know, that they are prevented from following aspirations now because of their condition etc etc. My bf worked offshore before he had his first epileptic seizures and now after a long six months (four of which he couldn't work as his employer had to make up an office-based position for him as he couldn't go offshore) and adapting to his anti-epileptic drugs, he has been seizure free and will be working offshore again as of Feb, then in Aug he can get hid driving license back,fingers crossed!

donnajunkie

the problem with epilepsy is that once you have it even if it is controlled it can reappear. i am happy for your boyfriend and i hope everything works out but it is scary thinking that he could have another seizure while working in such a high risk job. i am a plater by trade and was told by my union that companies would be reluctant to employ me due to the health and safety risk.

tom9980

Seems like your making excuses to me.

Your pretty much saying lets give benefits to those based on the fact they might be a health and safety risk for certain types of work and im not demeaning those with epilepsy who really do have a big problem i.e seizures everyday. Until you have proven the epilepsy is too much to reasonably expect someone to work with adaptions then i dont see an entitlement to IB/ESA.