Bells Palsy and Benefits

nik_k

I am currently suffering from Bells Palsy, and am on Day 39 of my 'recovery'. The onset of my illness was Jan 9th. The recover period is unknown, and could be anywhere from weeks to months.

Prior to this illness, I was unemployed, but was not claiming any kind of benefits, as my wife was self-employed. She has been claiming WTC, and I have been claiming CTC for the care of our daughter.

Unfortunately, my wife's self-employment will soon be finishing, due to lack of work (the work was provided on a sub-contracted basis by local Councils, but they have decided to take all the work back in-house). Therefore we will also have to stop claiming WTC and CTC.

Please could someone tell me whether or not there is any likelihood that Bells Palsy would be classed as "an illness or disability that severely affects your ability to work"? This is the wording of the Employment and Support Allowance eligability criteria. I feel that I am unable to go out and look for work, as any potential employer would be put off by my drooping face, and the potential GP/Hospital visits I am likely to require over the coming months.

Any advice would be very gratefully received

healy

You can put in a claim for ESA if you want. You will need to get a sick note from your Doctor to start the claim. You will probably have to go for a medical and a Doctor/Nurse will do a report and a decsion maker will decide if you continue to qualify.

krisskross

Unless you are a model or do something that your appearance counts in then I would not have thought it would affect your ability to work.

My daughter had it, was told no treatment except steroids right at the beginning. She was sent for a scan but no real hospital/GP appointments. She went to work, but then she wasn't looking for work.

viktory

Bells does not in any way impact upon most jobs and therefore I would be really surprised if you were eligable for ESA.

Speaking as one who knows, you are making a mountain out of a very small molehill.

bestpud

I have to agree it will not stop you working and any employer worth their salt will not be put off by a temporary illness such as this.

Lots of people have to attend out patient appointments and you can usaully arrange them at a more convenient time under the current booking system.

PolishBigSpender

nik_k wrote: »

I feel that I am unable to go out and look for work, as any potential employer would be put off by my drooping face, and the potential GP/Hospital visits I am likely to require over the coming months.

Unfortunately, what you feel doesn't come into it - it's if you're capable of working or not. Unless you can get signed off for psychological reasons, it would seem rather unlikely that any doctor will provide a sick note as it's not an illness that prevents you from working.

As for potential employers - I wouldn't look at your face, just at your ability. I'd be inclined to believe that any employer worth their salt (so to speak) would be quite happy to look beyond the illness and at the person.

System

An employer might be wary if you are going to have lots of time off for treatment etc but I don't think that would class you as having "an illness or disability that severely affects your ability to work".

Also one of my daughters friends has Bells Palsy and she is currently studying to be a doctor. It certainly hasn't held her back.

alwaysonthego_2

Are you suffering from depression?

[Deleted User]

I had this when i was about 19,whilst not pleasant it certainly didnt stop me working with the public,and if i remember correctly it was just a matter of waiting for it to go away as opposed to any prologed treatment,i certainly never went near a hospital for treatment.
I doubt very much that the OP would get ESA for this

nik_k

Thanks for all your comments. Certainly makes interesting reading.

As with everything, things are a little more complicated than they first seem. For reasons of wanting to keep my post as short as possible, I left out a few facts...

My Palsy is a direct result of a severe ear infection. Initially this required me to be admitted to hospital as an in-patient, at which time I was taken to theatre where the consultant performed an operation to relieve pressure on my facial nerve. This then required me to stay in hospital for 72hrs.

I only yesterday came home from my second admittance to hospital. This time I was in for further investigatory treatment to ascertain the cause of severe headaches being caused by the Palsy. This stay in hospital also required a CT scan, and I was for 4 days.

In terms of medication, I have been on steroids for the past 5 weeks, and am also on antibiotics, painkillers, eye ointments, and stomach tablets to lessen the risk of ulcers from the continued use of steroids.

I have been told by my consultant that there is no timescale to my recovery, and that they are still completely baffled by the cause of the headaches I have been experiencing.

Someone asked whether I am suffering from depression... Well yes, I am, and it seems to be getting worse as time goes on. Not only am I trying to deal with this Palsy (which, contrary to some opinions, is NOT proving to be a simple thing to live with day-to-day). Also, added to the physical trigger of depression, I have the emotional trigger of being out of work, and knowing full well that I am not going to be able attend any job interviews without experiencing any strange looks (at best) from potential employers. I'm sorry, but anyone who says that I am overthinking this is not living in the real world! Although I'm not suggesting that any employer would ever give that reason as the reason not to employ me, we all know that they would just say unsuitable for the job for any other number of reasons...

I'm thinking now that the best course of action is, as Healy mentionned, to go to my GP and ask for their input and advice...

feelinggood_2

nik_k wrote: »

I'm thinking now that the best course of action is, as Healy mentionned, to go to my GP and ask for their input and advice...

I think that is the best course of action, perhaps your GP could refer you to someone you can talk to? You can usually get a referal to a short course of counselling, which might help you to deal with the feelings you are having as a result of the medical problems.

Also, would it be worth looking into support groups? Sometimes having someone who knows how you are feeling to talk to can make a big difference. I don't know anything about Bells Palsy, so I won't go searching for you and providing possibly irrelevant links, but I'd definitely recommend having a google to see if there are any forums. Perhaps your GP or specialist would be able to recommend something?