A bit confused aboiut our options, advice needed please.

swingaloo

Sorry for the long post but I really need advice. My partner has recently had to finish work. He has been given 'ill health retirment' because he is no longer capable of doing his job due to the lifting involved.

There are 2 seperate issues I would appreciate help with.

1.
Hes now out of work for the first time in his life and is quite upset about having to apply for benefits. He does get 'disablility living allowance' of around £35 per week. Today he has been to claim jobseekers allowance as he will need to find another job. Hes only in his 40s so is not able to never work again, he just has to find a job which he can handle which we know is not going to be easy.

We know we are going to need help to manage with rent etc. However even though I have looked at the various websites which tell you what you are able to claim for we are still at a loss about which way to go. All the websites neede to have accurate information and in our case its not that simple.

The situation is that we live in rented property. There are 3 of us, myself, partner and my son. Myself and my son work through an agency until we can find something better and we are only told on a daily basis wether or not there is work for the following day. No weeks are the same and can be anything from 2 days to 5 days work.

Today someone has told my partner that he would have been better putting in for incapacity benefit rather than job seekers. The whole thoing is so complicated especially as like I say my son and I dont have a regular fixed income.
Ive tried ringing the CAB for advice but am finding it impossible to get through and have also been told there is a 4 week waiting list for appointments.

2.

Perhaps a bit unfairly, Im feeling bitter about the situation we are in
now. My parner has lost his due to an accident he had at work. As a result he has been given a lump sum pay off but in all honestly this is only a few months pay and will not last long. He is now going to have to find another job and he has no qualifications for anything other than the manual work he has always done.
Im annoyed that he is now 'on the scrapheap' as he calls it through no fault of his own. We know its not easy to get employment as it is and hes not able to do any manual work which is going to narrow his options.
I just feel he should have some sort of claim or comeback- our lifestyle is going to have to radically change and the future is so uncertain.
Im just wanting to cry all the time, Im 12 years older than him and my working life is limited, hes getting more and more depressed at the thought of being out of work and not supporting us.
Sorry for going on but thank you for reading if you have got this far.

Jowo_2

For emotional support, contact the Samaritans. Despite their reputation for suicide prevention, they are there to give support for any type of crisis and you may find that if you and/or your partner speaks to them, they can help you to manage the distress and this might lift the fog that allows you tackle the underlying actual problems around finance, job opportunities and relationships a little more clearly.

It is clear that aside from the economic problems, there is a big problem with your partner's esteem and confidence as it seems a lot of his self worth is bound up with his role as a provider. Hopefully, he is amenable to contacting an organisation that could help with his depression and provide support to him, too, and let him change his view of himself as a failure to his family.

Indie_Kid

Incapacity benefit doesn't exist for new claims. is it worth him studying part-time so that he could get a job in a field that he can do?

Oldernotwiser

Try to discuss retraining with your husband so that he can see things as a new beginning rather than an end. He can see a Nextstep Adviser for careers advice and this will give him an idea of his options.

https://nextstep.direct.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

Good luck.

cit_k

sh1305 wrote: »

Incapacity benefit doesn't exist for new claims. is it worth him studying part-time so that he could get a job in a field that he can do?

Thats correct, but not very helpful, you could have mentioned the fact for new claimaints, Employment and Support allowance is the equivalant replacement for incapacity benefit, and is what someone who is to ill to work should see if they can claim.

KxMx

If you decide JSA is the route to take then he can see a Disability Employment Advisor at the Job Centre in addition to signing on. They are there to look for ways to help him back into work with that little bit extra of understanding.

I understand how you must be feeling, I am 23 and been "off sick" for 4 years now, although there is a ray of light for me, I was misdiagnosed 4 years ago and very very ill as a result now, however once they do confirm what I have there is better treatment and a chance I could go into remission! Which is wonderful as that means I can earn some money.

With what you've said about his injury, I am sure there are jobs out there he can still do, it's just a case of narrowing things down to the type of work he could possibly do. Lots of retraining help out there, lots of people are doing it nowadays.

Another thing I would reccoemed he think about volunteer work. I've managed to find a volunteer job with my favourite cause which is done 90% from home and it has done wonders for my confidence and self esteem.