Any help available for us? Sick pay about to run out....

mezrie

Dear All,

I am hoping some of you may be able to offer me some advice and hope for the future. I am going to the CAB on Thursday but I would really appreciate any advice before hand as last time I visited the CAB they couldn’t help me at all and said to come back in six months.

My husband suffered a mental breakdown at the end 2010; this was caused by a variety of things however his stressful, minimum wage job as a carer contributed greatly to it. He is improving however it is clear that he will not be able to return to this job once he is on track again. He has mental health issues regarding people and places which restrict him from doing things in life and is currently on a waiting list to see a Psychologist in order to work through his problems, anxieties and fears. We have been advised this waiting list is a minimum of 6 months. He is also awaiting surgery regarding a shoulder dislocation. After the operation we have been advised it will be a minimum of 3 months recuperation time. I can’t see him being in work again any time soon and am extremely worried of what this means for us financially.

During my husbands period of ill health we have not been able to claim anything apart from sick pay as I work full time. By my husband defaulting on his loan we have been able to just about keep afloat. In June his sick pay will run out and I am not sure where we will go from there and who can help us, I am extremely anxious of what will happen as I have very little faith in the government. In January when we were in a crisis I was advised there was no help for us which I was very disheartened by. My first question is has anyone else been in a similar position and is there any help out there to pull us through this hard time?

The second thing is that as my husband cannot mentally, physically or financially do a carers job again. We are not sure at which point to hand in his resignation due to his ill health. We do have a supporting letter from his psychiatrist which I am hoping will help when he can face looking for a job again. It outlines his extreme anxiety relating to people. I’m hoping also when this time comes we will be able to claim job seekers allowance due to him having to leave his job on the premises of ill health. That’s another bridge to cross when we come to is.

If anyone can offer any support, help or advise I would be extremely grateful.

M x

MrsManda

If his Occupational/Statutory Sick Pay runs out his employer needs to provide him with a SSP1 form which he can then use to claim Employment Support Allowance.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Illorinjured/DG_10018786

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/esa/index.htm

If he has care and/or mobility needs he may be able to claim Disability Living Allowance - you can claim this whilst receiving SSP/ESA and also whilst working.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Disabledpeople/DG_10011816

Does he have to resign from work? It may be better to stay off sick until they retire him due to ill health.

Put your details into the benefits calculators below to help you model your circumstances and see what you may be able to claim.
https://www.dwpe-services.direct.gov.uk/portal/page/portal/ba/lp?_piref278_36249_278_36248_36248.__ora_navig=action%3Dentitlement%26pageno%3D16

http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

viktory

How much do you earn and do you have any dependents? You need to be looking at scaling back on your outgoings where possible now, so that when the sick pay runs out you are as prepared as possible. For the potential future claim of JSA, your huisband may only be entitled to contribtion based as you are working (obv. this depends on what you earn).

To be honest, I am in much the same situation, there is no help available and we are surviving (just) on my wages alone.

mezrie

Thanks for your responses.

I only earn £15 000.

Will his employer end his contract after 28 weeks of illness?

Thanks

M x

viktory

mezrie wrote: »

Thanks for your responses.

I only earn £15 000.

Will his employer end his contract after 28 weeks of illness?

Thanks

M x

Any dependents? Your wage will negate any means tested benefits such as income based JSA. You might be entitled to some housing or council tax benefit. Do you own your own home or rent?

We cannot possibly tell you what your husband's employer's plans are. They certainly can dismiss him - as long as they following the correct procedure as he is clearly not capable of carrying out his job.

mezrie

No dependents and we rent.

Thanks for posting, very much appreciated

M x

viktory

mezrie wrote: »

No dependents and we rent.

Thanks for posting, very much appreciated

M x

Enter your details into the turn to us website, it should tell you if you are entitled to any additional help.

mezrie

We recently went for advice from the CAB who advised my husband not to resign from his job but to stay on sick pay and then go to ESA. The sick pay ends in July but the problem now seems to be sick notes. My husband is currently on a waiting list for surgery on his arm as he suffers from continuous shoulder dislocations. It has been 5 weeks since the hospital appointment and still no date regarding surgery. This is now holding up progress and causing a few issues.

On speaking to a doctor this morning to request another sick note he was met a second time with negativity regarding the situation and what to do. The doctor was very unsure about signing another sick note and if it was the right thing to do. We have a letter from his psychiatrist advising what he can and can’t do job wise mentally, physically he is unable to do anything as his shoulder easily dislocates. He needs surgery.

We went to the CAB the other week as we needed some direction as at the moment, it is like we are stuck in limbo and we are very apprehensive of what this means for us financially and also in the way of doctors notes. To be met this morning with a doctor umming and arrghing at what to do and being unsympathetic towards my husband regarding his situation with work really has set my husband back and he is now thinking negatively about himself again after 5 months of us trying to build him back up from a mental breakdown. He felt as if he had to defend himself to the doctor on the phone. I wish there was someone or some association which could advise us in what to do as we can’t seem to do anything right, as soon as we think we’re on the right track we get another hurdle to overcome….

Apologies for ranting, I am just worried of set backs and the future. Everything is so up in the air at the moment and no one seems to be definitive about what we should do and the options open to us.

If anyone has any advise or has been in this kind of situation we’d be really grateful of any input…again. M x

clemmatis

I'm afraid I can only think of a trade union -- UNISON, perhaps -- to advise on his employment rights.

Also, is there another doctor at the practice that you can talk to?

mezrie

Thanks Clemmatis, we will see another doctor next time a sick note is due. Hopefully one that helps instead of hinders. x

Darlyd

MrsManda wrote: »

If his Occupational/Statutory Sick Pay runs out his employer needs to provide him with a SSP1 form which he can then use to claim Employment Support Allowance.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Illorinjured/DG_10018786

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/esa/index.htm

If he has care and/or mobility needs he may be able to claim Disability Living Allowance - you can claim this whilst receiving SSP/ESA and also whilst working.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Disabledpeople/DG_10011816

Does he have to resign from work? It may be better to stay off sick until they retire him due to ill health.

Put your details into the benefits calculators below to help you model your circumstances and see what you may be able to claim.
https://www.dwpe-services.direct.gov.uk/portal/page/portal/ba/lp?_piref278_36249_278_36248_36248.__ora_navig=action%3Dentitlement%26pageno%3D16

http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

Try the above OP And have you tried claiming working tax credit?

I also suffered a mental break down many moons ago, And I have been claiming DLA for many years now. I got turned down 2-3 times but now receive it indefinitely.