Please help me, off sick, worried!

avinitinatt

I have been signed of sick for 15 weeks with a severe anxiety condition. I returned to work for 3 weeks on a phased return but couldn't cope at all, as the slightest stress can trigger huge panic in me. I have one week left on full pay before my pay goes to half. At half pay I will take home around £600 a month. I went to the council to enquire about housing benefit and was informed I would not e entitled to help with my rent and just get £11 towards my CT a week? This means out of 600 I will only be left with £80 for the month commencing 15th Novemeber, surely this cant be right? My rent is 460 and includes water rates only and the LHA is a maximum of £83. After 16 weeks half pay I get SSP and my rent and council tax almost covered (not covered enough, but enough to just about survive) I am totally confused and worried for how i'm gonna cope the next few months? I have been advised to claim DLA, but I took one look at the form and put it aside, I can't focus enough to deal with any of this at all Any advice would be very welcome xx

geoffken

So you want somebody to give you money without any questions!!!!

avinitinatt

geoffken wrote: »

So you want somebody to give you money without any questions!!!!

Erm... no. I want to be able to pay my bills and feed myself and I don't have a clue how this is going to happen? Thanks for being so helpful.

bobajob_1966

avinitinatt wrote: »

Erm... no. I want to be able to pay my bills and feed myself and I don't have a clue how this is going to happen? Thanks for being so helpful.

I can see where geoffken is coming from - you have been given a form to complete and chosen not to do it?

Put your figures into one of the benefits calculators, that will tell you what you may be entitled to.

geoffken

Fill in the form that you have been sent or contact CAB.

avinitinatt

I'm sorry, I didn't make myself clear, I can cope with the form because I'm too unwell, I can't focus, and my medication makes me too drowsy. I should know what to do, ive worked in advice, but its different when it you that is unwell, really different. The main issue is surviving on £600 a month because I know a DLA claim will take months to be processed and is likely to fail, is it even possible to live on this amount without incurring debt? I have no credit facilities at all.

kingfisherblue

Do you have any care or mobility needs? If you have, you might be able to claim DLA, but will obviously have to fill in the forms. You have to have had the needs for at least three months and expect to have the needs for an additional six months. Also, it can take about twelve weeks for DLA to be granted, if you are successful.

Have you seen your doctor about your current condition? Presumably, it was anticipated that you would be able to cope with a phased return to work, but as this has not been the case, I would expect you to be receiving further help/advice, but this would need to be discusssed with your doctor and/or occupational health department at work.

Would you be able to return, at least part time for a while, if any adjustments were made? For example, if answering the telephone triggers your anxiety, could you do your job without doing this? Again, occupational health should be able to help.

bobajob_1966

Yep, quite possible to live on £600 a month. So now enter your figures into a benefit calculator to check you are receiving everything you are entitled to ...

KxMx

If your income has dropped then you need to look and see where you can make cuts in your spending/non-essentials to start with.

avinitinatt

I do not (think) I have mobility needs. As far as care is concerned, I have am phobic of the shower, find washing, dressing everyday a major struggle, I lack ability to motivate myself, my medication makes me sleep for 14 hours + and if I don't take it I only sleep 3 hours nightly and suffer panic in the night, and nightmares, I cannot cook for myself at the moment. I can actaully cook and am good at it, but my attention spam right now is so low, I have been buring food, and have cut myself by accident, I cant bring myself to eat normally and constantly crave sugar/ carbs. This is just a bit of it.

I tried going back to work for 4 hours a day, and ended up severely unwell and my employers have requested I stay off sick and my GP whom I see weekly has told me to stay off, I work in mental health and my condition is not going to be improved in that environment and I am at risk to the people I work with as. It's possible im bi polar, but I am awaiting assessments, and contact with Occupation Health.

I know I need to liase with my payroll and find out exact figures and use those calculators, it's just all a bit of an uphill battle right now x

MrsManda

If you are struggling to cope ask your social worker/mental health team/a friend/colleague to help you fill out the required paperwork.
As you've worked in advice hopefully you know people who can help you like you've helped others in the past.

Once you've got the details of how much you are going to be paid by your employer in terms of sick pay then you can use those figures to claim any benefits you may be entitled to. Without knowing what you are receiving from your employers there's no way for you to be assessed for income based benefits.