What do i do after i had to retire on health grounds?

ray_of_sunshine

I was medically retired on health grounds on friday 13th January.
I am waiting on the Mri scan results to see how bad my spine is.I worked for nearly 22 years for my ex-employers and just getting £5000.
Do i have to spend all the £5000 to get any benefits?
I am 40 next month and it seems a trip to the knacker's yard is in order.
The tax credits on going on last years money, even though i'm not earning anything, and they are saying i have to live on £11 a week for the next 4 wks, and just £47 child benefit.
I went on the direct gov website and said i should be able to have a lot more tax credits than £11, and i cant claim housing benefit or council tax benefit but i can have job seekers allowance.
So tonight i went online, filled in forms for job seekers, housing benefit, and council tax benefit.
Do i have to go down the disabled route, because of my curved spine and bad feet?

anyone got any advice

thanks

julie:T

sleepless_saver

Sorry about your health problems.

It sounds like you could do with some proper benefits advice. Check if your local council offers a welfare rights service, or use CAB and make an appointment to see them as soon as possible.

Meantime, if you're not entitled to housing benefit or council tax benefit and your total income consists of child benefit and £11 tax credit, then you must either have savings over £16k or a partner whose income is taken into account for income related benefits.

You can ask tax credits to take current income into account if that has fallen substantially, but if you were on full pay until January that's not likely to make much difference for this financial year.

You may be entitled to disability living allowance which is awarded if your condition results in care and/or mobility needs. It is unaffected by income and savings, and you can get it whether or not you are working.

Is your employer paying you a pension or is it just a lump sum of £5k?

ray_of_sunshine

Hi my husband earns £21000 a year.
The £5000 is a lump sum.
Is it wise to go down the disabilty route after i get the results from my MRI scan?

thanks

julie:T

tanith

So no pension then? Do you have any care or mobility needs? you could apply for DLA if you do .

sleepless_saver

If you are able and willing to work, apply for jobseekers allowance. If you have paid enough national insurance contributions you will get JSA for 6 months. If you don't have enough contributions you won't receive it as your husband earns too much.

If you are not able to work, the relevant benefit is employment and support allowance. Again, if you have enough contributions you will get that. Otherwise you won't as your husband earns too much. (I assume this is what you mean by the "disability route" although it's not actually a disability benefit.)

And as has already been said, whether you are working or not you can apply for DLA if you have care and /or mobility needs. This is unaffected by any other income or savings. Although the MRI scan may provide useful evidence for a DLA claim, it's your needs that are the important thing and those won't change just because you have a scan.

ray_of_sunshine

My pension is frozen until i'm 65 (have to wait 25 yrs for that then!)
I had worked for my ex employer for nearly 22 years...
As far as mobility is concerned cant walk for more than 2 hours, feet give up, walking like a slug on speed! and lower back is so painful.
Tried the disablity allowance
online got as far as signing in on the govenmentsite, got as far as the first page and it wont go any further, logged off, logged on and cant even click on my account!!! grrrrrr
Will have results from my MRI scan on 2nd February....
Getting all my documents ready to show the council so i can try and claim for housing benefit and council tax benefit...
not heard from Job seekers department yet...
Went into my local Sally Army Charity shop to ask if they wanted some volunteers, no was the answer. great,,,,
applied for some more charity work........it came back your too far away......:mad:
one of my ex workmates said you are only into the 2nd day of my ill-health retirement......something will come up.......:eek:

yes my poor husband's ear going to chewed when he comes throught the door :beer:
julie

tanith

If you can walk for 2hrs I wouldn't think you qualify for DLA . Being granted ill-health retirement means you are able to claim your pension so I don't understand what you mean when you say you have been medically retired on ill-health grounds..

ray_of_sunshine

I was a postwoman of nearly 22 years.
After i had a shoulder injury from December 2010, I was on the sick for 71/2 months until July 2011. Then I slowly was eased back to work, however My spine problem flared up in August, and it come to a point where i could only do half my duty with aide of a trolley as i couldnt carry a post bag no more.There was no in door jobs for me and My health was getting worst especially my spine and feet....so that is why i was medically retired off at 39:mad:

julie x:T

rogerblack

The 5000 is entirely irrelevant.
The 21K your husband earns rules you out of any means-tested benefit.
The only ones you can claim are contributory.
If you've been working full-time, this would get you paid JSA for 6 months.
It seems very unlikely you'd qualify for DLA.
Can you safely cook a meal from ingredients most days? (in principle)
If so, you can't get low-rate care.
Can you walk 100 yards without pain or severe discomfort, and don't need guidance - if so, no mobility.

If your problems are only severe enough that you have problems walking after 2 hours it seems on the face of it unlikely that you will qualify for ESA at all.
Are you on any pain medication, and is there any severe discomfort or pain walking short distances?
Could you use a manual wheelchair?

ray_of_sunshine

I cant lie on my back at all, my feet hurt all the time, walking short periods my feet hurt a great deal.
Wont know how bad spine is until i have the results of the MRI scan......
Cant stand for long periods of time either....

sounds like its time for chair and rope

julie:(

mancitychick

Can you not apply for your pension early on grounds of I'll health?