Help please

bertie1989

Hi there long time lurker first time poster!

I suffer with extreme back pain and i am on constant pain relief for this. I'm currently booked in for an x-ray and MRI scan in a few weeks.The doc said i may require surgery as it seems my spine should be curved but its not. Some days i require help just to get out of bed. I'm only 22 so if surgery is the only option then i have to take it as this problem has been haunting me for years. I'm the only full time bread winner in my house supporting my partner and my 2 year old child. My question is is there any financial help i can receive whilst i am of work. i have never claimed benefits before so don't know how it all works. Also the only thing i could get from work is SSP.

any advice is appreciated

Thanks

Bertie:)

pmlindyloo

Could you tell us what income you have at the moment?

Housing benefit?
Council tax benefit?
Working Tax credit?
Child Tax credit?

Anything else?

Are you receiving SSP at the moment? Or contractual sick pay? Or are you currently still in work?

Has the doctor said how long you are going to be out of work? Is he/she giving you fit notes?

Are you receiving DLA?

Does your partner care for you?

bertie1989

Hi thanks for the reply, I'm currently still in work full time although struggling to work.I work 48 hour weeks plus overtime and my partner works 16 hours a week. The only benefits we receive are child tax credit and child benefit nothing else With my wage at the moment we are able to pay the rent and all the bills comfortably and live well each month. I wont know what surgery i require until i have all my tests done but i am guessing a month minimum i will be off. To be honest ive never claimed any benefit and never been of work longer than two days sick. My back is getting worse and worse over time and my fear is if i don't have surgery i may end up out of work altogether in 10 years time!

pmlindyloo

Since you will be getting SSP and your wife will still be working I think it would be very unlikely that you would receive any further benefits for a month.

There is a link with SSP and Income Support (which would give you access to Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit) but I suspect that your wife's earnings would make you inelegible.

Happy to be proved incorrect.

Since you expect to be absent from work for a month and you are living 'comfortably' you might want to 'tighten your belts' for the next few weeks and put something aside for the time you are away from work.

Good luck with everything and I hope you get your medical problems 'sorted'.

bertie1989

Thanks for the reply, Kind of what i thought, Will cut back and hope there is a long waiting list for surgery.

rogerblack

bertie1989 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, Kind of what i thought, Will cut back and hope there is a long waiting list for surgery.

Were you employed significantly in tax years 2009/10 and 2010/11.
If so, then once the SSP runs out, you may be able to claim contributory ESA.
If you are eventually placed in the work-related group, you will be paid this for one year, regardless of your partners income.
If in the support group, there is no limit of time.

If this either causes you significant pain when walking, of a different nature to when not walking, or if you have significant problems doing things for yourself, you may be entitled to claim DLA.
(If the problems have lasted 3 months, and will last a further 6)