My DMP Journey...

Monkeyballs

Hmmm...

Not entirely reassured by CAB so far as I've called and explained my situation which puzzled the (admittedly very friendly while trying to be helpful) guy at CAB who then referred me to Turn2us where the lady I spoke to (again very nice and all that) said she didn't know why I'd been referred to them LOL oh well, I'm now about to try to book a face to face session with someone at my local CAB.

The one thing though that both did say is that they've never heard of anyone who has a job and is on long term sick leave with a GP certificate and hoping to return to work being taken of ESA and told to apply for JSA...

Still, onwards and upwards right!

Edit: Aha! There is as it turns out a drop in session which takes place tomorrow morning in the community centre just around the corner from me I think I'll just go there rather since I can walk there in 5 minutes...

Edit: Ha, just found out that today is Wednesday and not Thursday... So I'll go to the drop in session on FRIDAY not tomorrow... Durrr...

MB

Monkeyballs

Ok, quick update for anyone who is interested but mainly for my own sanity...

I got to the Job Centre 20 minutes early and was asked to fill in form, I was given a clipboard but as I had to hold it out in front of me with no surfaces at a height I could use (I did consider laying down) my writing was just scribble...

I was then offered to go straight to see an advisor as the person due before me never showed up, "great!" I said "that would be really helpful" and 30 minutes later someone walked over to me and asked if I was being helped... By this point I was about 20 minutes late... "Great..." I thought.

Then I was asked to take a seat (by the same person, for about the sixth time) which I again explained myself and HE said to ME "oh, ok then this is going to be a little awkward for me" I gad to laugh

We went through the form and I explained my situation and he suggested that I would probably not be eligible for JSA as I wouldn't be able to meet the agreement requirements??? Also, he said that regardless of trying to get back I have to bear in mind that JSA would take priority so a return to work would be secondary to finding work and the JSA agreement LOL

He also suggested that I should leave my job to free myself up for JSA.

Then we discussed what I could do and he suggested I could do office work and just make it clear when I applied for a role that I could only sit for a maximum of half an hour before requiring a break??? LOL

The guy wasn't horrible or anything like that he didn't really listen or help in anyway and I've come away feeling like I'd be better just not bothering since I now seem to have to quit this job to get another job I can't do just for the sake of £72 per week.

Roll on Friday when I can hopefully get some good news from the CAB drop in centre.

MB

AleMrsT

Hi MB. Been catching up on your latest posts. I have no sensible advice for you, because by now I'd have written a strongly worded letter and upset quite a few people at the job centre .
When I was first diagnosed about 7 years ago, I was told that I had not provided enough evidence to support my claim and hadn't explained my condition. (I'd sent in medical notes!) Ok, my condition is extremely rare, but the assessor freely admitted that as they hadn't heard of the condition, they had to put down that I was able to work because they didn't know what they were assessing!!
Bearing in mind I was receiving blood transfusions every 2 weeks, and attending hospital once a week. I asked (Read: Shouted at) the lady in the job centre if she would employ someone who regularly collapsed with exhaustion, and whether their liability insurance would adequately cover that, and she said 'that is irrelevant'.
So I wrote to the MP, who obviously did sod all to help me. So this is why I have no sensible advice, and the system is utterly absurd.
There is a fightback group on F@cebook, that helps people with benefits and appeals, it may be worth joining, I wish I'd known about it. Luckily, I am now in a better place, I have an extremely understanding employer (even though the job annoys me), it just takes me a while to do stuff and I don't collapse with exhaustion anymore because my condition is properly managed, but I do know how frustrating it is having to FIGHT for what the system was set up for in the first place.
Wow, thats my rant over! Sorry about that MB! Hope your appointment at CAB is more fruitful.

Monkeyballs

Hi MrsT,

To be honest, I'm borderline since I have a rather warped sense of humour the whole thing is unfolding like a sort of perverse comedy... I feel like it could have been written by the Coen Brothers!

I think if I had my back to the wall (you'll allow me the pun) and I didn't have a couple of choices then I'd be knocking on my MP's door let alone writing to him LOL

But come Friday when I speak to CAB I may be of a different mind...

I honestly just don't see how anybody could think that this situation is "normal"? Like you I have been told (by a spinal specialist no less) that as he didn't know what the problem is I should just go back to work since the main thing (and I quote) is "keeping my job". It's perhaps a close second or maybe even third but it's hard to see it as my priority right now

Right now I welcome any advice sensible or other, neither your or my situations are sensible so how do you apply yourself to be sensible? Right now I'd be rubbing onions in socks across the top of my head if someone told me it would help!

Right now I want to get Friday out of the way, get Christmas out of the way and go back to work and forget everything that has happened in the last week.

Flibble

MB

Sazzie23

Hi MB


Its all carp - the people running the system know its all carp but that is their job and they are being paid to get people off ESA so that's what they do - that's why they were 'laughing' not at you but because they are embarrassed by the whole carppie system.


The MP's know is all carp and have given up trying to do anything about unless they are real tenacious folk on the opposing side who can use you as an example of how carp the system is.


I know about this because I have a very good friend who had a terrible crash and smashed her pelvis to bits and has probably moe metal in their than I have ever seen (I work in A&E so I've seen a lot but only 2 worse that I can think off). Years before th crash she had a stroke which let her with left sided weakness but the crash was on the right so now she doesn't have a good side. She is in constant pain, sleeps less than 2 hours at a time despite pain injections/pain patches/pscycological reviews/operations etc. Her job had her signed off sick and on ESA which she lost because she could do up her own brastrap, however work said she wasn;t fit to go back, she was in the same position, she was told give up the job she had (which had free physio and a few other benefits although no more sick pay), or she's not entitled to JSA. If they had given her a bit more help she might have been able to get back to work eventually , as it is she had a breakdown and will probably never get back to work and will retire next year. She claimed her work pension early to survive financially but obviously its a reduced rate.


So fight it MB - just because your illness/disability doesn't tick their boxes doesn't mean you can work- but be prepared for a battle = however YOU have the weight of the MSE forums behind you, so you will win eventually :-)

in_need_of_direction

Spend today getting an appt with your mp. It'll probably take a while to come thru. While you're there, raise the tenancy issue too. Have you received your disallowance notice yet?

Monkeyballs

Morning both!

Thanks for the replies, I hadn't really considered it to be more than a massive p1ss take to be honest with you since I'm borderline going back to work I can't quite take it all in.

INoD I will contact my MP today, I've not received a disallowance notice though? I have an email from the property manager in which I was told what I couldn't do (if that's the same thing?) and I also have a further two emails which she then ignored - that's why I started phoning around but in the meantime I have re-applied for social housing and have received a request for ID (again, this is the third or fourth time I've applied) but the woman who I spoke to just before making my application on their website said that there were about 3000 other applicants and wasn't optimistic even though I mentioned mobility problems.

One thing that I have found myself dreading is what will happen if I lose my job?

More to follow...

MB x

in_need_of_direction

Sorry, I meant the benefits disallowance that will set out your appeal rights.

Monkeyballs

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

Sorry, I meant the benefits disallowance that will set out your appeal rights.

Morning!

Ahhh... Durrr, LOL. Nope, not yet but I was told at the time that letters are taking a day or two more than normal so I'm assuming it will be here either today or tomorrow(?)

MB

Puzzcat

Hi MB,


Long time no speak.. Can't help on the work/benefits stuff but I wish you well with it, and hope that back of yours gets itself sorted soonest..




I have brought you a tree so you can be a little festive and one of these as whenever I see it, it reminds me of you...


Love Puzz. x