Mental illness but I want to better my life...

lovestosmile

Hi all,


I suffer with a mental illness & also various other illnesses which impact my daily life. I haven't worked for a very long time due to being a single parent & then having a nervous breakdown. I have always worked before my children & my breakdown & I am very keen to work in the future but I need some info please.


I am claiming ESA support group, HRC DLA & LRM DLA 'Indefinate', housing benefit & council tax. My youngest child is at full time college.


I would like to know if whilst claiming the about benefits, are there any training courses or voluntary work which I can do which will give me some training in hope to find some kind of employment in the future. Even if it is part time as I wont be able to cope with full time work at the moment. I have read somewhere on here about something called 'permitted' work but I don't know what that is?


I personally have a big problem with having to claim benefits but I know that due to my health, I have no choice at the moment but I don't want to be written off for the future. I want to work, even if it is cleaning toilets. I'm not to proud. However are there employers out there willing to take on someone with such a mental illness & other illnesses, where I will at times have to take time off work when I'm not well but still have to pay the bills.


This is a lot for me to be thinking about & taking on board but I want a future & although I know I will have my illnesses for life & will always have to take medication for them, I want to better myself.


Any info or links would be fantastic thank you.


PLEASE no judging as I really don't have the strength & I just want to help myself gain a future.


Thanks all. xxx

rogerblack

In principle, you can opt-in to the 'support' given people in the work-related group.
For you this would be completely optional.
You can do vouluntary work, and small amounts of 'permitted work' - and retain your entitlement to ESA.
A) Earning up to 20 pounds.
Earning up to minimum wage * 16 (a little over 100 pounds) and no more than 16 hours.

This would not affect your ESA payment. However, if you are claiming because of a bad back, and you do 'permitted work' on a construction site, clearly questions may be asked.

pmlindyloo

I think that voluntary work would be a really good place to start.

If you goggle 'voluntary work + your town' then there will probably be a Voluntary Service that you can access online.

Another good source of voluntary work is in a charity shop.

As rogerblack says you can go to the Job Centre Plus and ask for some support about courses etc even though you are in the Support group.

The great thing about voluntary work is that you can 'walk out' if you find it too demanding. I do voluntary work myself and although I see it as a 'job' and find it difficult to 'let them down' I know that the usual stresses of employed work are not there and thoroughly enjoy it.

lovestosmile

rogerblack wrote: »

In principle, you can opt-in to the 'support' given people in the work-related group.
For you this would be completely optional.
You can do vouluntary work, and small amounts of 'permitted work' - and retain your entitlement to ESA.
A) Earning up to 20 pounds.
Earning up to minimum wage * 16 (a little over 100 pounds) and no more than 16 hours.

This would not affect your ESA payment. However, if you are claiming because of a bad back, and you do 'permitted work' on a construction site, clearly questions may be asked.

Hi Rodger,

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

So if by doing 'permitted work' up to 16 hours a week & earning approx. £100 a week & that WONT effect my ESA, will that effect my housing benefit & council tax benefit, child tax credit, child benefit etc? How would I find out more information on this situation please? A website maybe? Or someone who deals with this type of thing?

Are there certain employers out there that employ people with mental illnesses? I have seen plenty of people with physical disabilities (which I also have) working in places like Asda but not people with mental illnesses.

Sorry I hope I have worded the above correctly. My mind is a bit muddled today.

Thank you again for your help. xx

lovestosmile

[QUOTE=pmlindyloo;65106793]I think that voluntary work would be a really good place to start.

If you goggle 'voluntary work + your town' then there will probably be a Voluntary Service that you can access online.

Another good source of voluntary work is in a charity shop.

As rogerblack says you can go to the Job Centre Plus and ask for some support about courses etc even though you are in the Support group.

The great thing about voluntary work is that you can 'walk out' if you find it too demanding. I do voluntary work myself and although I see it as a 'job' and find it difficult to 'let them down' I know that the usual stresses of employed work are not there and thoroughly enjoy it.[/QUOTE]



Thank you Lindyloo for your great advice. I also think some kind of voluntary work would be a great start. I have in the past done some voluntary work in charity shops but when I had really bad days & I couldn't go in to work, the managers didn't like that & ask me not to come back in & got more staff in. that made me feel terrible. So maybe a different type of voluntary work would suit me best. Ill do some googling.


Thank you for taking the time to reply. xxx

pmlindyloo

As regards Permitted Work your HB and CT support will not be affected. This money is not taken into account.

See here:

http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/work-people-living-disability-or-health-conditions

I am not sure about tax credits. Logic tells me that it doesn't account as income (because it is lower than your personal threshold for tax purposes?) but can't find a link.

Hopefully someone else will clarify.

Sorry to hear about your experiences in the charity shop. Do go through the Voluntary Services - they are usually extremely good.

Nice_Girl

I also suffer from mental health problems and would like to say a huge well done for having the courage to post on a website.
People who have no personal or family experience of this illness do not always understand what it takes to do what seems to them a small thing. If you wish to personal message me feel free, unable to help with your question, going to ask a few myself, if I can work out how to do it!
I know I am a stranger, so I understand if you can't contact me,everyone is different, I personally find it helps to talk to people understand at least some of what you're going thro'.
Sending you a lovely smile:ATake care Nice Girl

lovestosmile wrote: »

Hi all,


I suffer with a mental illness & also various other illnesses which impact my daily life. I haven't worked for a very long time due to being a single parent & then having a nervous breakdown. I have always worked before my children & my breakdown & I am very keen to work in the future but I need some info please.


I am claiming ESA support group, HRC DLA & LRM DLA 'Indefinate', housing benefit & council tax. My youngest child is at full time college.


I would like to know if whilst claiming the about benefits, are there any training courses or voluntary work which I can do which will give me some training in hope to find some kind of employment in the future. Even if it is part time as I wont be able to cope with full time work at the moment. I have read somewhere on here about something called 'permitted' work but I don't know what that is?


I personally have a big problem with having to claim benefits but I know that due to my health, I have no choice at the moment but I don't want to be written off for the future. I want to work, even if it is cleaning toilets. I'm not to proud. However are there employers out there willing to take on someone with such a mental illness & other illnesses, where I will at times have to take time off work when I'm not well but still have to pay the bills.


This is a lot for me to be thinking about & taking on board but I want a future & although I know I will have my illnesses for life & will always have to take medication for them, I want to better myself.


Any info or links would be fantastic thank you.


PLEASE no judging as I really don't have the strength & I just want to help myself gain a future.


Thanks all. xxx