Advice for friends

s1234_2

A friend of mine is desperate for advice. Her husband is a long distance lorry driver working away from home Monday to Friday. He is 63 years old has tablet controlled diabetes and has recently had a minor heart attack. He hates his job, is really struggling, has heavy night sweats and is very anxious and depressed. He has a small pension of £300 which currently is paying for a car. He says the only way out of the job is to sell the house and buy a narrow-boat to live on.

My friend is 65, state pension of £30 a week and not worked for years. She doesn't want to live on a boat, but feels she must do as her husband wants out of love and unease for his situation.
House only worth about £90000 and she doesn't think they would be any better off, after buying a boat, mooring fees etc.

I sympathize with her situation and at their time of life, with their health worries, I think it would be the wrong thing to do.

Would they be entitled to any council tax credit or anything if he just finished in his job. His Dr will not sign him off sick.

DomRavioli

He can claim JSA until he reaches pensionable age; they may get council tax assistance (it is down to the individual council now so they will need to contact the council themselves) but if they are on a low income then they may be entitled.

his pension of £300 will be taken into account as it is income (doesn't matter what it is towards).

If he is unwell, he would need to speak to his employer; they may retire him on ill health grounds, but that would be down to them.

Try the turn2us benefit calculator with all income bar the HGV job and see what it comes up with; it will give you an idea, but each case is decided individually.

rogerblack

Any savings left over after the purchase of a boat/... may reduce the amount of income-related benefits payable.
If these exceed 16K, no income related benefit will be payable.
If he simply resigns - he risks not being entitled to JSA due to his resignation.

cattie

I'm not sure which part of the country your friends live in, but I'd advise that they look into putting their names down with the council for a property intended for over 55's. Many local authorities have such properties & they are much easier to secure than normal council accommodation, especially if there are medical reasons or particular care needs.

If no over 55's accommodation is in the area, then they could try looking into sheltered accommodation, where you have your own flat or small bungalow, but an onsite warden to keep a general eye on residents.

When putting your name down for these type of properties, it doesn't matter if you own your own home, as long as you fulfil the requirements to be eligible for such a property, you can go on the waiting list.

It seems very mean that the dr will not sign the husband off sick, especially as depression alone brings many people a sick note.

pmlindyloo

s1234 wrote: »

A friend of mine is desperate for advice. Her husband is a long distance lorry driver working away from home Monday to Friday. He is 63 years old has tablet controlled diabetes and has recently had a minor heart attack. He hates his job, is really struggling, has heavy night sweats and is very anxious and depressed. He has a small pension of £300 which currently is paying for a car. He says the only way out of the job is to sell the house and buy a narrow-boat to live on.

My friend is 65, state pension of £30 a week and not worked for years. She doesn't want to live on a boat, but feels she must do as her husband wants out of love and unease for his situation.
House only worth about £90000 and she doesn't think they would be any better off, after buying a boat, mooring fees etc.

I sympathize with her situation and at their time of life, with their health worries, I think it would be the wrong thing to do.

Would they be entitled to any council tax credit or anything if he just finished in his job. His Dr will not sign him off sick.

Your friends are entitled to Pension Credit now.

Their pensions will be taken into account but they will still receive some PC.

Guarantee pension Credit will entitled then to full HB (Housing costs)and CT reduction up to their eligible limit.

cattermole

Firstly I would change GP in those circumstances, it sounds very unhelpful of the GP as the poster above has said people get signed off for depression alone.

Given his job I find it quite worrying he is driving around in this state, does the GP want responsibility for that?

Secondly we spend a lot of time on the canals walking (we have a caravan) and like them so stop at a lot of sites on or nearby. The life looks idyllic but it is very hard work especially in the winter so I share your concerns for your friend and husband. The boats also need a lot of maintenance. Mooring fees are very expensive running in at around £2500 a year on a marina with any kind of decent facilities. Plus the waterways licence fees are nearly as much as Council Tax.

Have they possibly considered a residential park home a reasonable second hand one could probably be purchased for that kind of sum, depending on the area. Kind of a meeting in the middle for a different lifestyle? Whilst there are some downsides and a small rent would be payable a lot more secure than a narrow boat, warmer, less/low maintenance and really just like having a bungalow. Also many have very supportive communities for over 55's. Council tax is normally band A. So they are cheap to run. Just a thought.

Also the suggestion of homes for 55 is a good one and worth exploring.

McKneff

pmlindyloo wrote: »

Your friends are entitled to Pension Credit now.

Their pensions will be taken into account but they will still receive some PC.

Guarantee pension Credit will entitled then to full HB (Housing costs)and CT reduction up to their eligible limit.

People who own their own houses can not claim housing benefit....

Savvy_Sue

Have they ever spent time on a narrowboat, even statically?

One of my siblings has one: they lay it up in the winter (and I think some marinas may not allow you to live there year-round) because it's so cold.

It takes a lot of maintenance.

And I hate it! Well, it's OK out on deck, but inside makes me feel quite claustrophobic. It really is NARROW! You can get double width boats but this isn't.

And don't get me started on the toilets ...

Mojisola

s1234 wrote: »

He is 63 years old has tablet controlled diabetes and has recently had a minor heart attack. He hates his job, is really struggling, has heavy night sweats and is very anxious and depressed.

He says the only way out of the job is to sell the house and buy a narrow-boat to live on.

My friend is 65, state pension of £30 a week and not worked for years. She doesn't want to live on a boat, but feels she must do as her husband wants out of love and unease for his situation.

House only worth about £90000 and she doesn't think they would be any better off, after buying a boat, mooring fees etc.

I sympathize with her situation and at their time of life, with their health worries, I think it would be the wrong thing to do.

Selling up and buying a canal boat could be a serious mistake - he might like the idea of the dream but has he looked at the figures and the amount of work involved with living on a boat?

I'd change the GP and get one who will look at his health status again. Does he tell the doctor how bad he really feels or does he play things down when asked?

Doesn't he have to have medicals for his job? Is he really safe driving if he's sleep-deprived and anxious?

cattermole

I really do agree about the GP!!

If she can't persuade him to change then see another one at the practice? If he is signed off sick then initially he can claim SSP from his employer and possibly top up benefits. You mentioned her pension at 65 was only £30 which seems very low so yes look at pension credits as suggested.

However has she been there when he's seen the GP?! Are they actually aware of the severe depression on top of everything else? Has he put on a brave face when in front of the GP?

Mojisola

s1234 wrote: »

Her husband is a long distance lorry driver working away from home Monday to Friday. He is 63 years old has tablet controlled diabetes and has recently had a minor heart attack. He hates his job, is really struggling, has heavy night sweats and is very anxious and depressed.

https://www.driversmedicals.com/_FAQs.html#diabtabs
What if I have diabetes and take tablets to control it?
New stricter rules were issued in 2011 for diabetics on certain types of medicines, including tablets called sulphonylureas. The most well-known tablet in this family is gliclazide. The new rules say that you need to check your blood sugar levels at least twice a day and you need to get a medical statement from your doctor, as well as other requirements including understanding about diabetes and signing a declaration yourself.

What if I have had a heart attack?
You cannot get back to driving a lorry or bus for at least six weeks after a heart attack. You will need to have a treadmill test and you will need to be able to keep going for nine minutes on the treadmill test as well as satisfying other requirements during the test. You must not be continuing to suffer from angina.

I have been suffering from anxiety or depression. Will that affect my entitlement to hold a DVLA group 2 licence?
DVLA divide anxiety and depression into two types; a minor category and a more serious category. The minor category is described as "Very minor short-lived illnesses of anxiety or depression without significant memory or concentration problems, agitation, behavioural disturbance, or suicidal thoughts."
The more serious category is defined as "More severe anxiety states or depressive illnesses with significant memory or concentration problems, agitation, behavioural disturbance, or suicidal thoughts."
For the minor category, the person does not need to tell DVLA and it does not affect the person's entitlement to hold a licence provided that any medication is not causing any problems with driving.
For the more serious category, DVLA will generally suspend a person's group 2 licence (or not give a licence to a new applicant) until the person has been well and stable for six months and until they are satisfied that medication is not causing any side-effects which would interfere with alertness or concentration.

Is he really fit enough to be driving?