IB assessment help and returning to work

JazzyJ

I really would appreciate some advice on this matter. I have been off work since last July when I had an accident and as a result of this I have been diagnosed by a consultant as having a post-traumatic muscular condition. I have an appointment next week with the DWP for a medical asssement and I have read about the PCA points that need to be met.

My GP has told me that I would be best to contact my employer to 'help myself' as my condition is ongoing, and ascertain what part-time work they could offer me. This I have done, but they need to get medical advice before they confirm whether they are able to offer me anything, which I understand. However, the condition I have differs from person to person and I doubt that anyone other than me will know what I am capable of doing - in fact, I don't know that either.

Now my problem is, what to do about the medical assessment next week. I do not know if I will be offered any part-time work by my employer, so I don't know how to deal with the assessment. Obviously, I don't want to imply to the DWP that I may be capable of work, if my employer is not in a position to offer me anything, and my employer doesn't know what to do until they receive a medical assessment! So, this is Catch 22.

I really would appreciate any thoughts on this.

Fran

That sounds like a difficult one Jazzy. How do you feel about working - is your job physical and so would have an impact on you or is it something that you feel you could do part time? The thing is that they are going to use their criteria at the assessment and they might decide that you are capable of work - in which case perhaps your employer will perhaps offer you part time. Is this a possiblity or do you think that your employer is just playing along at the moment but won't offer you the part time work (perhaps they have left it like this while they check up on their employment law?). If they decide you are not capable of work then perhaps your employer will want to employ someone else on the strength of that and not be interested in taking you on part time? I don't know what to add to this because really it's how the condition affects you and how they assess it.

JazzyJ

Hi, Thanks for your reply. I can't decide whether I actually want to go back to work anyway, and financially I don't need to but it is still a difficult one. I think I might tell the DWP that I would like to be able to do some part-time work eventually but that at the moment I am working on improving my fitness so that I can walk further than about 200 metres without getting breathless. If I lose my IB, it isn't a major problem from the financial aspect, but it just leaves things a bit awkward if I decide not to return to work!? I will just wait and see what happens, I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.