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Advice re benefit entitlement

samandmillie
Posts: 215 Forumite
Hi, I wondered if anyone can advise where to start please?
My Father has been a patient in hospital since mid Jan due to ill health. To begin with he was there under section but that ended in March, he is now a voluntary patient. He is expected to be there for at least another month (minimum). His employer has been paying SSP since January but I tendered his resignation on his behalf at the weekend, I am not sure if the employer will have to pay another months SSP or if that will stop straight away?
I am waiting for the DWP to send someone to meet me so that I can act on his behalf for PIP benefits, as yet I am not sure if he will actually be entitled to them or not?
His physciatric nurse has said that once discharged he will not be able to return to working life for at least 6mths, maybe more depending on how he adjusts back into every day living. He is a homeowner and I wondered where I can get advice or if anyone knows what benefits I should be enquiring about on his behalf?
I do not have power of attorney (yet) but he is not able to make contact and complete paperwork etc currently.
I have written to the council to find out if he is entitled to a reduction in council tax but am yet to get a response from them. I have also read that you can get financial support to help contribute towards your mortgage?
I'm finding the whole situation a minefield and can't seem to find a central place where I can find out exactly what help he may be able to get. Is anyone able to help or offer any advice please? If it makes a difference he is 60.
Many thanks
My Father has been a patient in hospital since mid Jan due to ill health. To begin with he was there under section but that ended in March, he is now a voluntary patient. He is expected to be there for at least another month (minimum). His employer has been paying SSP since January but I tendered his resignation on his behalf at the weekend, I am not sure if the employer will have to pay another months SSP or if that will stop straight away?
I am waiting for the DWP to send someone to meet me so that I can act on his behalf for PIP benefits, as yet I am not sure if he will actually be entitled to them or not?
His physciatric nurse has said that once discharged he will not be able to return to working life for at least 6mths, maybe more depending on how he adjusts back into every day living. He is a homeowner and I wondered where I can get advice or if anyone knows what benefits I should be enquiring about on his behalf?
I do not have power of attorney (yet) but he is not able to make contact and complete paperwork etc currently.
I have written to the council to find out if he is entitled to a reduction in council tax but am yet to get a response from them. I have also read that you can get financial support to help contribute towards your mortgage?
I'm finding the whole situation a minefield and can't seem to find a central place where I can find out exactly what help he may be able to get. Is anyone able to help or offer any advice please? If it makes a difference he is 60.
Many thanks
0
Comments
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He can claim ESA once SSP stops.0
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If you dont have power of attorney why have you resigned on his behalf? He may feel he can return to reduced duties in a year. He still could claim benefits without resigning.0
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I tendered his resignation on his behalf at the weekend,
If you don't have PoA ( and your father is currently not capable of making decisions for himself), you may have exceeded your authority and perhaps compromised your father's position regarding his benefits and entitlements?0 -
Did he give permission for you to hand his notice in, or did you do it of your own back?
You cant claim pip whilst he is in hospital. He will have to go for a medical as well.
You can only get help with mortgage if you have been on a qualifying benefit for 13 weeks.https://www.gov.uk/support-for-mortgage-interest/eligibility.
Which are income based and presumably your dad will have contributions based if he qualified by working the relevant tax years.0 -
Your dad needs to apply for Employment Support Allowance. There are two kinds - contribution based (based on NI contributions during the last 2 tax years) and income based (based on other income and savings - under £16000 of savings and you qualify)
Contribution based benefits always take preference over income based. He may, in theory, be eligible for both. In this case he would be paid contribution based but after 13 weeks he would still be eligible for Support for Mortgage Interest.
Although PIP isn't payable whilst in hospital for more than 28 days you should still apply as it is taking some time (months) to be assessed.
Get some advice with completing the forms - CAB or welfare advisor or AgeUK.
MIND can also be a useful organisation.
All organisations vary on the level of support that they offer and it can be a bit of a post code lottery.0 -
Esa you have to claim over the phone, so your dad will need to do this. Then he has to send them a fit note. you will then get an esa50 to fill in. Mine arrived the next day.
Pip must have caught up, as oh only applied last month and the medical is this friday already.
For pip you ring up and they send you a form to send back.0 -
Thank you for the replies, I shall look into each of those items mentioned.
I should have clarified, now that his medication has stabilised he is showing signs of recovery, he asked me on Saturday to tender his resignation on his behalf so that his employer can fill the role. I am waiting for his employer to tell me if this means that his SSP will stop instantly.
In the midst of being in hospital his house purchase also completed, he was relocating to a new town to live near to me and my family, had he not have been in hospital he would have had to hand in his notice and leave at some point anyway so wouldn't return to that job.0 -
With him tending his resignation his SSP will stop at the end of his employment - notice period.0
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He shouldn't have resigned, while on the sick he would be getting ssp and earning holiday entitlement. He should have waited for the employer to sack him.0
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Thanks specialboy. Does that mean he will be entitled to holiday pay from them?0
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