advice?

cazsmith99

hi, this is my first time posting in the benefits section so please be gentle!
Heres our situation.
My husband has congenital heart disease. He suffers tachicardia (palpitations) daily. He is short of breath and continually tired from the effects of his daily medication. He has always worked and is now at the point now that work is a continual struggle. He works 12 hour days in a stressful job which doesn't help. He has cut his hours by one day a week and I have upped mine to full time. These hours are still too many and he needs to cut down again for the sake of his health.
Basically what im asking is would we be eligible to claim anything? If so what and how? He has recently been in hospital for a procedure that stopped his heart and restarted it due to the severity. He has only been able to take a few days off as his company do not pay sick pay. I'm at the end of my tether with worry for him as we have 2 young children to care for.
Thanks in advance for any help

kingfisherblue

If he has care or mobility needs and meets the criteria, he may be able to claim PIP, which is not means tested.

cazsmith99

What sort of care needs? He can't walk far without being breathless if thats what you mean by mobility? What is PIP?
thanks

rogerblack

cazsmith99 wrote: »

What sort of care needs? He can't walk far without being breathless if thats what you mean by mobility? What is PIP?
thanks

PIP is personal independence payment.
If he can walk 50m quite a few times a day, safely, on demand at over half the speed of a normal person, perhaps with gaps in between, then he is unlikely to gain points for mobility on PIP.

Care points are given for being unable to do personal care tasks.
For example, can he cook a simple meal, perhaps with aids.
Can he wash himself.
Can he dress himself.

Have you investigated WTC?

In principle, he may be able to claim ESA - employment and support allowance - for the short periods he is off work. However, this is not payable for the first 7 days.

xylophone

He has only been able to take a few days off as his company do not pay sick pay.

Is this legal?

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/time-off-work/off-work-because-of-sickness/

Is your husband too ill to work?

https://www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance/overview

cazsmith99

Hi thanks for your replies. We currently receive CTC, our joint income is approx 24000, childcare 40p/w. I work 39 hours and he works 34
I have looked into the link in SSP thanks, it was made clear previous that he can't have anything due to being on zero hour contract? He works for a franchise of a large company and they pretty much make up the rules as they go along.
He's not too ill to work at all, however his health would certainly benefit from working less hours.

cazsmith99

Does he claim this through work or himself? The guy in charge of their payroll is a complete !!!!. They were really unsympathetic when he dropped his hours,insinuating that he did it so he could lounge about on the sofa all day rather than work.