Benefits available for mentally unwell friend?

kitrat

Hi, I'm writing on behalf of a friend. I'd just like a little help knowing where to start to try and help her practically, I'll try and keep to brief facts.

She is suffering from OCD and depression - from what I understand she has always struggled with these issues since she was a young adult and now she is in her 30s, she has always been engaging with her GP and whatever help the health service can try to give, however it is apparent that mental health services are severely stretched and she is not getting as much help as she needs currently, and it is slow coming.

She is having a very bad patch at the moment, this has been exacerbated by the stress of her job - for the sake of brevity I won't go into this now. Ideally she needs alternative work, she has been treated very poorly by her employers. She works for the NHS and has been off sick now for 6 months on full pay, her pay will drop down to half pay in 2 weeks and she has to go back to work as she cannot afford to live (she is renting privately alone, due to her condition a house share would be completely unsuitable for her unfortunately, moving back in with her parents is also unsuitable).

She has been making some small progress, she was having suicidal thoughts which was awful, now she has stopped having those thoughts at least. Going back to work full time is going to push her backwards, she feels she needs a bit more time to make some better progress.

I just want to know what support might be available if she gave up work completely. Would there be any support available if she could work part time? OCD is a recognised disability however the disability living allowance seems to be more for care and mobility costs so I'm not sure if that would be something she'd be entitled too? What about assistance with living costs?

Thanks for any help, I just need somewhere to start.

beecher2

Don't know about benefits but you could use entitledto to see what's available. Could she look at having a phased return to work? The NHS will have set procedures in place for this.

Darksparkle

In what way has he employer treated her poorly?

As suggested, best option would be to use entitledto as benefits will depend on her specific circumstances eg age, children, income, rent etc.

If she doesn't already claim DLA she'd need to look into PIP - https://www.gov.uk/pip/overview

kitrat

beecher2 wrote: »

Don't know about benefits but you could use entitledto to see what's available. Could she look at having a phased return to work? The NHS will have set procedures in place for this.

Thanks I'l have a look at that, I just did some other question based thing and I was totally baffled, maybe that will be clearer.

I think a phased return would be possible. Do you have any idea how that affects pay? Would that be full pay? Ideally she should not be working at all but that does not look like it's going to be an option and it's worrying. Just the thought of it is affecting her.

Poppie68

Imho the worst thing she could do is give up work, I had a breakdown after suffering from depression since I was 7 years old and suicidal thoughts and worked for the NHS, I took 8 months off but you lose all purpose, I took my doctors excellent advice and forced myself back to work, threw up every day for the first 2 weeks through anxiety then things started clicking into place.... I'm now retired on health grounds which had nothing to do with the above but find myself sinking deeper and deeper again.... She needs encouragement from those around her...Speaking face to face will help her line manager will help them help her...

tomtontom

What is her salary? She may be entitled to WTC but that would depend on her earnings and her meeting the criteria as a disabled worker.

A phased return would not usually be on full pay, but rather she will be paid for the hours she works and the other hours she would be on sick pay, so half pay. She should check the Trust policy on this though, they may have different rules.

kitrat

Darksparkle wrote: »

In what way has he employer treated her poorly?

As suggested, best option would be to use entitledto as benefits will depend on her specific circumstances eg age, children, income, rent etc.

If she doesn't already claim DLA she'd need to look into PIP - https://www.gov.uk/pip/overview

Thanks.

She has been redeployed once to this newer role which was expected to be more suitable. They are aware that there is one particular type of task she struggle badly with and causes her a lot of stress (relates to her OCD). She was not expecting to be doing this having explained to them prior to the move and no one at her pay grade does this, only higher grades do. However her boss expects her to do this task and it is what her whole job is about now. Absolutely maddening. Now she is off sick she tries to keep in touch with HR about what's happening but her contact does not return her messages. She is looking to at least move to a similar team away from her current boss to a team where she can do the work she was expecting to do the work that everyone else on her grade does which is less stressful. However even if that is the case I think she needs some more time to make a bit more progress with her illness before she returns.

I am really struggling with these entitlement question things :mad:

beecher2

kitrat wrote: »

Thanks I'l have a look at that, I just did some other question based thing and I was totally baffled, maybe that will be clearer.

I think a phased return would be possible. Do you have any idea how that affects pay? Would that be full pay? Ideally she should not be working at all but that does not look like it's going to be an option and it's worrying. Just the thought of it is affecting her.

Have a look here
http://www.nhsemployers.org/sickness-absence/returning-to-work/phased-return
and elsewhere on that website

You could also google phased return to work and your nhs area as a policy may be available online

I imagine occupational health is already involved in your friend's case - they will talk through her options.

noelphobic

Is she in a union? If so, they should be helping her.

kitrat

Poppie68 wrote: »

Imho the worst thing she could do is give up work, I had a breakdown after suffering from depression since I was 7 years old and suicidal thoughts and worked for the NHS, I took 8 months off but you lose all purpose, I took my doctors excellent advice and forced myself back to work, threw up every day for the first 2 weeks through anxiety then things started clicking into place.... I'm now retired on health grounds which had nothing to do with the above but find myself sinking deeper and deeper again.... She needs encouragement from those around her...Speaking face to face will help her line manager will help them help her...

Yeah I worry about her disconnecting from work entirely, she coudl do with a bit more time though. She keeps up with lots of social things now and is going to groups arranged by GP etc. (this has ended now though). Her GP says she is not ready to go back to work and is disappointed that she is going back in two weeks.

Her line manager is awful, HR have been hit and miss. Friends and GP can give her encouragement but her parents are emotionally absent on this.

Darksparkle

kitrat wrote: »

Thanks.

She has been redeployed once to this newer role which was expected to be more suitable. They are aware that there is one particular type of task she struggle badly with and causes her a lot of stress (relates to her OCD). She was not expecting to be doing this having explained to them prior to the move and no one at her pay grade does this, only higher grades do. However her boss expects her to do this task and it is what her whole job is about now. Absolutely maddening. Now she is off sick she tries to keep in touch with HR about what's happening but her contact does not return her messages. She is looking to at least move to a similar team away from her current boss to a team where she can do the work she was expecting to do the work that everyone else on her grade does which is less stressful. However even if that is the case I think she needs some more time to make a bit more progress with her illness before she returns.

I am really struggling with these entitlement question things :mad:

What questions are you finding difficult?