Dismissed on illhealth grounds

Nual

A friend has been working for a charitable trust for more than 10 years. She worked 3 days a week in term time and 5/6 days a week during school holidays.

Early in 2018 she was dignosed with a growth on her pituitary gland, initially thought to be a tumour but later told it was an autoimmune response by her pituitary. The growth was pressing on her optic nerve and her sight was going. After removal of pituitary she needs to take steroids and inject when she is under any stress( physical/ mental). It is proving very difficult to get the level right to enable her to function. She was also simultaneously dignosed with psoriatic arthritis ( also an auto immune disease).

She has tried to go back to work 4 times but has been sent home. She has been on sick leave for 6 months. Last week she received her P45 and a letter saying her statutory sick pay had ended.

She went to the job centre today with her P45 and was told she needs to return for another appointment. She will be on UC and I explained that she will need to ask for an interim payment as she has no money at all and rent arrears as she was getting £92 SSP and paying rent of £37 a week. She applied for PIP but did not score any points.

What else does she need to do please? She is really not coping with all of this.

calcotti

When was she refused PIP and has her condition changed. She can apply again if she thinks she should qualify.

Apart from UC she could apply for Council Tax Reduction from her local authority to get help with her Council Tax.

She should obtain a Fit Note note from her GP and submit them to DWP to support her UC claim. If she is not going to improve they should assess her for limited capability for work. If found to have limited capability for work and work related activity (LCWRA) she will get extra money in he4 UC award.

Does she live alone or does she have a partner?

poppy12345

When she was refused PIP did she ask for the Mandatory Reconsideration then Tribunal, if the MR failed? If not, was there any reason why she didn't do this? Also if she didn't challenge the decision, when was the original decision made?

Nual

She is too ill to cope with any of this. Her sight is affected, her memory also and she is just not able to cope with turning up to appointments etc. She is on the verge of giving up on everything. So no MR, I dont know when the original decision was made and cant get any dates out of her as she cant remember. She is in a really bad way and getting a P45 with no discussion after working there for more than 10 years has just floored her.

I dont understand the current benefits system. Might she be eligable for contributory based ESA ?

bertiewhite

DOUBLE POST ALERT

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5893385/dismissed-on-illhealth-grounds

Where do we answer?

poppy12345

Nual wrote: »

and she is just not able to cope with turning up to appointments etc.

Claiming benefits like ESA/UC and PIP means face 2 face assessments, how will she cope with that?



First she needs to check what's in her area, if it's a full Universal Credit area then she will have to claim that at least for her housing benefit. Check here. http://ucpostcode.entitledto.co.uk/ucdate and report back what's in her area.


Then she needs to find out when the decision was made on the PIP, she would have had a letter from DWP with a decision. Yes, you have 28 days to ask for the MR but with good reason you do in fact have 13 months. If it was in that time then should could ask for the MR, rather than start a new claim.



Does she live with a partner?

N9eav

I can't offer any specifics, but I do know with my daughter's claim as she is severely sight impaired and scored 0/0 PIP points, that any charity linked to your friend's condition may be able to help.


Certainly in our case the RNIB charity legal team got her 13/12 PIP in a matter of days by appealing the decision with one short letter.


Seems the benefits team roll over surprisingly easily when challenged by legal people.


Seek help from the CAB as well.

calcotti

Nual wrote: »

I dont understand the current benefits system. Might she be eligable for contributory based ESA ?

Yes she might - in a UC area it is called 'new style' ESA https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-employment-and-support-allowance. However any ESA is taken off her UC and if she needs help with rent she needs to claim UC. If she struggles with everything it makes more sense just to claim UC.

Nual

Thanks everyone. She lives alone and is in a UC area. Its helpful to know she might just as well claim UC as ESA.

I posted on the employment board as well as the way she was dismissed seems wrong - although she is in no state to challenge it or the PIP decision - just says' I'm not disabled enough'.

poppy12345

Nual wrote: »

Thanks everyone. She lives alone and is in a UC area. Its helpful to know she might just as well claim UC as ESA.

I posted on the employment board as well as the way she was dismissed seems wrong - although she is in no state to challenge it or the PIP decision - just says' I'm not disabled enough'.

If she's not in a fit state to challenge the PIP decision how is she going to claim limited capability for work under UC? Eventually she'll most likely need a face 2 face assessment for this.

xylophone

Does she have any pension provision?

If so, is a pension on grounds of ill health a possibility?