Industrial injuries

Andrea57

Hello, I was wondering if anybody could give me advise please, In my last employment I was awarded 10% industrial injuries for a recognised disease from 1991-1995 this was a final assessment. I was finished from work due to ill health, for chronic tenosynovitis in 1994,. This job was working with the elderly in care, so this was repetitive lifting and moving manually as this was before hoists and moving equipment was available. In 1997 I then developed cervical and lumbar spondylosis, however at the time I forgot about the original award. Since that time, I was on the sick for 8 years. I returned to employment again in 2002, this was not my original work due to not being able to do manual lifting any longer. My job now involved computer work with risk assessments and contacts etc, I was able to get support from access to work for equipment to help me due to being disabled. I was in receipt of DLA lower care indefinite. I was then tranfered to PIP and awarded 11 points for care. I have had several physio sessions with being prone to trapped nerves in my neck and shoulders, I have also had carpal tunnel syndrome and had a further operation and more recently more severe problems with my neck and lower back, which includes having a bulging disc in L5S1 and L4. The injection in my spine has not worked, the spine consultant has stated that this injury is consistent with individuals who worked in elderly care in the 80's and early 90's and how no improvement will ever become available for the severe wear and tear on my neck, back and hand problems as well as being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I have also been attending pain management clinic for a year. Basically would I be still entitled to industrial injuries and would the 10% which I was awarded originally be taken into consideration, if I had remembered about this, I would have made a further claim earlier, please help, any info will be greatly appreciated, as I have tried several websites and I can't get the answers I need, Thank You

Alice_Holt

How are your later conditions a result of employment?

"Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) is for people who are disabled because of an accident at work, or who have certain diseases caused by their work "

Are you now seeking to revisit the 10% award?
I believe there are time limits on challenging IIDB awards.

w06

If you only worked for ?3 years as a care assistant, 25 years ago, it would seem unlikely that you could reliably say any current musculoskeletal problems are the result of that work rather than normal ageing

Andrea57

Hello Alice, thank you for the response, the consultant at the time in 1997 stated that the conditions came from my original employment due to lifting etc This had a impact on my back and neck, the chronic tenosynovitis never improved and neither has the problems with my back, I coped very well with pain management for a number of years until the significant changes in my mobility. I understand that changes in disability are assessed as somebody the same age with no disabilities even if these don't manifest until years later, I don't know. I was wondering if the 10% would be included, I don't know what timescales they are, or whether I would be assessed again, I have medical evidence of the current problems I have as well as a consultant report when I appealed against incapacity benefit in 1997 and won regards

Andrea57

Hello 06, I worked in care for 10 years and had 2 operations in the last 4 years of my employment in care, due to a ganglion originally and then the synovium fluid rupturing in my wrist after returning to work, I was then on the sick for 8 years as I was unable to move my arms and neck, I lost the use of my hand as my fingers dropped etc, I was unable to return to care and needed to change my career so I was not manually lifting, regards

poppy12345

I don't understand why your worsening condition can be anything to do with employment...you left that employment more than 20 years ago. Sorry but am i missing something here?

Alice_Holt

The Gov.UK site has this...
"What to do if your circumstances change
You, or the person who claims on your behalf, must tell the office that deals with your payments about any changes to your circumstances or personal details. Let them know straight away if:
the condition for which you’re getting benefit improves or gets worse
you marry, remarry, or form a civil partnership and change your name
you change your address....

You may want to give the IIDB call centre a ring to establish if it is possible to have an award reassessed due to the condition worsening.

Do you still have the consultants report stating "that the conditions came from my original employment due to lifting "? You may find this hard to prove a couple of decades on.

Andrea57

Hi Alice, yes I do, it also states that that at the time, I would not be able to return to my original employment due to the disabilities that had arose from this and would not be able to work in this environment again
regards