Home Based due to Illness

Lebeau

Hi,



I work from home due to having a couple of medical conditions that makes it difficult to go out of the house on my own.



I was wondering given that I am house bound is there any benefits I can claim to help pay for the additional electric / heating or should my employer be helping?

Blatchford

Neither. This is your choice, and something that your employer can agree, but few employers will pay you to do so. Since you'd have travel costs etc., if you had to go into a workplace, it is quite fair really - you are saving on some costs, so you can use the money you are saving to pay for the things that may increase in cost.

CakeCrusader

This should help; https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/working-at-home



If it's your choice to work from home then there's little expense wise other than if your employer agrees to pay your broadband costs/mobile phone costs so you can keep in touch. Are you claiming DLA/PIP?

Lebeau

So having an illness that makes travelling difficult is my choice...ok... :S



Thanks for the link will have a look at that. I'm not currently claiming PIP as reading what some people have gone through makes me wonder if it is worth the stress that it brings...

74jax

Lebeau wrote: »

So having an illness that makes travelling difficult is my choice...ok... :S



Thanks for the link will have a look at that. I'm not currently claiming PIP as reading what some people have gone through makes me wonder if it is worth the stress that it brings...

No I think Blachford was meaning you chose to work at home, which you do, else you wouldn't be doing it. Seems a reasonable statement given what we have been told.

Blatchford

Lebeau wrote: »

So having an illness that makes travelling difficult is my choice...ok... :S



Thanks for the link will have a look at that. I'm not currently claiming PIP as reading what some people have gone through makes me wonder if it is worth the stress that it brings...

As someone who works from home frequently because I am disabled, then I very definitely didn't say that you chose to be ill - I said you choose, as I do, to work from home. And I save significant amounts of time and money doing that, which more than compensates for some slight increases in bills for part of the year.

Also, for your information, I recieve the higher rate of PIP, both care and mobility, and it was easy for me to get it - I didn't even have a face to face, submitted one statement from my GP and they made one phone call to clarify some of the report. So there are many people who apply for whom it is no stress. I'm not saying that is true for everyone, but refusing to apply because some people struggle with applications is not very sensible. Have you considered, for example, that some of those people who find it stressful may not actually qualify? Not everyone who applies can.

You would find it easier if you didn't assume that people have said something totally different than what they said. You have chosen to work from home because of your health. If you choose to work from home then the answer is no, you don't qualify for payments (there are no payment anyway) or tax relief and your employer isn't obliged to pay you anything anyway. Which was the accurate answer to the question you asked, but I also pointed out the financial benefits that accrue to you (and me) that others who go to workplaces do not accrue.

PasturesNew

No benefits.

Working from home you're either self-employed and can gain a TINY offset against taxes for that -or- you are employed and your employer either does, or does not, contribute.

It's cheaper being at home than most people's commuting costs, so you're probably ahead to start with.

CakeCrusader

I work from home (I also have MS). Most staff in my company do work from home as it's a 24 hour 7 day a week service, I'm not sure if it was a choice or not, I can go into the office if I want, but it's 150 miles away. I can claim a little off my electricity and I claim broadband costs as a work expense (my employer repays this once I submit the bill).



I get a little DLA at the moment but they are stopping this and I have to claim PIP. I've no idea how it will work out, I'm not sure fatigue, brain fog, optic neuritis, shakey hands and being unable to cook without burning/cutting fingers/grating skin will be enough for PIP.