poor health and employment

mardatha

My husband has had 2 heart attacks and 3 ops in the last 5 yrs. He is currently on SSP and that runs out soon. He recently had more stents put in that have stopped the actual angina but have left him very weak and tired all the time.
His employers will pay him off when the 28 weeks SSP ends. After that we can go onto pension credit, but it would give us a bit more money if he stayed on IB. Is there a provision for the doc to sign him off indefinitely as unfit for work, or does he have to have definite acute ill health ie suffering angina pain?
Sorry if this isnt clear ! - but according to the hospital and the GP, he will be put down on paper as having had this procedure and being "fixed". But he isnt, and he is worrying about our security which doesnt help him does it. He is 61, I'm 58.Hope somebody can help.

stazi

At week 23 of his sickness, his employer should give him form SSP1. Then call JCP on 0800 055 6688 to claim IB from week 29.

Unless your husband is on DLA High Care, he will be subject to the IB medical test called PCA. To pass the PCA he will have to score 15 points.

suelees1

If your joint income is under £181.70 you should be entitled to some means tested benefits now such as Pension Credit, Housing and Council Tax Benefit. However this will depend on any savings you have. Anything below £6K is disregarded but if you have over £16K you have no entitlement. Anything in between will reduce your weekly benefits. There's more info which I won't go into at the moment as it might not be relevant.

Your husband's GP can continue with the sick notes as long as he thinks he's incapable of work even though the angina pain is gone. However as stazi says, he will be subject to the Personal Capabilities Assessment as are all claimants unless they're in one of the exempt categories. His continuing entitlement to IB will depend on the outcome of this.

If he's not claimed DLA then he should perhaps do it now.

It would be better if you saw a local welfare rights advisor as there are a number of issues including whether you will remain entitled to any means tested benefits when his employer pays him off when his ssp ends.

chickmug

mardatha wrote: »

My husband has had 2 heart attacks and 3 ops in the last 5 yrs. He is currently on SSP and that runs out soon. He recently had more stents put in that have stopped the actual angina but have left him very weak and tired all the time.
His employers will pay him off when the 28 weeks SSP ends. After that we can go onto pension credit, but it would give us a bit more money if he stayed on IB. Is there a provision for the doc to sign him off indefinitely as unfit for work, or does he have to have definite acute ill health ie suffering angina pain?
Sorry if this isnt clear ! - but according to the hospital and the GP, he will be put down on paper as having had this procedure and being "fixed". But he isnt, and he is worrying about our security which doesnt help him does it. He is 61, I'm 58.Hope somebody can help.

I hope you can get some good advice as I am in the same boat. Exactly same ages, I had a heart attack which was 7 years ago and no heart problems since but it took a gret deal out of me. I laso have an ongoing M.E. problem. However I am finding the advice on here excellent. My favourite calculator is as per link below. I know there are a number I have tried but I keep coming back to this one.

Good luck.

http://www.hounslow.entitledto.co.uk/

mardatha

ok thanks all. I have ME and I get DLA but that ends soon and I cant face re-applying cos it was awful. He wont qualify for it so that's out I think. I will go and look into this PCA now. We will prob end up on pension cred but it isnt very much is it However never say die.

chickmug

mardatha wrote: »

ok thanks all. I have ME and I get DLA but that ends soon and I cant face re-applying cos it was awful. He wont qualify for it so that's out I think. I will go and look into this PCA now. We will prob end up on pension cred but it isnt very much is it However never say die.

You have M.E and get DLA? At what rate if I dare ask???? Most with this illness find it very hard to get anything.

mardatha

I got it for 3 yrs lower rate care and mobility but it runs out in seot and I've been told they have tightened things up so that we dont qualify any more.

healy

mardatha wrote: »

I got it for 3 yrs lower rate care and mobility but it runs out in seot and I've been told they have tightened things up so that we dont qualify any more.

The rules themselves have not changed so if you still meet the mobility and care needs you should still qualify.