My Mum Suffers from Back Pain - Sometimes Cant Work
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hi,
My mum is a nurse and has worked in the same job for well over 20 years, shes 54 and over the last 5 years is having a lot of trouble with her lower back. I am looking online for any sort of benefit that she can recieve on the days she cannot work.
She can be fine for months then all of a sudden her back will "go" and she will be in extreme pain for days or even weeks. She will have to call into work sick and has difficulity sleeping. The Doctor will perscribe her strong pain killers and she goes to the chripractor when she can (its expensive)
Any advice on who we can speak to for more information?
I have no experience in this area and neither does she.
Thanks for reading
0 likes, 5 replies
jackie79930 stephen85230
Posted
les59996 jackie79930
Posted
The trouble with PIP is that you have to qualify under the descriptors for the majority of the time - ie 3 or more days of the week.
?The poster clearly says that that isn't the case.
les59996
Posted
The claimant would have to start building up a history with the GP. Making sure that this condition is said to flucturate but for over 50% of the time she/he suffers with the symptoms that are matched by the PIP descriptors.
As many say there is being honest and too honest!!
anthony97723 stephen85230
Posted
Hi Stephen
The way the system works is if you are in work and become ill then you are either paid occupational sick pay @ the rate and time period declared in your contract of employment or you claim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).
Sometimes your National Insurance Contributions become exhausted due to repeated time ‘on the sick’ which means you then have to claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) @ a rate of £73.10pw for over 25’s instead. To do this you need a sick note from your GP but there are 7 waiting days until your claims starts in other words no benefit for the first week.
There is a possibility of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit whilst claiming ESA but these are means tested benefits so are subject to savings and any other income coming into the household such as a non-dependent adult who earns a salary and any other income your Mother might receive.
You could try to claim Personal Independence Payments (PIP) but this benefit has strict criteria and is aimed at those who are physically and mentally disabled and need personal care or assistance with Mobility. On the small amount of information provided so far it is hard to see how your Mother would be successful with a claim as she works as a nurse who is generally physically active more than 50% of the time; part of the criteria for PIP is the condition MUST affect you more days than not.
So if your Mother does-not receive occupational sick pay then the answer is to claim ESA. There is no other help because the law dictates that normal non-disabled adult needs who is over 25 years of age requires £73.10pw to live i.e. to buy food, cloth themselves and buy essentials such as gas/electricity. BTW I’m not justifying the amount just informing you. If your Mother is in receipt of occupational sick pay but it doesn’t meet the £73.10pw threshold then she could claim ESA Income Support top up.
If I were you I would Google ‘benefit calculator’. There are a number of them Turn2Us is a good one where you are asked a series of questions and at the end you are given a list of possible benefits available.
Governor stephen85230
Posted