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Out of work.

Posted , 12 users are following.

kelly71703
kelly71703

Hi,

I've given up my job due to my alcoholism. I'm a state registered health professional and simply cannot risk making a mistake at work or losing my registration.

I wanted to know if I would be able to claim any benefits since I voluntarily left my job while I clean up my act. Never been on benefits before and don't know where to begin. My Gp is aware of my situation as my liver function is shot to bits and am attending an ARC.

Not sure what forms to fill in and under what classification does alcoholism fall? Mental health? Physical health?

Thanks for any help.

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • JulieAnne101
    JulieAnne101 kelly71703

    Posted

    Hi Kelly. I think you need to get an appt with CAB they will have the latest info on benefits. Good luck

    Kind Regards

    JulieAnne

    • Nat666
      Nat666 JulieAnne101

      Posted

       I agree JulieAnne Citizens Advice  is definately  the best place for independent benefits advice :biggrin

  • RHGB
    RHGB kelly71703

    Posted

    Alcohol addiction itself comes under mental health per se. But obviously the effects can be very physical. Depending on the exact definition of a liver being shot to bits, it can be very dehabilitating, as it is the energy/engine room for our body.

    My advice would be to go down your local Citizen's Advice Bureau. You don't need an appointment (check the opening hours on the web) and they always have someone who is clued up on benefits. I had a friend who is a single parent and he had to go on benefits for a short while.

    The CAB said they were glad that he came to them first, because the benefit office would be unhelpful, not offer up any information and generally make it difficult. They typed him up a letter after going through it with him and said to take that. They said once they've seen you've been here and read that letter, they will have to provide you with what you're entitled to.

     

  • ADEfree
    ADEfree kelly71703

    Posted

    Kelly -

    I'm from the other side of the pond so I don't know anything about filling out the paperwork, but thought you might like to know about this:

    https://patient.info/health/sinclair-method-for-alcohol-use-disorder

    The more health care professionals that know of this the better, so even if it's not something you would be interested in, another might find the info very helpful indeed.

    I used TSM to conquer my "functional alcoholism". I was at over 80 drinks per week and month by month drank less with this method. At a little over 5 months in I started having my first dry days in a long, long time, soon followed by dry weeks. Now a six pack lasts me over a month and the compulsion to drink no longer rules my days. 

    In any case, good luck with the paperwork. I hope all goes smoothly for you!

  • nicole36330
    nicole36330 kelly71703

    Posted

    My experience of CAB is they know not a lot.My husband went to prison and although we still have one dependant son (17) I want entitled to anything because my hubby and myself were still s couple and they took his last years wages into account.If I claimed we were not a couple I would have got £459 a month.You couldn't make up this benefit system if you tried

    • JulieAnne101
      JulieAnne101 nicole36330

      Posted

      Hi Nicole

      Eeeek! Really?! that aint good news. I can't think of anywhere else to get advice.

      I thought CAB was supposed to have all the up to date knowledge on benefits.They helped my Daughter in Law. Perhaps some areas of the country are better than others?

      Kind Regards

      JulieAnne

    • RHGB
      RHGB nicole36330

      Posted

      Hello stranger!

      Was the advice wrong or was it that you were just not entitled to anything? I know the whole system is weighted against those in a realtionship, especially married ones.

    • nicole36330
      nicole36330 RHGB

      Posted

      I shouldn't be so down on the CAB but they really didn't have an answer for me.I wasn't entitled to anything because I was in a relationship,they told me if I tried to say I wasn't and they later found out I was I could be done for benefit fraud.He has been out on license now since Jan 25th and has applied for JSA.We will prob get more child tax credits now as he will now be classed as unemployed where as before on paper it just looked like he didn't have a job.But my youngest will be 18 in June and hopefully have an apprenticeship so it won't really matter anyway

  • roger15081
    roger15081 kelly71703

    Posted

    Say you've got a bad back. That should do it . Claim ESA.

    You won't get any hassle for months, by then you should be sorted 👍

    • JulieAnne101
      JulieAnne101 roger15081

      Posted

      I know that sounds awful, but you are probably right. It seems to me that AUD sufferers aren't usually treated very kindly. My hubby has had to lie to employers and say it is stress related 😞

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