Resigning from Work and claiming benefits?

Hi solidflo I also have oa of the hip neck and spine , am having a hip replacement this Friday after 10 long years coping with pain as a health care worker , I had to leave my job and went on esa and have applied for pip but they take a while to respond , I would phone the esa and put a claim in , the problem with oa is that it gets worse not better and some days are bad when u have trouble getting out of bed . 

hi , well if i were you i would not feel guilty for getting ssp , part of which is payed by the goverment ,and you have earnt it , sounds like you need to speak to some one about you health and getting sighned of work on med grounds , your move to be near your daughters sounds perfect to me , i have oa in both my knees ,ive had one done 10 weeks ago but am getting more pain at the mo than i did , will see gp tomorrow , and right now i would just love not to go back to work ,i thought i would have been back after the first knee but cant , coming to the decision that oa is not quite like i thought it would be , follow your heart and enjoy your days

 

hi you need to tread very carefull in the next stage of life my freind.The fact that you have worked honourably paid tax and national insureance all of your life entitles you to nothing at the end of the day in the eyes of the company that the dwp have farmed out the sick benefit to.If you can pick up a pint of milk you can work.Stay at work on your ssp if you can for as long as you can Employment and support allowance is 74 quid or so assesment phase the first 13 weeks but until you have had the dreaded medical you stay on 74 pound if and its a huge if you get 15 points needed off the computer software programme that decides you have a limited work capabillity.The medical will be done by a midwife or optomotrist or a HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL AS there called who will more or less disagree with everything your doctor says.Its near impossible to pass for a physical condition straight away you have to appeal etc I could still be doing this email to you in 4 hours time sutch is the system thats in place you need to google................ATOS health care, LIMITED WORK CAPABILLITY ASSESSMENT, ESA, WORK RELATED ACTIVITY GROUP ESA SUPPORT GROUP use you tube for them key words and google especially.....dispatches ch4 athos medicals tv documentery.Ive been at war with them for years i have SACROILLITIS IMFLAMATION OF SPINE arthritic problems and HEMOCHROMOTOSIS G/h IVE HAD 3 MEDICALS NEVER SCORED A POINT .O/A is noting in there eyes its gp treated with ibuprophen and co co domol its ware and tear you should accept it thousands have it they dont go cap in hand scrounging benefit thats how they see it they was called ATHOS.....they have left the h now the health bit because there a it company computers etc it was allabout what you cant do now its what you can do if you can toutch the top of your head with both hands you can work nil points pick up a pint of milk nil points so you basically have to be dead from the neck down im not exadgerateing.Knowledge is power all you need to prepare you for your journey is on the web good luck to you the new system was put in place to stop the lazy and workshy etc but it just discriminates full stop ....A FACTORY OF DISABILLITY DENIAL it was called in usa congress athos or atos as its called now good luck on your journey thats coming and remember they dont play fair its no good sayig stuff like its worse in the morning etc etc YOU ARE ILL FULL STOP ITS A 24 HOUR THING 365 DAYS a year Get some support evidence off your employer because dwp will ask them if your illness stopped you from doing your job if you jack a job in for whatever with out good reason a doctors note isnt enuff youll get nothing for 6 months stay as you are eventually your employer will let you go the word RESIGNING fills me with dreadTo hand your notice in coz your too ill to work and getting a sick note isnt enuff they ask them could they have done light duties do you think theyve jumped the gun you need your employer behind you 100 per cent a letter saying that you was struggleing etc is a must good luck ian 

hello there - Sorry to hear your OA has got so bad you are no longer able to work. I had to give up work 4 years ago, partly due to my degenerative OA of the spine. I know exactly what you mean about feeling cheeky getting SSP when its fairly certain you'll be unable to return to work, but I would strongly urge you to check out your benefit options before resigning!

Firstly, Ask your GP/consultant for a realistic prognosis. If its spine as well as hips I am guessing theres not an awful lot they can do, but you never know! Ask if there's a reason why he only signed you off for 8 weeks - is he expecting medication to substantially help, for example?

Secondly, if you want to move near your daughters I would say thats probably a good idea if the Doc says your OA is progressive ie will get worse over time. Best do the house move sooner rather than later, as its so stressful and physically hard work. So you would need to sort out benefits first so you know what your finances will look like!

I would ask the GP about a referal to an Occupational Therapist, in my case I got an appointment within 4 weeks, because the Occupational therapist Depts can help you make life easier in general anyway, but with regards to benefits, they can allocate you a Support Worker who will know all the benefit rules like the back of their hand, can fill in all the forms for you, liaise with all the different official people and give you the best chance of actually being awarded DLA, ESA etc. 

I applied for DLA twice on my own and got precisely nowhere - even though I hav worked in office jobs all my life and worked at the tax office for 12 years so forms are second nature to me! But when I got a support worker from a local housing association (she was assigned to me by my mental health team, but occupational therapy teams can do exactly the same type of referral) - she filled in the forms using the right wording, and more details (like embarrassing details I wouldnt have put down!) - and I now get over £100 a week DLA, and about the same again in ESA under the 'support group - ie, I dont have to sign on and go to the jobcentre for employment counselling etc - ie they accept theres no way I can work again.

Many local Councils also have support workers - look under titles like 'Benefit Options Team' or 'Benefits/financial support service'. 

Hope this helps, and best of luck! Remember - dont be shy to claim, you have worked and paid into the system - we're the very people the system was set up for in the first place. ITs not our fault other people take advantage and play the system. If you're too poorly to work you are entitled to the help. (Thats easy for me to say now - I lived on my savings for 2 years, too ashamed/embarrassed to claim benefits! Again, the Support worker really helped me to understand theres no shame in claiming.)

 

Thank you all for your replies, kind words and information. Reading all your different experiences has helped. I forgot to add regarding the move, which is a must, as my husband is disabled, suffering with heart failure, and having had a kidney transplant (the only working kidney he has) and as his carer, I am struggling with that too, so the move to be nearer our daughters has got to take place! The delemma with that is finding an estate agent/landlord that will accept housing benefit occupants! Most seem to not want to talk to you, as probably had problems with previous occupants not paying the rent......so we suffer! So much to sort, and I just don't have the energy! :-(

Hi again - I have sent a private message with some local advice centres.

The reason I am stressing contacting these agencies so strongly is because what Ian92798 is quite correct. It is very much more difficult nowadays to get disability-related benefits, because of the all the people over the years blagging and trying it on have spoiled it for those of us in real need.

You sound like a very independent, hard-working lady - please, please, dont make the mistake (that I made for a long, long time) of thinking you need to be strong and handle things yourself.

To get all the benefits to which you are clearly entitled, you need the help of an expert who is on your side and knows how to negociate the system.

One false move filling in a form, and you can find yourself in a nightmare situation with benefits - i am not trying to scare you, just stress how important it is to get help in your complex and vulnerable situation.

All the very best with everything. x

Hello

Just an update for you......I am still off work with OA, in my spine and hips. My SSP ends on 11th August, and tomorrow will collect a letter from my GP confirming my illness of spinal OA as well as I have now been diagnosed with vasculitis.....after blood tests, and awaiting an x rayand an appointment with a rhumatologist. I have not been at all well, what with my OA, and with suffering the pain and feeling flu like ill from the vasculitis. The good news is we move next week up north, and my daughter will be moving in with us. I now receive carers allowance for my husband, and I have applied for DLA/PIP, the forms arrived today in the post. Its not the benefits I want, its the financial assistance to now pay someone to do what I can't do anymore.....hoovering, ironing, mowing the lawn etc. I am devastated by how my life has changed and gone down hill in such a short time. I hope you all are well......