Needs Assessment

[Busybee57]

Hi All I have just completed my BLF needs assessment and the results pretty much sum up my concerns which are around work :(. I currently work full time but am struggling to maintain this and often come straight home from work and then sleep until the next morning when I start all over again. I feel my quality of life is not great and miss being able to do so much with my grandchildren. I'm 57 so another 10 years before I retire lol although I can't see me lasting that long in work. I think if I could reduce my working week at this stage it may help but can't afford to 😳 Is anyone else in a similar position and have any tips ? I have bronch, don't know what stage but take azithromycin, Fostair, salbutamol and carbocistiene, vit d and have had two exacerbations since Jan X X 🐝

Thanks in advance 😘

[hypercat54]

You can apply for PIP (Personal Independence Payment) which is a stand alone benefit which you can get whether you are working or not. This is not what your illness is but how it affects you. It is not usually taxable. For details on this and how to claim it see gov.uk/

If you are living in the UK you can also ring the BLF helpline number 03000 030 555 and there is a trained benefits advisor there. They work office hours. Good luck. x

[Busybee57 in reply to hypercat54]

Thank you hypercat54 that's really helpful, I'll take a look. Xx

[hypercat54 in reply to Busybee57]

You are very welcome Busybee57. I presume you have informed your employers about your illness and they are helping by making some Reasonable Adjustments for you. They should also have sent you to Occupational Health for their advice. x

[Southp]

Hi I work full time as well but been on sick for most of this year they must be getting fed up with me I've put in for pip just waiting for news and going to cut my hours ,I don't want to pack in its my life line ,I'm 61 by the way and have copd which is gradually getting worse ,hope u sort things out with work

[Busybee57 in reply to Southp]

Thanks Southp if I could do a day less that would be amazing. 50/50 would be a dream lol 😄 Xx

[Linnie13]

Hi, I came out of work in December due to hypersensitive pnuemotitious , like you I was working full time , and going home and sleeping very tired all the time , took bad at Christmas diagnosed with the above and interstual lung disease , I am now out of wor I got pip and I am on long term sick as well it took a good few months to get it all sorted , but pip will backdate you from when you applied good luck

[Busybee57 in reply to Linnie13]

Thanks Linnie I am going on holiday this weekend ( bit of a test ) and will sort it out if I feel no better about it when I come back. Thank you for your reply and I hope ypu are feeling better now that you don’t have to wear yourself out xx 🐝