Work and benefits

[YMEPLEASE]

good evening folks, I hope everyone is doing good. I have a question. I am in full time employment and I am struggling so much as I push myself so much to finish my shifts. My bosses dont really understand what I am going through and I dont want to quit all together. My question is: if I go down part time for few months, will get any government benefits to help me out?

[jessiem]

your best bet would be to contact CAB I think. You can work part time due to illness and get benefits but would depend on your situation.

[Gigiruth]

Hi YMEPLEASE

Check out the benefit advice on this site and look at entitledto.co.uk as well as CAB

If you have not had an OHS referral at work ask for one.

I had my working pattern changed so I had rest days inbetween work days. It was a reasonable adjustment. I could also go home at short notice if fatigue got bad.

If you are in a trade union they may give you advice or support if your employer will not make reasonable adjustments.

Hope you find a pattern that helps.

Take care

Gigi

[Gigiruth in reply to Gigiruth]

sorry :OHS :Occupation Health Service.

[Dizzytwo]

Hi there, you may like to speak to our benifits adviser Janet. You will find her details, along with other helpful information by clicking on the link below. I hope this helps.

healthunlocked.com/fibromya...

Momo

[Yassytina FMA UK Volunteer]

Glad to read you have had helpful replies and Dizzytwo has put the link for you too read, it’s an awful lot on people working full time let alone travelling too work back and forth so I hope you get somewhere so you can drop your hours as soon as possible, take care xx

[Exholrep]

you maybe entitled to PIP that’s not means tested it’s to help on your worst days . The Citizens advice could help you fill the paperwork in. I reduced my hours at work to start with but with the travelling it still got too much. Good luck xx

[YMEPLEASE in reply to Exholrep]

thank you

[TooTiredTara]

Do you have FMLA or Disability where you live ? FMLA,IS Family Medical Leave Act. If your Dr writes a note that declares your condition disabling you should be able to get paid time off and not lose your job. At least for 52 Weeks. Thats how it was in US. And when you go back you should try and get a desk job if you have a job on your feet. Do they have ssdi like USA?

[perth07sfs in reply to TooTiredTara]

hi Tara I’m in Scotland and I haven’t heard of this before. The company who still employs me stopped paying sick pay in May and I have received zilch since then…they have an insurance company who only pays for certain conditions etc. the company is called unum who are American as is my employer. Fibromyalgia doesn’t exist to UNUM it’s all in your head apparently says their medical professionals. I’m having to claim for benefits the first time in 30+ years. That’s how long I’ve worked for my employer and they don’t give a damn about its employees

[releasethemagic in reply to perth07sfs]

My employers insured against long term ill-health with Unum as well. Their initial reaction to every claim was to refuse to accept it, but there are appeals processes. I challenged their decision, provided medical evidence and was still refused, so I paid for an Independent Consultant report on my health. They accepted the claim and when I asked them to refund the cost of the report, on the grounds that they had failed to commission it themselves, they caved in on that too. I've received 35% of my pay from Unum for 8 years now. I had a colleague who ended up taking them to the Ombudsman. Like most cases that reach the Financial Ombudsman against Unum, she won. Don't give up - they take the premiums from employers. Make them face up to their responsibility to honour the insurance cover.

[perth07sfs in reply to releasethemagic]

thanks for your reply. My employer as far as I know uses unum to pay half my salary for 6 months. I got a telephone assessment about a month ago from them and they don’t even have the decency to inform me that they have denied my claim.

I’m now claiming benefits for the first time in over 30+ years. I’m getting esa the non means tested one and recently got word I’m in the support group after telephone assessment.

[perth07sfs in reply to releasethemagic]

hi releasethemagic I’ve received a call from my HR department telling me that unum is upholding my claim, 5 months after my claim went in. I simply can’t believe they have done this. I’ll be getting money backdated and receiving half pay. I’m still in shock because everything I’ve read about unum makes very grim reading regarding fibromyalgia. I asked my hr generalist for how long, she wasn’t completely sure but she reckons 6mth with them maybe contacting me to see if anything has changed.

You will be able to let me know since you are receiving money from them.

I was insured by my employer as a group, to be honest us on shop floor didn’t even know that they had done this as my employer paid half wages for a certain period after the initial 6mth full pay.

I’m in receipt of contribution esa money and only was informed that I’m in the SUPPORT group Can anyone please advise me how and what happens now since I’m going to be receiving money from unum?

[releasethemagic in reply to perth07sfs]

You will carry on getting ESA, but pensions are means tested against the Unum money - it depends on exactly how it is paid to you, whether Unum pay the money to the employer and the employer pays you under PAYE, in which case it is not a pension, or whether Unum pay it direct to you, in which case it is regarded as a pension. You should ask for a copy of the Insurance Policy terms and conditions from either your employer or Unum. That will tell you everything that you need to know.

I have been receiving money from Unum since 2014 for my fibromyalgia. I carry on getting it until my State Pension age, but as they pay me direct, they review it every year. My colleague who gets it via our old employer is reviewed every 3 years. I am paid direct because my employer made me redundant, so I am no longer on payroll. It is definitely better to stay on payroll and be paid the Unum money by the employer. That way you also carry on accumulating pension too.

[perth07sfs in reply to releasethemagic]

I’m still on payroll they haven’t paid me aff so far. Would I contact them when money is paid in? That’s the esa people…I get esa through my own contributions I’ve paid and not means tested. I’ll email my employer and ask if it’s unum directly paying me or what? Thanks again for your input. I’m totally clueless regarding benefits regime…oops sorry system

[releasethemagic in reply to perth07sfs]

ESA and pensions is explained here citizensadvice.org.uk/benef... Contributory ESA is means-tested against a pension. Unfair but it's what the law says,

[releasethemagic]

There are quite a few benefits you might be entitled to, but it will all depend on your household income. PIP is not tested against income, and the disabled council tax band reduction isn't, but most others are. Take a look at our local Support Group website page - it details every benefit you might consider applying for swanseabayfibro.wordpress.c...