Hope you are all as good as you can be. I don’t often post but read other people’s story. I’m hoping I could get some advice. I have stage 4 endometriosis, fibromyalgia, depression and anxiety, Ibs and hep b. The first 4 conditions are the main problem I have. I work for the nhs but I have been off sick since June as I had a traumatic event at work which triggered episodes of depression. I had my work capability asssessment and pip assessment recently. The work capability assess was graded as “capable of work” and my pip was graded as standard rate. I am definitely not capable of work atm although I have been looking to go back in September but still terrified! My pain isn’t much better and I only need to do a bit of housework on a day and I’ll be bed bound the next day. Tbh I’m thinking of giving up work as it’s all too much for me to handle alongside 2kids. I have to go back to gynae in September as I have developed another chocolate cyst. Now that I have only been awarded standard pip and no UC health component, I’m concerned as to how I will survive financially if I give up work. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
thank you x
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Wumm
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Have you been offered an occupational health assessment at work. You are protected under the Equality Act 2010. I went through the assessment, although I didn't want to, but have to say it was the best thing for me. It's been many years since my assessment and I am still in work having had reasonable adjustments put in place.
As Ajay says, it's not what you say but how you say it. There is plenty of help on the Turn2Us, CAB, benefits and the fibro benefits helpline.
thank you for your reply Dinkie, I have had several occupational health actually. My last one said I wasn’t fit for work due to my mental state. I had an incident at work where I went on an home visit and the patient had been dead for weeks and already decomposing. This set me back a lot as it affected me mentally. My managers are been supportive but I don’t know if there’s anymore they can do really. When I’m in work I work 3 half days (9-3) two days on clinic and 1 day doing home visits. Now I have told them I don’t think I’ll be able to continue with home visits but I’m thinking it’s either I give it up completely or take one day out as my fibro isn’t good with my legs at all. I get back, neck pain coupled with the pelvic pain from endometriosis. As my brother says it’s like I get “one day on one day off” with my symptoms. I’m just so fed up of it all. I used to work full time and more before. Now I’m the heaviest I have ever been with my weight and feel like a burden. I have a partner who helps with most things but tbh I feel like he doesn’t always understand my struggles xx
Bless you Wumm, please don't give up, there is plenty of help out there. DWP want folk to give up at the first hurdle. Just take a deep breath and ask for some help from one of the organisations out there to help us with the applications.
Thank you Ajay, the assessor said I wasn’t anxious or have low mood and that I do not take any medication for anxiety when I have been on citalopram and sertraline for years. I’m a survivor of DV so I have always suffered with my mental health. She also said I can walk 50metres but not upto 200metres. I can only walk for 5mins or so before I have to stop. My hips and legs starts hurting. So I have to take a break. I drive and mostly have to be close to where I’m going. Because I have a job (3 days a week) of which I have been off twice this year (long term sickness) she didn’t include the mobility also. I will try to get some further help with appealing although I tend to give up easily as I’m grateful to have got the standard rate as it is however my life will be so much better if I can get the enhanced rate xx
You may be eligible for medical retirement and if you work for the NHS they will provide you with a pension if you are successful in your application. I'm afraid I can't go into it all at the moment, but the one key thing is DO NOT RESIGN if you want to go down that route. If you resign you won't have access to your pension until pension age, also you won't be able to put in a claim for ESA for 3 months ( I think).
I would suggest discussing it with your occi health team. In the NHS there are different levels of medical retirement that you can get.
I have fibro and arthritis, depression and anxiety I worked for NHS while getting pip. If u decide to finish u will get full pay for 6 months 6months at half pay which is then topped up with esa then wen u go to zero pay u can apply for universal credit. Good luck with whatever u decide to do and take care x
When did your I’ll health start and affect your work? How frequently/long have you had to be off sick?
NHS Managers have set out sickness systems, but much depends on how good your Manager and higher up Management (your Manager will be led by higher up) are in supporting you. Ask for your works Dissability Policy, see what it says.
I fell ill within an NHS role and treated very poorly. They had plenty of medical evidence but it was soon apparent they were using official stance to Ill health contract termination,not supportive.
OH required them to put in workplace adjustments which they delayed for 2 months, until I was out of sick pay. My Manager was interfering with OccHealth between my appointments there. The list goes on until they ill healthed me off.
Have you asked if you could try maybe working alternate short days, reduced, to see if you can cope with? Something OccHealth could put to your Manager. Also you need OH to request workplace adjustments like a high back record chair, desk placements of items correctly positioned etc, anything that helps you. OccH can also say you need to be office based.
HR primarily are Management supporting, don’t be fooled otherwise. OccH often similar.
Presuming you are a single parent, you would get further financial support from benefits . You definitely need benefits advice.
Ill Health Retirement- they don’t do that lightly and you need to be able to prove your health will not improve in the future enough to be able to work. It’s not given and quite difficult to get. You also need many years service to get much money out of your pension early. What you get sometimes reduces benefits too.
I’d say get hyperthetical benefits advice in scenarios 1. Cannot work 2. Working minimum of 16 hours for example. 3.What you would qualify for.
There is a benefits calculator in government website you can do now.
You said you had an awful situation that occurred during work and since suffered, effecting your ability to work. On that basis you may benefit from CBT. Ask your OH for this via your work, fast tracked. It could help you alot.
I have been in your situation and it’s very tough. You must think of yourself . What support you get from work is so relevant. I got the opposite to support, totally uncaring. They lied a lot pre and in my final meeting too. OH actually caught my Manager out liking to him 🙄. I hope your NHS employers are better than mine were.
Don’t leave your job! Work through your options soonest. Invariably NHS will hang on until your sick pay duration runs out anyway.
It’s tough as this adds a lot of stress which can exacerbate what your already suffering.
Thank you so much Confused01. I have been off sick twice this year . One for 8 weeks and now another which is ongoing. I’m sorry you had to deal with all this. I have contacted a welfare org as Ajay suggested for benefits advice. My managers seem helpful but I don’t know really sometimes it feels like they are hypocrites and do other stuff behind my back. I have had OH assessment at the start of this episode of sickness but she didn’t look at adjustment just declared me unfit for work. Perhaps I should request for another now that I’m not sure whether to go back or not. I appreciate all your advice and will take it onboard. Thank you so much xx
If I remember correctly it was on my third bout of sickness relating to the same health issues that they started formal process. They didn’t make clear formal until just before the formal final meeting where they decide to keep you or terminate contract. Only pre found out by reading up and asking them the questions. They were incredibly crafty and unsupportive. I am not suggesting NHS always like this and hope you are treated so much better.
The one thing they played on was ‘when will you be able to return to work in full?’. Of course an unknown entertainer, and turned out to be a bit of a trick question tbh. They wanted a defined date which I couldn’t give of course as many couldn’t. I was also waiting for diagnosis, hoping could have treatment to help but they refused to wait for that.
I’d say get ahead of them, arm yourself with your options, use Occ Health to help you and take the lead requesting what you need, adjustments, being office based on return at least for a duration, CBT as incident was within your employment.
Knowing your benefit options ahead sounds really important, in case you return and find it doesn’t work out (but if you return and have to go off sick again do not resign as said on another reply).
Thank you Conffused01, I think I have an idea of what you mean. So last year I was fastracked to stage 4 sickness where they discussed whether they would terminate my employment. It was horrible but I was kept on and was asked not to go off sick for another year or I would have to have the meeting again. So whenever I was off sick during that year I was allowed to work it back or take as time in lieu/ holidays so I wouldn’t trigger. After the one year I went back to “normal” again but with this years two episodes I have been told I would go to stage 2 when I return and be issued improvement letter whatever that means.
I will ask them for another occu health referral and explore all the options you have kindly suggested. I know my depression and anxiety has been classed as a disability previously and awarded trigger points but I don’t think the other conditions have been.
Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate it xx
Crazy how they make it sound like you can control when and how long your conditions won’t effect you.
When I went through it, there was two others next on the hit list apparently, so wasn’t just me. I know other NHS departments that have been far more supportive of staff than mine was too. Seems hit and miss.
Morning Ajay, unable to leave the house 4 days a week gets mobility? You must have a good reason or reasons for your inability to go out what is an acceptable valid reasons??
I dont write on here often but do read the posts. I just wanted to say your post was very helpful.
I have fibro CFS and suffer with depression. I get lower rate pips but I am often in for more than 4 days a week due to my condition the CFS has effected my life so much.
I didn't realise that I might be able to get the higher rate.
Sorry I have been dealing with pain so I just wasn’t in the right headspace to reply. I don’t have private pension. Thank you to everyone who replied, I’m super grateful.
"you can’t post a question and only answer the replies you want to"
Just to make clear.... Yes you absolutely can. It may be seen as rude to not answer some replies but it is just as rude to demand others to answer your replies.
You need to appeal the Universal Credit decision not to give you the Health Component by seeking a Mandatory Reconsideration and if that does not succeed go to appeal. If too long has passed by and you are out of time, you can tell them that your condition has worsened and they should re-assess you. The same is true for PIP. You can get them to re-assess you if it is too late to challenge the decision.
For the NHS pension scheme, you need to be fully aware of the rules of the scheme. If you are in a Trades Union, involve them. You will find details of the ill-health pension scheme here nhsbsa.nhs.uk/sites/default...
You say you opted out which means you saved your contribution but lost a contribution of over 20% of pay by the NHS , but have you ever been in the scheme? If you have, then ill-health retirement is possible and you might want to opt back in to the scheme, if you think a pension might be paid. Your Union should be able to tell you more.
You may be eligible for help with your Council Tax while you are on reduced pay. You apply to your local authority. Also you may be eligible for the warm home discount scheme if you are getting means tested Universal Credit.
There are Guides to PIP appeals and details of how to challenge a disability assessor's report here:
Thank you for this. I will take this onboard. I was in the scheme previously so I have contributed to some extent before opting out. It’s good to know people care. Thank you xx
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