Wish me luck.

[manwithnoname]

Am I mad ? I have been onto DWP with regard to my PIP and from there advice I am or should I say they are sending me a change of circumstance forms. Which basically means I am reapplying for PIP, lets HOPE that they get it right this time and give me back what I should be getting.

[Matilda_1922]

I rely heavily on my pip payments especially I have reduced my further due to pain and fatigue.

[Hidden in reply to Matilda_1922]

Matilda, you may know, i didn't so too late for me, but can get additional disability element of tax credits on 16 hours a week or more if you get pip xx

[Matilda_1922 in reply to Hidden]

I don't think I can claim tax credits because my husband has savings.

Is it called ESA

[Hidden in reply to Matilda_1922]

No that's different: employment support allowance after long term sick., This is called disability element of working tax credits, but not v well publicised. I was on tax creds on 32 hrs a week but they only just let me know i cld ve had it for 6 months, with pip. Every little bit helps 😄 I'm not sure about savings etc? Some of these mean tested, some not, utterly confusing. Sorry to hijack post. X

[Hidden]

It's a minefield isn't it, i get so stressed out with all the form filling and paranoid about gettin it wrong: can't afford to owe them, always ringing and double checking everything. Really good luck, hope you get it.

[Matilda_1922 in reply to Hidden]

I'm claiming PIP for almost a year following appeal. So don't want to go through it again so soon.

[Matilda_1922 in reply to Matilda_1922]

I will start getting my lower pay from this month. I'm dreading it as I made a lot of adjustment when reduced from full-time to 22.5 hours and now 16.5 hours.

[Hidden in reply to Matilda_1922]

Sorry Matilda, don't know what i did, appear to have deleted reply and response?? 😊

[Matilda_1922]

Hi

I don't think I can claim as 57 and don't work 30 hrs.

[Hidden in reply to Matilda_1922]

Shame, i'm 61, but did say on form, 16 hours+, whether this is age dependent i don't know. Am trying for ill health retirement, won't be enough to live on tho', no guarantees i'll get it but onwards &upwards 😄

[Eiram50 in reply to Hidden]

Hi kerena

Isn’t the 16 hours thing if you have dependants?

[Hidden in reply to Eiram50]

No it's for old gits over 60 too lol, might be others as well i.e. Disability + esa but not sure, only found all this out today 😄 that is my age by the way, wasn't being rude x

[Hidden in reply to Eiram50]

I think it's over 60s too and possibly disabled on esa?Only found out today myself.

[Hidden in reply to Eiram50]

Sorry Marie keeps wiping out replies to you?? X

[Matilda_1922]

I looked into I'll health retirement. Was told very unlikely. I think you need to be Bed bound before they will consider it.

Good luck

[Hidden in reply to Matilda_1922]

Yeah, not expecting much but HR suggested it when i said leaving due to ill health, worth a try? If not it's downsize for me, liberating 😄 obvs i am having good day to day, past mtx nausea lol x

[trailblazer in reply to Matilda_1922]

It’s depends on whether there is someone senior in the organisation that is willing to support you, fight your corner and and liaise with OH. Also a very supportive GP goes a very long way.

Very best wishes

[Matilda_1922]

It was occ health doctor who told me very unlikely

[Runrig01 in reply to Matilda_1922]

I have Ankylosing Spondylitis and have fusion and slipped discs in my spine. I work as a nurse on a trauma ward. Was surprised when I seen OH that was told I’ll health would probably be declined, if I had not tried reducing hours and redeployment. Yet with my damage OH would not approve any nursing role. So frustrating, trying to reduce my hours but management being difficult, saying it would set a precedence, even though there are no other disabled staff on the unit 😏

[Matilda_1922 in reply to Runrig01]

I am a specialist nurse working in a small team in a NHS trust.

I was working full-time before RA diagnosis in 2016. I was on long term sickne and returned to work 2 months after diagnosis.

I have needed to reduce my hours to 22.5 hours and recently 16.5 hours due to tiredness and fatigue.

It has been quite hard to finish at 3 due to the workload and peer pressure.

I was looking at ill health retirement but OH doctor said very unlikely as I am able to work.

Having a condition that is invisible to others is very frustrating. I have recently been diagnosed with bronchietese. Already have an underactive thyroid and asthma all cause fatigue in their own way. On top of this I am also going through my menopause.

I need to attend various appointments throughout the year. So I need to take AL to attend these appointments. Recent change in attendance policy. So reducing my AL hours.

I had time off sick last year for chest infection. My GP wrote RA on my sick note. Apparently this can be changed by HR as I said I had a chest infection. It's so unfair how the NHS treat their staff.

Well this is my story how the NHS treat their staff with long term conditions.

[Runrig01 in reply to Matilda_1922]

No have to agree the nhs are not good at looking after their own. I have been off sick virtually all winter, except for 2 weeks. Have had repeated infections which means I have been off my Benepali and Methotrexate most of the winter, resulting pain n flares. I too am asthmatic. I have this “benign fasciculation syndrome” where my tongue twitches all night resulting in no sleep roughly 2 nights a week. My immediate life be manager wants to reduce me from 37.5hrs to 22.5hrs, I am a band 6 deputy ward manager. Her seniors are refusing saying it will set a precedence for the other band 6s. I feel that between the disability act and flexible retirement it can be easily justified. They say 30hrs is all they will agree to. At present I do 3 life big days, but pains increase early in the shift. So changing to 4x 7.5hr shifts is just going to mean I struggle 4 days instead of 3. I have only 2.5yrs till I can take early retirement. Was told if I proceed with application for ill health, if it’s declined I would be placed in redeployment register for 3 month. In view of my fusion in spine and ribs, as well as slipped discs, they have me over a barrel as any nurse job they would say I couldn’t do, as most involve some manual handling, and I would need to be able to safely do cpr. So fed up, cant apply till reduce hours, yet management unwilling to reduce enough to help. Argh ..... 🙁

[Matilda_1922 in reply to Runrig01]

They would find it hard to redeploy me as well as my RA is affecting my upper limbs so any hands on nursing is out for me.

[Runrig01 in reply to Matilda_1922]

So unfair 🙁😡

[Matilda_1922 in reply to Runrig01]

Very unfair

Before all this began I hardly any time off sick. It's a shame they can't look back in time to see what a good attendance you had.

[Nessa28 in reply to Runrig01]

Hi there . I also have AS . I tried to reduce my hours after several procedures and flairs . I was advised by oh doctor that unless I had a terminal diagnosis they will not retire you on ill health . I also worked for NHS . I felt so unsupported and tired as I could not seem to access help union wasn't much of a help . I'm seeing so many posts from people with the same dilemma it's so sad that when you're needing the greatest support from your workplace where you have invested more time into than your own family it is looking for a way to remove you or sideways place you without a minutes thought of how financially you cope till you retire 😪

[Runrig01 in reply to Nessa28]

I am waiting on HR and local RCN union rep returning my calls. Both were due to call back yesterday, still waiting. Frustrating.

With all my damage I should not be doing this type of nursing. If anything happens to a patient in my care as a result of them forcing me to continue, god help them

[Nessa28 in reply to Runrig01]

Trouble bid with the sue culture now it's not only your pin at stake . I resigned as I felt mentally to tired to fight them and also as though I had deliberately let the team down so almost sent to Coventry by my line manager if I had my time back again I would have let them go through the whole disciplinary process as I think if they are likely to be backed in to a tribunal they back down . HR are only looking after the management not the staff on the ground and I look at the stupid things I did to get into work now and function through a shift I would honestly say it was never worth it . Good luck 🤗

[Eiram50]

Haha, gotcha

[Magymay]

Hi there .I wish you luck .Just make sure you make them understand how you are at your worst .They need specific answers "no I can't do that " .If you say "well maybe or I sometimes do "to them that means you can so just be straight with your answers or they'll twist it .I'm facing a higher appeal now after being awarded 6points .All the best with it 👍