Drained

[rogerac]

I have had RA for 5 going on 6 years now, i'm still working but it is becoming harder and harder to mantain a full time job, but financially i cant afford to slow down yet, wish I could as I feel exhausted at the end of the day, I love my job but know I cant continue at this pace for much longer

[Hidden]

Hi Roger. Is there no possibility of you going part time perhaps? Have you discussed your RA with the relevant people at your workplace? Maybe it's time to start looking at what benefits you would be entitled to and what your employers could do to make things easier for you? Tilda x

[helixhelix]

Well done for keeping going, it's not easy. I took redundancy a few years back as also found it was getting too hard, and now just do some part time stuff. It certainly helped my health. We had to make quite a few changes, and do things a bit differently (and cheaper) but in the end the change in finances has been manageable. Beforehand I was a bit afraid, not just because I've always worked but also because I was main income earner, but with more time you can live much more cheaply (lucky we like vegetable soup). A lot was possible because we used to live in London, so sold the house and moved, but do have a hard go at your finances to see if you can find a way to live with less income and less work. I've found it's really been worth it for me. Polly

[Dotty7]

I've spent a long time thinking about how I would manage if I couldn't carry on in work, either full-time or at all, and it was very scary. Then I started to come up with solutions - other employment, self-employment, having a lodger, and things felt better once I had a plan. Now I'm starting to put those plans into action, and it all feels OK.

It might help you to go through some of those "what ifs" too - and it might be better for you to see if you can reduce your hours now, and be able to keep on going for longer, rather than keep on at your present rate and end up broken. Remember that as a disabled employee you are entitled to ask for reasonable adjustments, and part time working would come into that category.

Like Polly, I am the main breadwinner, and it's scary times, but also like Polly I am finding that my health is improving now I am doing less.

Dotty

[rogerac]

Thank you for your comments you are all so right, i do have an understanding employer who have aleady said I can go part time, i guess that feels like giving in :-). We do have a good standard of living and so can probably reduce our out goings and moving would help I guess. I think we need to look seriously at the options now rather than it breaking me

[allanah]

Hi

I have just been through the work dismissing me on ill health due to my RA. So i know how you feel, i think. I was so tired and couldn't do what i was doing and wasn't able to do part time. But I too had a lovely understanding boss and the other thing that really helped was having a union rep. The rep told me what to expect, how much pension I would get, how to apply for benefits, as did the CAB, so if I were you, before you plan what to do with your boss, who after all has to stick to protocols, why don't you have a chat with CAB or unions or indeed NRAS helpline, they all gave me very good advice on how to proceed. And I am glad they have offered you part time but remember this may affect your pension in the future, have you talked to pensions, if you have any , to maybe "top it up" if you could manage. Or get some financial advice to help your future income, just some ideas as I had to look at all that when I finished and am still after 3 months waiting on my early retirement pension.

I now however feel so much better knowing that when i feel sore I don't have to drag myself to work, and that has been a marvellous help to my health and it took a lot of stress of me. Money is tighter but the benefit also helps if you are due any. Good luck and your picture is lovely.

Axx

[Dotty7]

It's not giving in, it's changing. But I know what you mean. I wanted to fight this bloody disease and show it who was boss and never give in to it. It still feel like that, but I am fighting by stealth now....

Remember, if you keep doing the same thing, you'll keep getting the same results.

Dotty

[Dogrose]

I'm really struggling with work even though it is part time, they don't know I'm ill and are totally unsympathetic about things like that, I'm not allowed to sit down and my feet are agony some days, I would love to rest and not have the stress of working but we are on a very low income and basically if I don't work we don't eat, we have looked into benefits but don't seem to be eligible, I tried DLA but got turned down and things like council Tax benefit are being abolished soon anyway, plus our rent has just increased a lot, it just adds to the stress which makes me feel more ill, we don't really have any more corners to cut. I can see how people end up homeless.

[Hidden]

Dogrose I really feel for you - and yes when homeless people speak about what took them there it can be the slimmest of margins. But if you haven't explained your RA to them then how can you be certain you would get no sympathy or allowances made for you? I'm self employed but all the slowing down of my output and energy levels has led to us being pretty skint and living off my night care worker OH's salary which is pretty hard currently. Have you appealed your DLA? I don't know enough about benefits but it might be worth taking Allanah's route and phoning NRAS and trying the CAB? Tilda x