should i give up work

[jaqi1]

hi everyone, just a quick question, i am struggling at work at the moment and i keep getting asked why dont i just give up work and go on allowances. i dont know if i'm allowed to do that. any advise

[Ella32]

Hi

I went through the exact same thing when i was 25 (i'm now 32), and it was the BEST thing i ever did.

Giving up work has proved to be quite a contraversial issue on here as we all have such different opinions, but for me it changed everything.

I now concentrate on health/life balance rather than work/life balance. My arthritis has been much better and my quality of life has been much better. I feel so much better about myself not having to call in sick, or worrying about being signed off by my GP and how my work collegues would take it. I also have had a few vountery jobs since as i found that once the pressure was off i actually wanted to have some sort of job and it was actually good for me and my health. (there are many centres that specialise in giving people proper voluntry jobs such as office work and fund raising (not chairty shops)).

That leaves the question of money, because lets not kid ourselves, you need to be ok finacially to not make your health worse with the stress. RA or any arthritis qulaifies you for benefits/allowences depending on the individual situation. At the most and if you are single you can recieve about £1700 plus a motability car (if needed) and housing benefit (if renting) and the least if you are married/living with someone you can recieve about £600-£800 plus a motability car (if needed). It really depends on your level of disability and your relationship status and if you have one your partners income, some benefits are means tested some are not.

You can apply for: (currently)

DLA (mobility & care if needed)(not means tested)

Income support (means tested)

Incapacity allowence (not means tested) (severe disabilty componant if needed)

Housing benefit (if you rent)

Direct payments or personalised budgets( to help with care/cleaning etc)

Child tax credits/working tax credits (if they apply to you)

Hope this helps?

Ella x

[jaqi1 in reply to Ella32]

thank you ella for yr reply, i'm not sure if i would be able to claim allowances because i'm not sure how much pain u have to b in. i can walk but in pain when i do but the worst part for me is feeling so tired and the feeling of not being capable of doing my job anymore, i know this may sound a bit silly but i just get upset all the time and feel so insecure. sorry for the rant xx

[Ella32 in reply to jaqi1]

Hi

Bless you i can understand how overwhelming it all is for you. It isn't about how much pain you are in, but how difficult you are finding it to work. You desease overall is what would be looked at and is what you must assess.

I know it is hard and as Beth said, don't make any decisions without getting fully infomed about your options. There are many benefits out there and many different options

Ella x

[Beth58]

Hi, be very careful before making such a massive decision.

I left work with the support of my OT and Occ health department after struggling on for a long time. Plus we knew at 52 and I'll never paid work again.

For me it was the best thing I've ever done. I'm now able to concentrate on my physical and mental health, got meds sorted out and can rest as and when I need to. My quality of life has improved as I'm no longer resting for work.

With regards to the benefits you'd be entitled to claim ESA (Employment, Support Allowance) if you've paid enough NI you'll get contributions based ESA this is paid at approx £67 per week for 13 weeks during the assessment phase once assessed by ATOS it then categorised into groups:

1) Fit for work in which case you'll have to claim JSA or appeal the decision and reclaim ESA. Then it can get complicated and you'll need support/advice in appealing.

2) Fit for some work in which case you'll be put in the WRAG (work related activity group). You'll have to attend work focused interviews at the jobcentre. You can appeal this decision if you feel you should be in the support group.

3) Support group. In this case you'll be basically left alone.

If you haven't paid enough NI it will be means tested and based on circumstances and household income.

Also, there are means tested premiums paid on top of ESA depending on circumstances.

Other benefits are as stated in the comment above:

DLA which comes in 2 components Care paid at 3 rates (high/middle and low) and Mobility (paid at 2 rates (high and low), this can be difficult to claim and based on individual circumstances.

Housing benefit if you rent

Council tax benefit

You can get help with mortgage interest payments but again this is dependant on circumstances.

Check out the websites below for further information and benefit rates.

benefitsandwork.co.uk/

rightsnet.org.uk/toolkit/be...

citizensadvice.co.uk/getadv...

The whole system in mind blowing so I hope this has helped and not confused you more.

Good luck

Beth. xx

[Beth58 in reply to Beth58]

Sorry the citizensadvice is the wrong link for benefits calculation, here's the right one.

turn2us.org.uk/benefits_sea...

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Hello Jacqui I asked the same question a few months back. Like Ella said we all have different opinions here and i prefer to stay in work but i have made some changes to make it easier. I have a number of reasons -

i really enjoy what i do (even though i moan about it constantly) and get an awful lot of self worth from work.

I work in a place completely fitted for people with disabilities and i can park outside the door (there is no way i could work if i had to use public tansport, walk for even 200 yards or use stairs)

I live in the middle of nowhere with only cows and my family for company so if i didn't work, i would be very lonely - girls at school and husband at work and i know i need interaction with people on a daily basis. I find most housework too difficult to carry out so i imagine it would be hard to put in the day

I am able to work from home one or two days per week.

I believe i have many years of working life left in me yet

Though I need my salary, i have often thought that i would still work albeit part-time if money was not an option

On the other side I don't like

the continuous feeling of guilt when i have to take off work for appointments and using up all my annual leave means i never get a good break.

feeling insecure and in a weaker position because of the ra

the way my immediate boss behaves

the wall of tiredness that comes on

fear of underperforming

We all have different circumstances and needs so it is very much a personal decision. I found my occupational therapist really helpful when thinking about this. My ideal scenario would be part-time work but that is not possible just at the minute.

Hope that helps