Anybody else signed off from work?

[Caroline]

I am just about to run out of sick pay at work, is there anyone out there who is in the same position. Does anyone know if you can get any benefits for being off with depression. I'm frightened that I will be told I am just making the depression/anxiety up.

[twister]

Hi Caroline

I have not been in this situation but am pretty sure there are benefits you can claim if you have been clinically diagnosed with depression. Why don't you make an appointment to see the citizens advice bureau or give them a call - they will be able to help.



Emily

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit
Understanding is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad

[davebrum]

hi caroline sorry to hear about your sick pay - have you tried incapacity benefit or disability living allowance i think your gp has to sign some forms but im sure (i hope) you could be entitled
good luck
xx david



BE YOURSELF, ALL THE COLOURS YOU ARE

[Sue]

Hi Caroline,
I was off sick for ages before being made redundant just before my pay would have dried up completely ( I was on 1/2 pay for quite a while).

As far as I know, you will be entitled to benefit. Have a look at the back of your sick note, I am sure there was a space to fill on there and rather than send it to your employer, you send it somewhere else.

I am sure your Gp will be able to advise you.

Sue

[sal]

Hi Caroline

After my sick record i am where you are now and if i go off again will have no pay.

Hard and really frightens me as i have no other support.

Extra pressure we dont need.

My thinking is now that i have to hang on in there and see how it goes, no wasy i know but havent got another choice.



Love Sal xxxxx

[ellenclarke81]

Hello,
I started getting anxiety just as i graduated so i wasn't even in work when i became unable to work. I was on incapacity benefit for around 8 months. It takes ages to come through, and you don't get much (about the same as the dole) but they will give it for anxiety. My gp had to sign sick notes every few weeks or months, and i had to have an examination with a gvmt approved doctor, as well as filling in millions of forms (and getting them wrong several times.) You have to explain why exactly the anxiety prevents you from going to work, which is embarrassing but not impossible. They give you money according to your NI contributions. like the dole (so i was on the min - 45 quid a week) plus housing benefit and council tax exemption.
If you call your local job centre they will mail the forms out to you, Although if you're well enough to go down in person it will speed the process up.
Hope this helps!

[arbie]

I'm in the same position. Work is currently giving me half pay (which is stopping very soon) and my Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) has stopped. Work sent me a form which was made up of 2 forms which you can get - one is the Incapacity Benefit Form, and the other was a form filled in by my employer explaining why and when they stopped paying my SSP. You will also need to send a doctors note with it.

I've sent it off but no repsonse yet. Have to go for a meeting at the job centre a week Wednesday about it. I'm really nervous about all of this - I'm nervous about explaining any of my mental health problems and worry they may not understand or believe me.

I've also filled a DLA (Disability Living Allowance) form and plan to send that out tomorrow. It is one of the most horrible forms I've ever seen and even caused me to have panic attacks. Thankfully, my girlfriend filled in most of it on my behalf as I wouldn't have been able to write things down on that myself due to the anxiety.

The Citizens Advice Bureau is supposed to be good about things like this, but my social anxiety gets in the way of doing that which makes me feel worse. Thankfully, my girlfriend has been on both Incap and DLA in the past and is trying to calm me down (on a daily basis! lol) about it all - I do know of others who get these benefits due to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Of course, I probably won't be able to relax about it all until I actually see money coming through... ARGH!

All the best to anybody else trying to claim these benefits. I will let you know what happens with mine.

[arbie]

A quick update.

My claim for Incapacity Benefit was succesful. :)

This morning, two letters arrived from them - one with a giro with backdated pay, and another just giving me details about my Incapacity Benefit.

Didn't take me long either, just over two weeks I think.

Certainly has helped reduce some of my anxiety, one less thing to worry about for the time being.

[Meg]

Thats good to hear Arbie and thats not long to get it sorted either . Hope te DLA is similar

Are work keeping your job open for you for a while and how are you doing in yourself ?


Meg

You cannot conquer fear until you have learned what it is you're afraid of. The enemy is ignorance. Vivian Vance

[Sarah-Jane]

My doctor has just signed me off for another month god knows what my employer is gonna say monday when andy takes the medical certificate in. **** is probably gonna hit the fan i suppose... Love Sarah-jane xxx

Love Sarah-Jane xxxx

[Sue]

Sarah-Jane,

You cant help being ill. Try not to worry about work, it will make matters worse.

Sue

Sue

[arbie]

Meg - work are still keeping my job open as far as I know. I'm quite up and down (which is quite usual for me really) but I am glad I am entitled to Incapcity Benefit. Been worrying a lot about alternative income, I'm still worrying about the DLA and probably will until I get a reply. I am managing though, medication seems to be helping a bit and my girlfriend is very supportive.

Sarah-Jane - I agree entirely with what Sue says. I worried a lot about work but eventually tried to put myself first for once. What is important now is you starting to get better. We only have one shot at life, lets try and take care of ourselves to make things better.

[arbie]

A bit late in giving an update.

My DLA claim came through recently. It took a couple of months, it isn't much (low rate mobility) but it is something. But without money from work at the moment, any income is a good thing in my eyes.

------
Blog @ http://www.livejournal.com/users/midwalian/

[FAN]

i had to give up two part time jobs and did claim benefit but i lose £11 pounds a week because i dont go to the job centre to apply for work (they know i cant work but still have to go ) i now have my gp sending letters to try get it back

fan x

[Sarah-Jane]

Im still signed off sick and have been since about end of september 04 from work work have been ok ish, but now looks as though they are making me redundant as of the end of january 2005, im having to look for new job for financial reasons although dont really feel strong enough yet, having good and bad days and hopefully good days outweigh the bad.

Love Sarah-Jane xxxx

[camilla]

i hadn't any sick pay. cos i was new 2 the job. but if the dr signs u off 4 a certain amount of time. in my case 2 weeks. as soon as you get the note from the dr saying your unfit to work you can claim money back. but make sure you send it off to get money back within a week of recieving it otherwise they might not get any money back. the details of were to send it off to are on the dr note.
hope this is helpful to you
camilla

[mumof4]

Over the last 4 year years ive been with my company BP i have only had a month off on the sick due to the attacks but i had to go back due to needing the money.

I am now of for 6 months due to giving birth to my son 8 weeks ago today and im glad im not ta work as since ive given birth my panic attacks have came bakc worse than ever i hope they get a wee bit better by the time i go back.

Sometimes in my work it is hard cause i work on the till and have to deal with customers and sometimes i have to work by myself and when i take a attack there is nothing i can do or go untill i calm down.

I have just told my boss about the attacks as she is a friend as well and she has promised me that i wont work by myself no more which helps as when i have a attack i can go out side and have a cig and calm down.

[Blondie]

I'm glad it's not just me off sick! I've been of for over a month now and I work in a bar so I doubt I'll get much more sick pay.

Just watched my boyfriend go of on our staff party to Ireland. Obviously can't go too cos I don't feel I can handle being away from home.

Ah well. Maybe next time. xxx