Sick Certs/invalidity/Carers allowance

boodee

Hi,

Anyone been before the medical referee while on sick certs.

I have been called after 12 weeks. I am submitting sick certs as i was told i couldn't claim dole as i can't work full time.

Do I tell them this or what. I gave up work due to my own health but also to look after my elderly mother. It has been suggested I go for Carers Allowance by the public health nurse.

I just don't know what to do. My monther fell this morning and I had to get my husband home from work to help get her up as I couldn't pick her up.

I feel that I will lose my sick pay, if I say the wrong thing, even though I know I am entitled to it. The SW suggested I put in for Invalidity Pension. Do I just submit all applications and see what happens.

I don't want to get into any trouble with SW.

mrsbyrne

boodee wrote: »

Hi,

Anyone been before the medical referee while on sick certs.

I have been called after 12 weeks. I am submitting sick certs as i was told i couldn't claim dole as i can't work full time.

Do I tell them this or what. I gave up work due to my own health but also to look after my elderly mother. It has been suggested I go for Carers Allowance by the public health nurse.

I just don't know what to do. My monther fell this morning and I had to get my husband home from work to help get her up as I couldn't pick her up.

I feel that I will lose my sick pay, if I say the wrong thing, even though I know I am entitled to it. The SW suggested I put in for Invalidity Pension. Do I just submit all applications and see what happens.

I don't want to get into any trouble with SW.

Your a bit vague about why you gave up work, but you should definitely apply for Carers Benefit straight away, not Allowance , Benefit, if your looking after your mother. you just have to tell them the truth at your medical assessment. i wouldnt mention that you are looking after your mother if i were you. your supposed to be too sick to go to work, but your able to care for her, can you see how that looks? I think you gave up work to care for your mother, you couldnt then get Jobseekers Benefit for two reasons, firstly you gave up your job so your not looking for work and secondly your not available for work because your looking after her, so you applied for illness benefit and got it. if you had applied for carers benefit you neednt have given up your job and could have had 2 years leave to care for her. still, its not too late to apply for the Carers and should be heard pretty soon. you wouldnt get Invalidity Pension unless you have something very serious wrong with you, maybe you have, you dont say. apply for Carers Benefit tomorrow.

cee_jay

boodee wrote: »

I feel that I will lose my sick pay, if I say the wrong thing, even though I know I am entitled to it. The SW suggested I put in for Invalidity Pension. Do I just submit all applications and see what happens.

Why are you entitled to it? You don't say why you know this?
Illness Benefit is for people who can't work because of illness - is this you?

boodee

hi,
I'm getting sick pay because i gave up work as i couldn't stand for 8 hours at a time anymore. I damaged my spine years ago in an accident and also have a muscle problem. This is all confirmed with mri's, consultant letters and my gp is also supporting my sick certs.

So, that cleared, I gave up work due to my own health.

In the meantime my mother beacme ill and has gotten sicker as time's gone by. When I say I'm looking after her, it's driving her places, cooking and light house work. She has a home help to get her out of bed, but if she doesn't get up, then she's there for the day as I can't get her up unless my husband is there to help. I can't lift her or do anything heavy like that.

When I gave up work I was told in SW that as I couldn't work full time. I haven't done so in 6 years, 3 days a week and only with the aid of painkillers and physioterapy. I can't afford physio anymore either, I had to allocate some of my wage to maintaining myself so I could actually work.
I HAD to go on sick certs as I am not available for full time nor would i be looking for fulltime work.

I look after my mother at the expense of my own health and because there is no one else, I would rather be working outside the home. She may have to be hospitalised if she gets any worse or falls again. She had to wait on the floor for nearly an hour today before I could get help to get her up.

I really don't know what to do. I have paid my taxes since i was 16, so surely i'm entitled to something. I hate being on sick certs and feel you have to be bed ridden to stay on them.

Invalidity pension was mentioned as my condition isn't ever going to improve, I can't regenerate a new spine.

I don't know where i fit in and i'm not going to lie at my medical check, that's not what i was saying, it's just i need some kind of payment to keep going, maybe it's just a lost cause???????????????????? I would be able to do some kind of light work a couple of days a week.....but that's all i'ii ever be able to do.

mp22

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/disability_and_illness/invalidity_pension.html

You can do rehabillitave work for a max of 19.5 hours a week while getting a invalidity pension.
If you have enough stamps for a pension you should apply straight away.

boodee

thank you mp22