JSA -Cert of Fitness from Doc

LegacyUser

Hi,

I applied for JSB/JSA & weeks ago now, was told i'd be contacted within 4 weeks with a decision, well its been 7 weeks now and i got a package in the post today with more forms to be filled out. UP 19 & a UP7

I have no problem filling out these forms, but what i do have a problem with is the request for a Certificate of Fitness from my doctor.

I cannot afford to attend the doctor €50 is completely out of the question for me to spend at the moment on a visit to the doctor- i litterally do not have it. I applied for a medical card 7 weeks ago also and still have not heard back from them.

I understand that i need to be in a postion to find and accept full time work in order to attain JSA but asking me to pay for a doctors visit is crazy.

I have my forms all filled out, with all the evidence they require and i'm thinking of dropping them into the local SW office and just telling them that i can't afford to go to the doc...will this go against me or will they finally realise that i've got NOTHING and need their help!

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Sue Ellen

If the office are requesting proof that you are fit for it will be based on something that you either told them or if you were previously on an illness benefit claim. As being fit for work is a condition of the claim if you cannot satisfy the deciding officer that you are fit for work they will disallow your claim.
If you were on illness benefit a final cert from your GP will suffice. If this is not the case you will have to provide something from a doctor to prove that you are fit for work. Unfortunately these are your only options.

eastbono

Sue Ellen wrote: »

If the office are requesting proof that you are fit for it will be based on something that you either told them or if you were previously on an illness benefit claim. As being fit for work is a condition of the claim if you cannot satisfy the deciding officer that you are fit for work they will disallow your claim.
If you were on illness benefit a final cert from your GP will suffice. If this is not the case you will have to provide something from a doctor to prove that you are fit for work. Unfortunately these are your only options.

If OP was previously on IB then their local sw office should be able to see that a final cert was sent in and claim was closed and this should suffice that OP is fit for work.
I agree that there is something OP has either told them or not told them and that is why they are looking for cert of fitness.

LegacyUser

Hi, thanks for your replies, long story short i was physically attacked my by last employer..(who is a family member) last year. I didn't go to the local sw office for several months, and when asked why the delay in my application i just said 'i wasn't feeling too well after loosing my job' I did not attend the doctor at the time (regretfuly) as i did not want to persue the matter with my last employer and my injuries were not serious.

However i did have a hard time accepting what had happened (so much so i didn't admit to anyone i knew that i no longer worked for 'x' company) and i was traumatised for several months afterwards...I went for counselling and that helped. I lived off my savings but when they ran out i had absolutely no choice but to go to the sw office.

I managed to get a letter from my previous employer (via another family member) stating that my employment was terminated due to lack of available work for me. It's been a difficult time but when i went to the sw office 7 weeks ago i felt ready to go seeking employment...i have actively applied for jobs since.

I understand that i should have gone to the sw office imediately and the doctor but at the time i just wasn't in a good place and now my bills have mounted up, i havnt been able to pay the mortgage or other loans for the last two months and I'm finding this very diffucult...i know i will only get backpaid to the date i went to the sw but this will not be enough to pay the arrears on my mortgage and loan and enough for me to survive.

I'm thinking of applying to have my payment backdated to last year when the 'incident' happened...does anyone know how this could be possible?..especially when i didn't go to the doctor at the time i don't think this will help.

Sorry for the long drawn out explaination..any help or advice greatly appreciated.

skate22

Certoffitness wrote: »

Hi,

I applied for JSB/JSA & weeks ago now, was told i'd be contacted within 4 weeks with a decision, well its been 7 weeks now and i got a package in the post today with more forms to be filled out. UP 19 & a UP7

I have no problem filling out these forms, but what i do have a problem with is the request for a Certificate of Fitness from my doctor.

I cannot afford to attend the doctor €50 is completely out of the question for me to spend at the moment on a visit to the doctor- i litterally do not have it. I applied for a medical card 7 weeks ago also and still have not heard back from them.

I understand that i need to be in a postion to find and accept full time work in order to attain JSA but asking me to pay for a doctors visit is crazy.

I have my forms all filled out, with all the evidence they require and i'm thinking of dropping them into the local SW office and just telling them that i can't afford to go to the doc...will this go against me or will they finally realise that i've got NOTHING and need their help!

Any advice greatly appreciated.

I cant understand why they asked you for a medical cert ??? I myself applied in Jan for JSA and was never asked for that so as the previous person said it must have been something you filled out on the form. Also at the initial application you should have been given the U19 and U7 forms to fill out not 7 weeks later. I got the forms on the same day I applied and had to bring them back a week later and a week after that I met with a Social Welfare Inspector. My file now with a deciding Officer.

Have you had an interview with a Social Welfare Inspector because JSA is means tested. Once they see you they have to send your file to a deciding officer before it finally gets to Decisions. You should go into the local SW Office and question this. If necessary ask to speak to a supervisor to see what stage your file is at and how long more you will have to wait. After all they did tell you that you would have a decision within 4 weeks. Usually, decisions take 10 to 12 weeks. well thats what I was told.

Best of luck :rolleyes:

eastbono

You can also apply for supplementary welfare allowance through your community welfare officer while you jobseekers claim is being processed.

skate22

Certoffitness wrote: »

Hi, thanks for your replies, long story short i was physically attacked my by last employer..(who is a family member) last year. I didn't go to the local sw office for several months, and when asked why the delay in my application i just said 'i wasn't feeling too well after loosing my job' I did not attend the doctor at the time (regretfuly) as i did not want to persue the matter with my last employer and my injuries were not serious.

However i did have a hard time accepting what had happened (so much so i didn't admit to anyone i knew that i no longer worked for 'x' company) and i was traumatised for several months afterwards...I went for counselling and that helped. I lived off my savings but when they ran out i had absolutely no choice but to go to the sw office.

I managed to get a letter from my previous employer (via another family member) stating that my employment was terminated due to lack of available work for me. It's been a difficult time but when i went to the sw office 7 weeks ago i felt ready to go seeking employment...i have actively applied for jobs since.

I understand that i should have gone to the sw office imediately and the doctor but at the time i just wasn't in a good place and now my bills have mounted up, i havnt been able to pay the mortgage or other loans for the last two months and I'm finding this very diffucult...i know i will only get backpaid to the date i went to the sw but this will not be enough to pay the arrears on my mortgage and loan and enough for me to survive.

I'm thinking of applying to have my payment backdated to last year when the 'incident' happened...does anyone know how this could be possible?..especially when i didn't go to the doctor at the time i don't think this will help.

Sorry for the long drawn out explaination..any help or advice greatly appreciated.

What an awful situation to be put in. If I was in your situation I would seek legal advice about this. You may have a case for constructive dismissal.

Constructive dismissal arises where an employee terminates their contract of employment due to the conduct of an employer or other employees of the company whose behaviour they have previously brought to the attention of management.

You had no choice but to leave your job due to the actions of your employer and as a result of this you are now in debt through no fault of your own.

It might be worth looking into. I know there is a time limit on this of 6 months but it can be extended to 12 months in certain situations. As you said you have had to have counselling and have not been in the able to actively seek employment so this should stand to you.

I wish you the best of luck with this.