does anyone have any experience of sick certs?

micheal001

Hi
I am currently working working 2/3 days a week,filling out the yellow X & O,s slips weekly.
I was in a bad accident 2 years ago,i took a little time off work,5-6 weeks as I did,nt want to loose my job,even though I was and am on a lot of medication for my back and mental issues.
To make along story short, I tore the cartalige in my knee 3 weeks ago, had a MRI,was told I am on waiting list for operation,1-3 years away!
now my 2 knees are in bad shape along with my back and mental isues on top of that.
The part time work I have involves a lot of heavy manual work.
my gp advised me to go on sick,he says he will fill out sick certs.
does anyone have any experience of this or how does it work???
do I have tp go to the social welfare office every week with certs??
Thanks

Howard Juneau

If you are remaining in employment, your doctor has to provide you with a sick cert for work every week.
The social welfare will require a docket from your doctor every week as well. After a period of time (it varies, approx 6 months) you will be informed by the social that they will require a docket from you monthly.
If after a few more months you are still on illness benefit, you will be asked to appear before a doctor to assess your condition. If he concurs with your own doctors opinion, all is well. If not, you have to appeal his decision & see how it goes from there.

micheal001

how do you paid when your on sick certs?is it post office or bank?

Howard Juneau

micheal001 wrote: »

how do you paid when your on sick certs?is it post office or bank?

Same as you get paid on your X and O's
prob best to do it thru the bank though if you can, stops you having to go to the post office needlessly

ElleEm

I used to get my illness benefit into my bank account.

micheal001

I get paid by cheque weekly with my x & o,s.i then have to go to post office every week.I was advised to go on sick leave nearly 2 years ago,but I wanted to stay working as long as I could,but my body is telling me now to STOP! and now this problem with my knee and having to wait nearly 2 years.if I stay at the work iam at,i will damage it beyond repair(the other knee is not far behind it)
Is the sick the same as the dole-188 euro a week?
thanks for the help and replys folks:)

micheal001

micheal001 wrote: »

I get paid by cheque weekly with my x & o,s.i then have to go to post office every week.I was advised to go on sick leave nearly 2 years ago,but I wanted to stay working as long as I could,but my body is telling me now to STOP! and now this problem with my knee and having to wait nearly 2 years.if I stay at the work iam at,i will damage it beyond repair(the other knee is not far behind it)
Is the sick the same as the dole-188 euro a week?
thanks for the help and replys folks:)

If your Doctor advises you to go on certs, then do. It is the same as the dole moneywise. You should keep pressure on the consultant at the hospital to try speed up the op. There's no point in having a job, if it cripples you. Your employer may try to force you to leave the job, but unless you're certified medically unfit for work and can get disability benefit, then don't give in to them. Good Luck and good health.

danjo-xx

Its earnings related, if you were earning €300pw or more then you would get the full rate €188, under 300 and the rates reduce.

http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/345_Illness-Benefit.aspx#l1f333

micheal001

I get 150 for 3 days work and social gives me 100 euro.i checked that out on the site and it says id only get 120 euro a week.that cant be right?

Howard Juneau

micheal001 wrote: »

I get 150 for 3 days work and social gives me 100 euro.i checked that out on the site and it says id only get 120 euro a week.that cant be right?

It's means tested. It sounds a bit low, but contact the Citizens Information Bureau tomorrow & they may be more in the know.

micheal001

That's crazy:eek:.i thought you would get a least 188 euro a week,the same as the dole for a single adult male/female.

eastbono

Just to clarify illness benefit is not means tested. It depends on what your average weekly earnings were in 2011 if they were €300 or more then you will receive €188 pw. You do not say whether you have a partner or not. If you are single and will only receive a graduated payment i.e. less than €188 pw on illness benefit then you can apply to your community welfare officer for a "top up". Illness benefit is paid to your bank account. You will need to send in certs every week unless you are notified otherwise by the department.

If you are married or co-hab then in order to receive an adult dependant rate and if your partner/spouse is employed you will have to send on payslips the same would apply if you need a *top up* from your community welfare officer.

Howard Juneau

eastbono wrote: »

Just to clarify illness benefit is not means tested. It depends on what your average weekly earnings were in 2011 if they were €300 or more then you will receive €188 pw. You do not say whether you have a partner or not. If you are single and will only receive a graduated payment i.e. less than €188 pw on illness benefit then you can apply to your community welfare officer for a "top up". Illness benefit is paid to your bank account. You will need to send in certs every week unless you are notified otherwise by the department.

If you are married or co-hab then in order to receive an adult dependant rate and if your partner/spouse is employed you will have to send on payslips the same would apply if you need a *top up* from your community welfare officer.

That is incorrect

eastbono

What part of my contribution do you deem is incorrect??? That is a sweeping statement that you have made.

Howard Juneau

eastbono wrote: »

What part is incorrect??? That is a sweeping statement that you have made.

When you apply for illness benefit, you have to provide details of your home circumstances & that is taken into account when a payment is awarded.
Just because you are not working does not mean you are entitled to €188

eastbono

The OP will receive €188 pw once the have the necessary contributions and €300 pw average weekly earnings in the relevant tax year. If they are only entitled to a graduated payment then the community welfare officer will top up their payment.

Illness benefit personal rate is not means tested. Have a read of this http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/345_Illness-Benefit.aspx

micheal001

iv been working part-time for the past 6 yrs and paying a little prsi every week.
so I would be better off just going on the dole and getting 188euro aweek as to 120euro a week on the sick and going begging to the community welfare officer every week.

eastbono

micheal001 wrote: »

iv been working part-time for the past 6 yrs and paying a little prsi every week.
so I would be better off just going on the dole and getting 188euro aweek as to 120euro a week on the sick and going begging to the community welfare officer every week.

You need to find out what your average weekly earnings were in 2011. If they were > €300pw then you will receive €188 pw on illness benefit. If you are unfit for work then you cannot claim jobseekers allowance/benefit. You will not be going begging to the community welfare officer every week, once you are notified of the amount you will receive from illness benefit and it is less than €188 pw then you apply to your community welfare officer for a top up and this is paid into the post office every week.

micheal001

it was about 250-270 a week,that counting my wages and what the welfare give me.
that's running to the doctor for the doctors cert every week and then to the post office.
My gp told me not to be doing any lifting or twisting because of my back and cartalige dameage on my knees.
whats one to do??
I don't like the thoufgt of sitting at home all week,but on the other hand,i don't want to be left crippled as iam 33yrs old

danjo-xx

micheal001 wrote: »

it was about 250-270 a week,that counting my wages and what the welfare give me.

What welfare give you doesn't count as 'earnings' I think you said you got about €100pw week from welfare, so avg earnings would be around, €150-170 which would only give you approx €121.40 which is almost the same as a dependent allowance.

allthedoyles

Have a look at Invalidity Pension :

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

danjo-xx

I don't like the thoufgt of sitting at home all week,but on the other hand,i don't want to be left crippled as iam 33yrs old

Your health comes first, if I were you I would forget that manual lifting work especially after the accident you had.... I know your only 33 but still...

Yours options as I see it.

!. Invalidity Pension
2. Disability Allowance

Can take anything up to 18months or more to get a final decision on these, but each case is different.

If going that route you can apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance while waiting on a decision on your claiim but its means tested and you cant have more than €5k in savings to get the full rate.

The above advice is as a single person ~ option

micheal001

danjo-xx wrote: »

What welfare give you doesn't count as 'earnings' I think you said you got about €100pw week from welfare, so avg earnings would be around, €150-170 which would only give you approx €121.40 which is almost the same as a dependent allowance.

so a grown up,single man would have to live on 121.40 a week:eek:
then go begging to the local welfare officer with the paws out.
I just don't no what to do.100% risk of crippling myself at part time work or living on bread and water.

danjo-xx

micheal001 wrote: »

so a grown up,single man would have to live on 121.40 a week:eek:
then go begging to the local welfare officer with the paws out.
I just don't no what to do.100% risk of crippling myself at part time work or living on bread and water.

No one will get less than €186 a week from welfare as a single person all though as you rightly say, you may have to beg, in some cases.

Consider the options I made in my last post, I think you have a good case, if you get either DA or IP then there is the option of 19.5 hrs work while on these schemes but only gives you about €20pw extra, or €1000 a year but gets you out and about and keeping body n soul together.

Also if your health improves which hopefully it will you may find yourself in a situation where you can exit these schemes and return to mainstream employment which suits you.

micheal001

danjo-xx wrote: »

No one will get less than €186 a week from welfare as a single person all though as you rightly say, you may have to beg, in some cases.

Consider the options I made in my last post, I think you have a good case, if you get either DA or IP then there is the option of 19.5 hrs work while on these schemes but only gives you about €20pw extra, or €1000 a year but gets you out and about and keeping body n soul together.

Also if your health improves which hopefully it will you may find yourself in a situation where you can exit these schemes and return to mainstream employment which suits you.

How do you go about going on these schemes while working part-time?do you still have to get sick certs every week
or how do they work? would I have to quit the job,apply for the scheme and then look for the job again?

thanks

danjo-xx

micheal001 wrote: »

How do you go about going on these schemes while working part-time?do you still have to get sick certs every week
or how do they work? would I have to quit the job,apply for the scheme and then look for the job again?

thanks

You would have to be getting Illness Benefit (sick certs) and then you should discuss with your doctor if you should apply for these schemes as he would have to fill out medical reports for welfare if you do decide to apply.

See what your GP suggests.


Invalidity Pension is based on your stamps
Disability Allowance is means tested.

cee_jay

micheal001 you need to call into your local office and ask at the Information Hatch. They will have your full record in front of them, and will be able to advise of your contributions, weekly earnings in the relevant year, and how much you would recieve a week on Illness Benefit. Anything here, based on the information supplied by you, is only speculative.

LegacyUser

Howard Juneau wrote: »

Same as you get paid on your X and O's
prob best to do it thru the bank though if you can, stops you having to go to the post office needlessly

Illness Benefit only pays through bank or cheque, never the post office

allthedoyles wrote: »

Have a look at Invalidity Pension :

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

To qualify for Invalidity Pension you must:

Have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months (you will probably have been getting Illness Benefit or Disability Allowance during that time)

micheal001 wrote: »

so a grown up,single man would have to live on 121.40 a week:eek:
then go begging to the local welfare officer with the paws out.
I just don't no what to do.100% risk of crippling myself at part time work or living on bread and water.

You wont be begging to the Local Welfare Officer. Unless you have means coming in from somewhere, there shouldnt be any problem you getting a top up on your Illness Benefit payment and bring you up to the 186 weekly payment. He will be able to see your Illness Benefit claim and see that you're certified and should automatically pay the top up in line with your Illness claim.

As regards weekly certs from your doctor, if you feel you are going to be out with this for a few months, get your doctor to give you a written request to put you on monthly certs when you submit your first certs so save you from going to him every week