Leaving work due to a back problem

Mutant

Hello

I was born with a defect in my lower back where part of a bone is bigger or at least thats what i understand of it. In the last couple of years it started giving trouble to my hip and back which i received injections and treatment for. This helped greatly until about 6 months ago.

Everyday i come home from work and im crippled.

So to the actual question's
I think id be entitled to disability allowance but i dont how long it takes to get a decision or what id do in the meantime while i was waiting for a decision.

I would also have to leave work voluntarily due to medical reasons. Would this affect the decision.

Is it possible to look for light work getting paid up to 120 weekly along with the allowances.

If i didn't qualify is there anything else.

Any help is appreciated

Thanking You

Gatling

It can take up to 12 months to get a decision on disability and you likely could be refused at the first or several attempts

livemusic4life

It sounds like you should get disability, but they will wonder why you were able to work before but not now. They may suggest you can work if you change the type of job, and age is a big reason to turn you down. If you have enough stamps, you are best to go on illness/injury benefit while you wait for your disability application.

Obviously, don't even hint to anyone that you want to work for a few hours a week as you will definitely get turned down. If you get disability, it's best to wait at least 6-12 months before you apply for an exemption to work. They only give you the exemption for a pre authorised about of time. I found it difficult to get an extension. Good luck. Life is tough on disability as money is very tight.

Gatling

livemusic4life wrote: »

If you get disability, it's best to wait at least 6-12 months before you apply for an exemption to work. They only give you the exemption for a pre authorised about of time. I found it difficult to get an extension. Good luck. Life is tough on disability as money is very tight.

You don't need an exemption to work ,
You can work 20 hours per week as long as it's considered rehabilitative to your condition or well-being .
Plenty of people do it.

"Disability Allowance or Blind Pension are means-tested disability payments. If you wish to do rehabilitative employment you must get written approval from the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to retain your Disability Allowance or Blind Pension. For both payments you need to provide a letter from your doctor certifying that the proposed work is rehabilitative. You also need to provide confirmation of your earnings (a payslip, your contract of employment or a letter from your employer). You do not need to have been getting your payment for a minimum period of time before you can apply for a rehabilitative work exemption.

To qualify for a means-tested payment your income from various sources is examined to see whether it is under a certain level. Some earnings from rehabilitative work are not taken into account in the assessment of your means and do not affect your payment. For Disability Allowance and Blind Pension, earnings of up to €120 from rehabilitative work (either as an employee or as a self-employed person) are not taken into account at all in the assessment of means. (The means assessed are your gross earnings less PRSI, any pension contributions and any union dues. You cannot deduct income tax or income levies.)

If you earn more than €120 per week from rehabilitative work, 50% of your earnings between €120 and €350 are not taken into account in the Disability Allowance or Blind Pension means test.

Disability Allowance: all earnings over €350 are assessed as income and your entitlement to Disability Allowance will be reduced in line with the appropriate reduced rates of payment for Disability Allowance. If you have no other means, the maximum amount you can earn is €422.50 and still keep an entitlement to the minimum personal payment of €3 (2016). If you are getting payments for a qualified adult or qualified children your means from rehabilitative work are deducted from the family rate that applies to you."


Op see below for details

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/social_welfare_payments_and_work/disability_payments_and_work.html