Illness benifit Closed Certification & Disability Allowance Q"s

Dempo1

Apologies in advance, I'm completely new to the application process.

Hi, I'm currently going through mountains of paper work with regard to illness benefit or possibly Disability allowance. I understand Disibility allowance a lot more complex and is generally the option if an illness is expected to last more than 2 years. I would fit into this category as my illness was diagnosed 4 years ago and is not improving and increasingly challenging. I've also just been diagnosed with arthritis in my knees (related to my long term illness)

I'm reluctant to apply for disability allowance, and thought perhaps illness benefit might be better to give time to see what long term diagnosis will be. I dread the thought of having to submit monthly certs but noticed as of 1st March 2019 closed certification for Illness Benefit was introduced, in essence your GP can issue one cert to cover the anticipated time illness will affect ability to work.

Am I understanding this correctly?

I'm unsure what I should be considering, either illness benefit or DA

Any pointers, advice sincerely appreciated.

Cherry Blossom

When I first got sick I was also reluctant to apply for DA. I went on illness benefit for a year and a half then got a temporary job in the civil service. When that ended I went on Jobseekers. For the next six years I went through being unemployed, volunteering, an ETB course, a CE scheme and a stint on Jobpath. A medical professional brought to my attention a scheme called employment response which I believe elsewhere in the country is called EmployAbility. I arranged a meeting with a case officer to get referred. The case officer heard my story and advised me to apply for DA and referred me to this program. By the time I was called my DA had been approved. My time ran out on the scheme over the COVID lockdown period and I asked to be re-referred which I was. I got my current job through this program and get to keep a portion of my DA. DA really is the most flexible social welfare payment and I should have been on it all along. By all means though, apply for both if you have the necessary contributions for IB. I had to get weekly certs for the first six months I think it was until social welfare wrote to me to tell me to submit monthly certs from them on. I’m not sure how it’s operating with COVID at the minute. It was years ago I was on IB. You don’t have to apply for DA straight away but keep it in the back of your mind. It’s useful especially if you feel you could do some work but not full time or maybe a different role than you have been doing.

Dempo1

Cherry Blossom wrote: »

When I first got sick I was also reluctant to apply for DA. I went on illness benefit for a year and a half then got a temporary job in the civil service. When that ended I went on Jobseekers. For the next six years I went through being unemployed, volunteering, an ETB course, a CE scheme and a stint on Jobpath. A medical professional brought to my attention a scheme called employment response which I believe elsewhere in the country is called EmployAbility. I arranged a meeting with a case officer to get referred. The case officer heard my story and advised me to apply for DA and referred me to this program. By the time I was called my DA had been approved. My time ran out on the scheme over the COVID lockdown period and I asked to be re-referred which I was. I got my current job through this program and get to keep a portion of my DA. DA really is the most flexible social welfare payment and I should have been on it all along. By all means though, apply for both if you have the necessary contributions for IB. I had to get weekly certs for the first six months I think it was until social welfare wrote to me to tell me to submit monthly certs from them on. I’m not sure how it’s operating with COVID at the minute. It was years ago I was on IB. You don’t have to apply for DA straight away but keep it in the back of your mind. It’s useful especially if you feel you could do some work but not full time or maybe a different role than you have been doing.

Thank you so much for that advice and Gosh you've had quite a journey. It's a really tough decision. I actually gave up a 30 year career due to fatigue I put down to long unsociable hours, moved into a completely different field, initially things improved but gradually had to get GP advice and eventually referred for tests, scans and to a consultant, I've been fortunate in one sense but being a public patient it took years to get a diagnosis and treatment plan. My illness is managed but fatigue, lack of sleep and additional linked complications mean working full time near impossible, an additional recent arthritis diagnosis has made driving very difficult and I live very rural.

Based on your own experience i think realistically DA is probably the more sensible option, I'm due to speak with GP later in the week and I suppose her opinion will ultimately will determine the best course of action.

Thanks again for your thoughts and shared experience

SourSessions

Dempo1 wrote: »

Thank you so much for that advice and Gosh you've had quite a journey. It's a really tough decision. I actually gave up a 30 year career due to fatigue I put down to long unsociable hours, moved into a completely different field, initially things improved but gradually had to get GP advice and eventually referred for tests, scans and to a consultant, I've been fortunate in one sense but being a public patient it took years to get a diagnosis and treatment plan. My illness is managed but fatigue, lack of sleep and additional linked complications mean working full time near impossible, an additional recent arthritis diagnosis has made driving very difficult and I live very rural.

Based on your own experience i think realistically DA is probably the more sensible option, I'm due to speak with GP later in the week and I suppose her opinion will ultimately will determine the best course of action.

Thanks again for your thoughts and shared experience

Best of luck with it all from someone else who went on the DA journey!

Dempo1

SourSessions wrote: »

Best of luck with it all from someone else who went on the DA journey!

Thank you, it's something I'm dreading