need help understanding what can be claimed

tom1ie

Hi all,

A member of the family has recently been diagnosed with graves disease and is completely wrecked with fatigue and all that goes with it.

The family member who is 38, is currently living with the parents at home and is in a low paid job.

Can that person apply for a medical card and what would be the likelihood of getting the medical card, as the treatment for Graves disease is quite expensive AFAIK.

The family member does not want to give the job up but the doctor is saying at the very least part time work only can be done if not giving up the job altogether to recover.

So can you look to get Job Seekers Benefit or illness benefit and work a small number of hours along with it?

What are the steps in applying for illness benefit if the doctor certifies that the person can no longer work?

thanks for any help guys i know very little about state benefits etc, so any guidance you can give me on this would be greatly appreciated!

Dempo1

I have Graves Disease so appreciate what the family member is going through. Medical Cards are means tested so any income will be factored in. Keep in Mind a diagnosis of any disease, doesn't guarantee getting a medical card but they should definitely apply & also apply for the long term illness card.

Jobseekers situation a little more complicated, a person is either fit to work or not and illness benefit might be a better option initially, assuming the family member has enough contributions. They'll need their GP to sign off on this. I worked full time after diagnosis for 4 years but it can affect people differently.

Greaves can go into remission, I attend an endocrinologist. I'm now on Disability Allowance, moving to invalidity pension, not for Greaves but other complications as a result of it.