Chronic Illness Related; An Update Of What's to Come!
Just a little update, I am going back to work! I would jump for joy but if I did that I might end up bed bound (disability humour, I went there). Now, the next battle is trying to sort out my benefit claims. I have a PIP (Personal Independent Payment) assessment on 31st March and I am very scared. I feel like this meeting will 'define' me as officially disabled, ridiculous right? I identify as disabled for a million reasons yet qualifying for this benefit will make my life a little easier. Which is heartbreaking when you get down to it but I won't get into that right now, but I'm sure a lot of people in my situation will get what I'm trying to say.
So today I thought I would try and tackle the benefit situation as I now know what hours I'll be doing for the first month of being back to work. As predict it was a shambles, I spoke to three different people on the phone being sent backwards and forwards and having everything I had learnt from the direct gov website (the website with all UK benefit information) being made completely irrelevant. Making a long story short and skipping the details of an anxiety attack which happened in between, I was filling a form out for Job Seekers Allowance. Even though I have a job. Even though the reason I can't work more than 4 hours a week because of my disability, not because that's all the hours I can get. I feel very confused and deeply concerned because this was the benefit I pried wouldn't be the one I was going to need, I have to attend a meeting in town with an adviser about it. Will I need to attend weekly meetings like everyone else? Even though I am sick and I doubt I can go to work two days a week and attend a meeting in town? And I know these are the kind of meetings that if you miss them, they withhold your benefit. So to conclude, I am upset about this.
I wrote a little rant post on my tumblr which is linked on the side of this blog if anyone is interested in my angry five minutes! I mention in the post that once, and if ever, I get everything sorted and I can relax even for a minute, I am going to write a detailed blog post in how to go about tackling the benefit system when you're faced with disability like mine and chronic illness. We have to deal with the most stressful and horrid situations, and there is loads of wonderful and helpful advice on how to deal with things from pain management, dealing with doctors and your new lifestyle, but it seems like money isn't mentioned a lot? Maybe because of the stigma of discussing ones income, but I feel like it's a huge gap in the chronic illnesses society that should be addressed! So I'm going to 'ave a go, don't expect greatness, but if it even helps one person I'll be so happy. Stay tuned.
So today I thought I would try and tackle the benefit situation as I now know what hours I'll be doing for the first month of being back to work. As predict it was a shambles, I spoke to three different people on the phone being sent backwards and forwards and having everything I had learnt from the direct gov website (the website with all UK benefit information) being made completely irrelevant. Making a long story short and skipping the details of an anxiety attack which happened in between, I was filling a form out for Job Seekers Allowance. Even though I have a job. Even though the reason I can't work more than 4 hours a week because of my disability, not because that's all the hours I can get. I feel very confused and deeply concerned because this was the benefit I pried wouldn't be the one I was going to need, I have to attend a meeting in town with an adviser about it. Will I need to attend weekly meetings like everyone else? Even though I am sick and I doubt I can go to work two days a week and attend a meeting in town? And I know these are the kind of meetings that if you miss them, they withhold your benefit. So to conclude, I am upset about this.
I wrote a little rant post on my tumblr which is linked on the side of this blog if anyone is interested in my angry five minutes! I mention in the post that once, and if ever, I get everything sorted and I can relax even for a minute, I am going to write a detailed blog post in how to go about tackling the benefit system when you're faced with disability like mine and chronic illness. We have to deal with the most stressful and horrid situations, and there is loads of wonderful and helpful advice on how to deal with things from pain management, dealing with doctors and your new lifestyle, but it seems like money isn't mentioned a lot? Maybe because of the stigma of discussing ones income, but I feel like it's a huge gap in the chronic illnesses society that should be addressed! So I'm going to 'ave a go, don't expect greatness, but if it even helps one person I'll be so happy. Stay tuned.
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