Incapacity Benefit and my local helpful job center
I was on SSP from my employer for 28 weeks then applied for Incapacity Benefit, I have been on it six weeks and have been called to attend a work based interview in 2 weeks, they said that they left me until I had finished all my treatment ( had my last radiotherapy 6 days ago) how kind of them! I guess they assume that now treatment is finished I am 100% fit and healthy and ready to get a job!!! the thing is I have a job that is being held open for me by a fantastic employer and more so its a job that I love. When I feel fit and healthy ( which is not at the moment, all I want to do is sleep) and my GP says I am well enough to return to work then I will.
I thought that the government was sympathetic and understanding to people with cancer, when I asked them this I was told they were and that there were allowances but not for my type of cancer!!!!
I have worked since my daughter was 8 months old she is now 20. my husband works full time and we never asked for anything until now, but as I seem to have the "wrong" type of cancer it feels like I am going to be bullied back to work.
I now feel even worse, am feeling stressed and am finding it hard to manage the pain........... so thank you to my local job center for helping me recover from my breast cancer!!!
I have a letter to fax to Mr Gordon Brown tomorrow and have contacted my local MP. I just wonder how many other people are going through the stress of cancer and are being treated the same when we all know at least one person who has fiddled the system for years!!!
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i 'm sorry you had such a
i 'm sorry you had such a tough time with your job centre , i had the complete opposite experience ,but i do have a different cancer so maybe that is the difference. i am on income support and my youngest child is nearing school age so i got a letter from the job centre calling me in for an interview to try and get a job. i phoned them and told them i was unable to attend and for why and the apologised and said they wouldn't be bothering me again. later that day they phoned me and went over any extra benefits i might be entitled to. they were really helpful .
but my partner has had dealings with incapacity and they are not the nicest of people . good luck with your letters if this doesn't work maybe you could go to the local papers
thank you for your reply. I
thank you for your reply. I asked if i could do the interview over the phone and even that was a no go......... I will attend even if I have to drag myself there.
they have not mentioned looking at any other benefits but I will see what happens,
got so stressed out I forgot to put hubbys xmas present that arrived today away oppps! ;-(
Hello Angie
Can i suggest that you try ringing up the helpline here to speak to the cancerback up nurses for advice. Other wise the macmillan benefits advice line may be able to give you advice. But bottom line if you arent well enough to attend and if you have a signed sick note I dont think that they can object or contradict a Doctors opinion. I was asked to see the DSS once in 2003 and was very worried about it but when i went I saw a doctor, she authorised payments of up to a year without the need to see my GP so that ended up being a good thing. I wonder whether that will be something similar? Anyway - I do hope you manage and let us know how you get on. Best wishes and try not to worry too much, Love Jools x
P.S. Sometimes these interviews are a simple formallity in anycase where they have to explain how they can help you when you are able to go back to work! As I say - if you ar signed off by your doctor they cannot overule him/her as they dont have the power.
Incapacity Benefit
Yes, there doesn't sound like there's too much to worry about here. The Work and Pension's computer spews letters out to all claimants at regular intervals. I had a 'work-based interview' set-up for me when I was in the midst of chemotherapy - which the Mac nurses kindly sorted. I, like you, have never been on any kind of beneft so the appearance of a letter can make you feel as if a change in your award is imminent. As Jools said, the best point of reference is the Mac Benefits line. However, it doesn't do any harm to cross-reference your current condition with the criteria laid down by the Work and Pension folk. If you've time, the Martin's Money site (just google) has a useful forum where you can probe the thoughts of others in similar situations.
Andrew
job centre
Dear Agie, I'm sorry to read in your blog that your having trouble with the above. Stress will hold back your recovery,so please tell your G.P. as he/she will have to fill in the form that you'll be required to fill in to try and continue with the benifit. I'm pleased you are contacting your M.P. and the P.M. I hope this will at least make you feel your doing all YOU can during your recovery. Best wishes and let us know how you get on with the benifit. lindaj
reply to poet40
thank you for your advice and support, martins money site is fantastic isnt it?!?I was honored I didnt get a computer generated letter, I had a personal call from the job center asking me to attend an interview and they were so kind as to to let me know that they waited till now as they knew my treatment would be finished. lol they kindly gave me 6 days to recover before contacting me!!!
Right type of Cancer?
Hi Angie - what a dirty shower of ...........pen pushers!! What kind of bloody nonsense are they talking about, you don't have the "right" type of cancer?!! I am delighted to hear you have a letter which you are going to fax to Gordon Brown, and that you intend lobbying your local MP. Let's hope someone in this hopeless establishment listens to you and finally finds a store of what they could all do with having - compassion. Don't let them bully you Angie, you are entitled to recover from cancer in whatever way and how ever long it may take. Wishing you lots of luck, with love kate xxxxxxxxxxxx
Pen Pushers and Form Fanatics
Glad the Martin's Money link was of use - I've used this myself. I don't think those who work behind desks have very much of an idea of what it's like to be a cancer patient, so there's plenty of scope here for confusion and misunderstanding. I think you just have to be firm in explaining your current difficulties and the medium term side effects of the therapy. Generally, they should be understanding.
Take Care
Andrew
Fit for Work )FFS)
Cheeky b.........s the same thing happened to me last November but instead of an interview they wanted me to go for a medical. Finished Radio in Oct following double mast, chemo, etc etc and they obviously thought that i was now capable of work. The thing is I dont even get incapacity benefit despite working for 24 years and guess where I worked yes the DSS. I get only get national insurance credits because of a break in my national insurance contributions. I rang the lovely lady at the DSS and told her were to stick her NI credits because their was no way I was fit enough to go for a medical. The conversation got a little heated to say the least, however she rang me back about an hour later and told me I didnt have to go and my case would be reviewed in Dec 08. I am now waiting with baited breath for the next little brown envelope after which round 2 will begin. I would definately not go for the back to work interview, I would ring them again "telling them" that you are not well enough to attend, but you are quite happy for someone to come and visit you. They may ask for a letter from your doctor to say you are "housebound", just say fine I will supply one. They tend to use the work housebond because its a bit frightening coz like me you can probably go out on short trips, ie hospital appmts etc. Dont be intimidated by these jobs worths ( I was never one honest) Just be firm and polite (unlike me) If you get no joy from whoever you speak to ask for someone in authority, team leader or office manager and stick to your guns. Good Luck with your scrap and let us know how you get on. Love Angela.xx
How ignorant of them!!
Hi Angie.
I can't believe they have said this to you.
What's so different about our kind of cancer! How insensitive of them. I'm sure someone has made a mistake. We are covered by the disability at work act by law and I don't think their behaviour complies with that!
I just hope I don't need more than 28 weeks.
Wishing you all the best luck in the world
Veggie
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aaarrrghhhh
It just makes me so cross! Wrong type of cancer? How dare they! What about all the so called 'job seekers' that spend all day and everyday in our local pub, playing pool or standing outside cluttering up the street with fag ends? Why don't they do something about them if they want somebody to pick on?
On a calmer note, I wouldn't worry too much. It'll just be a routine interview and you have all the relevant doctor's notes etc. so I should think they'll be sympathetic. If they look like being awkward, strip off and show them your scar - that should shut them up.
Good luck.
Shelagh
Incapacity Benefit
I was amazed to read your story - it could have been mine - it's EXACTLY what happened to me but my radiotherapy had finished about 8 days before. I was in a terrible state when I went to the interview as I had found out that day that a friend I worked with who had been diagnosed with bowel/liver cancer at the same time I was diagnosed wth breast cancer had died that morning. Also my daughter, pregnant with twins and 250 miles away was very poorly with pre-eclampsia and a liver condition and had been admitted to hospital. (She had a casearean and the babies were born that very night - thankfully all were well) Anyway, when I got there the "helpful" (not!) lady began to tell me about the training I could get to find a job. I let her ramble on (was too tired and upset really to argue) for ages and then pointed out that I had a job held open for me by my employer and I didn't really need any more training (unless they were going to fund me throught uini for another law degree!!!) She did then show some embarrassment (to her credit) . They had no idea that I was on long term sick leave - don't they communicatge with one another? I was told that I could go home and they would contact me . When they did it was to tell me that I could continue to have IB for another 6 months without further interviews. In the event I rang them and told them to stop the IB - I couldn't be bothered to put up with any more. It's shocking to think that you can work full time for decades and pay all your taxes and National Insurance and, bear in mind, that IB is contribution based. You only get around £75 per week - whooppee doo - if you consider what I've paid in over the years, then you don't get much back. I found that I couldn't go back to work as I couldn't face the stress and travelling but I look at my life now and work all seems so far away now. Our daughter and son in law and yes, those two beautiful baby girls have relocated to be near us and my new "career" is being a granny and getting lots of love and kisses - sure beats a busy solicitors office and courtrooms!!!!
I feel for you...
'.....as I had to attend for an interview during my radiotherapy.
However, to be fair to the woman I saw when I got there, she was merely complying with the rules set for her and was most apologetic that I had to attend and quickly went thro the mandatory questions.
Like you I had called beforehand to explain situation as I couldn't believe I would have to attend.........she herself was quite frustrated.......she said they used to have the discretion but it has now been removed.
Good luck
what a waste of time
I went to job centre today the lady was lovely but what a waste of time!
The paper work that the computer prints is all geared up to people who have no job and states what jobs I am looking for!
If i am still claiming in four weeks I will be contacted to attend up to 5 meetings with skilled advisors who will help me plan my journey back to work, they will help me with interviews, CV`s and in finding a job. when do they get the point of I HAVE A JOB!! this is a complete waste of money, the great bit is that the offices of the appointed company is on the 2nd floor with no lift!!! how well thought out is that??? they have to hire a ground floor office everytime they see someone who cannot manage the stairs and as they are helping people with illness and disability they made a good choice of offices (NOT).
As I said I think it is all a complete waste of time and money but as the rules say I have to attend then I will have to continue with this as I cannot afford to survive without the incapacity benifts!!!
The one bit of help was that she said to ring her when I am ready to go back to work part time and she will see If I can get the return to work credit...
so thats my rant about the Job centre.
I have an appointment at guys in couple of weeks to see if I have the gene for breast cancer, onc appointment in jan where I am gonna ask for another bone scan as I have been getting terrible pains in my spine... and then hopefully Back to work and back with "normal" life in Feb this is the bit that scares me, breast cancer has taken over my life for 9 months I cant remember what it was like to lead a normal life working and not having to go to the hospital...