Need advice, struggling with part time job chronic pain and mental health

WildBramble

Hi, I feel a bit stuck right now and wondered if anyone had any advice.

I live with a chronic pain condition that has affected me for over 10 years. It is a women’s health issue which causes me lower abdominal pain and discomfort. After years of seeing GPs and being dismissed, I finally got a referral to a women’s hospital, however it is at least a 12 month wait. This past year the pain has become worse and it is really affecting my mental health.
I tried medication but had bad side effects and feel afraid to try other meds. The pain fluctuates and it can flare up and be very painful some days or weeks.

The mental health issues are affecting me a lot in my job. The job is completely overwhelming me. I find that I am so emotional and I just can't switch off from work. I feel anxious about going to work all the time and it makes me feel physically sick. I can’t focus on tasks and it has led to social anxiety. I can’t keep up with conversations or process things anymore and struggle with brain fog. It affects my mood too and I struggle with low mood and struggle to sleep a lot. Because of all this I make mistakes at work, forget processes, and just can’t keep up or take things in. It is a very busy, fast paced reception desk.

I have tried retail and cleaning jobs in the past but they are so physical it causes my pain to flare up and I need to be careful. Because of that, I found a reception and office style job the best for my body. However, due to the brain fog, memory issues, anxiety and depression, I just can’t do the work very well. I suspect I might have dyslexia too, which was never diagnosed, so it is like having all these blocks in the way.

I work 21 hours a week, which is all I can manage and even that feels like too much right now. I am struggling financially. I live at home with my mum, who is frustrated by me not working more hours, so it is a really stressful time for me. My health issue is so hard to talk about and no one really understands that I have told. I want to be able to move out and have my independence, but I don’t know how.

I don’t know if I am entitled to any income support, but I really am struggling and feel I can't work any more hours. I might appear fine on the outside because I am good at hiding it and putting on an act, but it is so tiring.

I need some advice on different financial support I might be entitled to. I also need help finding a new job that might be remote and less stressful. But I don’t really have many skills. I only do simple admin stuff. I am not good at maths, problem solving, or IT and due to anxiety, I find customer service more challenging now. It just feels a bit hopeless.

Sorry for the long post and to be so negative, I guess I needed to get it off my chest a bit. Thank you for reading.

luvpink

@WildBramble

Hi and a very warm welcome to the community.

You could look into applying for pip and Universal credit.

Good luck and take care.

OverlyAnxious

Hi,

It's definitely worth applying for PIP. That's not means tested so not affected by work or anything. It is a long process though, not something that you're likely to get within weeks or even months. That's just about your ability to complete functional tasks. There are guides and tests online to see whether you'd score enough points for a PIP award before starting the process.

Universal Credit is a bit more complicated in this case. You can apply for the basic rate immediately, however your earnings from work would be deducted from it so not likely to be much better off overall. Really you need the health element (LCWRA) to be added, but the assessment for that can't be booked while you're earning more than about £200 a week (equivalent of 16hrs at minimum wage). So you would need to drop your hours before that's possible. Also, as you live at home with parent, you would not be eligible for any Housing Element in your current situation. If you do move out in future, you may be eligible for rent costs paid at that point, depending on your circumstances at the time.

Mary_Scope

Hi @WildBramble and a warm welcome to the community from me!

There is Scope's Support to Work service that may be worth looking into as they can help you to find volunteering, training, education, or employment opportunities and search for suitable jobs.

It is also worth doing the Turn2us Benefits Calculator as this will help you find out what you may be entitled too.

From what you've described, it also sounds like it's definitely worth looking to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) as well.

I'm going to send you an email shortly so please keep an eye out😊

flour

Hi @WildBramble

Welcome to the forum!

You should really speak to a benefits expert about this. You can call Citizens Advice Help to Claim Helpline from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday: 0800 144 8 444

Anyone whose not on benefits can call and they can run through your circumstances and tell you what you can get.

They can also give you the telephone for your local office to see if you can chat to them if you need extra help (though you may have to wait for an appointment).

You can read more about this free service here:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/claiming/contact-us-about-universal-credit/

I hope this helps?