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Going back to work

Tomkys
Tomkys Community member Posts: 3 Listener
edited November 2018 in Work and employment
Hi hope everyone having a good day today .
I have a degenerative spinal condition , Authritis, M.E , Fibromyalgia,Clinical depression and auto immune disorder. I have been off work for about 17 years due to collapsing at that time. 
We financially could do with a boost and keep wondering if I could possibly hold a job down . The physical back problems I know you may find a job with a sympathetic employer who will work around them but as in the M.E etc I seem to catch everything going and once I have caught it take a while to fight things . 
My worry is trying to work it doesn’t work out and then having to go through the benefits applications all over again and being even worse off financially.
I am sure their are a lot of you that have been in this situation and was looking for some guidance please .

Comments

  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @Tomkys, thanks for sharing this with us.

    It's great that you're looking to get back into work! I can really relate to your frustrations with trying to find something safe and accessible for you, and I'm sure many others will feel the same way too. Hopefully one of our employment advisors will be in touch ASAP and able to offer some guidance. 
  • Tomkys
    Tomkys Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    Thank you . It’s the worry of not being able to hold the job down then starting again ?
  • synergy2120
    synergy2120 Community member Posts: 19 Courageous
    Even though i was not the person claiming ESA etc i am a carer for my husband but went back to paid employment after volunteering for s few years. Even though i only worked 8 hours a week it affected our money quite a lot. after the first £20 of earnings the rest is deducted from your ESA on a £1 for £1 basis so essentially we were only £20 a week better off, but that doesn't take in consideration your travel and food etc My health also became much worse so i would have to take sick days which you do not get paid for, not sure if this is different if you get PIP for a illness? 
    I also had to show all my wage slips to the job center so you need to factor in how easy it is for you to do that every few months. Your ESA is not based on your earnings each month either. Its stretched out over the year and this really does not help. Again this may be different for you as you are the named person on the claim. 
    To be honest now that im not working those 8 hours we are better off by about £30 a week. When i feel able to go back to work again i will remain doing voluntary work like i did before i got paid.
    Hope that helps, and if i have got anything then please correct me as im only going on my personal experience with the system.  
  • synergy2120
    synergy2120 Community member Posts: 19 Courageous
    Oh it was also a pain going through the process again ... even though we lost no benefits in the process of me working some hours a week we did lose money and it was not straightforward going back to our original award after i left work. I do know your PIP should not be affected by you working. 
  • topshoes
    topshoes Community member Posts: 442 Pioneering
    edited November 2018
    Hi @Tomkys yes that is a hard one, if you go back to work and only there a week then have a day off they would not be happy , i use to like working but its not going to happen not now , you could even make yourself more unwell  

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