Incapacity Benefit and my local helpful job center
1 minute read time.
FormerMember
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!!!
FormerMember
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 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! ;-(
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.
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.
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
