Hello all u beautiful people im on the scrounge for some answers to a few questions if u would be so kind As my previous post mentioned, following a phone consultation with an Occupationsl Health nurse yest She has decided that I am NOT FIT TO WORK atm Now my Q is Does this mean that I am def not allowed under any cercumstancies to return back to work on Monday even tho I’ve already had a phased return?? Also the Payroll dept still had me listed as Sick during the phased rtn n as a consequence I’m now on half pay until feb then I will get nothing 
Does anyone know if I’m allowed to claim any benefits at this stage I’m not yet Dx with anything Thought I was finally getting over it but all this stress has bought on a new numb lip symptom Thanks for any help or advice Lou "/
Hi, I don’t know how much help this will be, but my experience was… I had 6 months full sick pay and then was transferred to half pay for a further 6 months - at this time I applied for/was awarded DLA. After that I had 3 months no pay and started claiming incapacity benefit - I then attempted a phased return (and under ‘permitted work’ still recieved benefits). I was monitored by occupational health throughout this time and it was their decision to terminate my contract due to ‘unresolved and prolonged illhealth’ (I had a lot of non specific symptoms but no real diagnosis…)
Hope that has helped…
Carrie
(this was between 2003 and 2005 - and the benefits have changed since then…).
Thanks Carrie I’ve not been off long enough to even begin to look at any benefits then guess we’re just gonna be homeless n starving then great start to the new year that I wanted lol bad enough that the neuro doesn’t think there’s all that much going on with me but just to be certain he’s sending me for EVP’S, surely that means he Does think thee could be something but just isn’t prepared to say either way then the opthomologist I seen and seeing again always referre to my case notes as being dx with rrms but hey what would I no lol 
will hopefully no more after speaking with the boss 2moro a.m she turn round n say just get on with it despite what OH gave said "/ Lou
As far as returning to work when OH have said that you are not fit – I’m not sure where your employer stands with this. If they are told that you are not fit it might invalidate insurances etc if they allow you to work so I really don’t know. Mind you I don’t hold much credence with a telephone consultation. What does your GP/neuro say with regard to work?
As for benefits.
You can apply for DLA anytime. It is one benefit that is not means tested and it doesn’t matter if you are in full employment. It doesn’t depend on dx just the difficulties that you have in your day to day life.
You can apply for ESA when your SSP runs out, again this has nothing to do with a dx - just if you can or can’t do the 10 or so descriptors and score 15 or more points.
Jane
Hi
I would have thought that it is up to your GP after discussion with you whether you are fit to return to work.
If you are still under a fit note saying that you are not fit for work then you should not return.
If they have agreed that you are fit to return, either under restricted duties or not then its your employers job to make reasonable adjustments to assist you.
You could make a claim for DLA based on any needs for care / mobility that you may have. This can be claimed whether working or not.
Jane is correct about ESA after ssp.
take care
Neil
Thanx guys
its just bloody confusing
if i had NOT gone back to work for 3weeks then i could get my head around it better but I DID
I work for the local borough council so our sick leave/pay are on a rolling tot up system for which i get 60days full sick then followed by 60 half pay
following the chat with payroll they informed me that i had gone over my 60 days full and subsequently i am now into my 60 half pay as my flippin boss did not tell them that i had returned
As for the OH consult being over the phone, well its all ment to piece together with what my boss would have already told them having carried out a face to face return to work interview, so theyre just looking for any changes between my returning and the interview over the phone or to see if im basically still telling them the exact same thing as i did to the boss (i was hence she doesnt think im fit for work atm)
I last saw my GP at the beginning of Dec and asked about returning to work and he just told me that if i felt ready to go back then he would agree but he did so on a 3 week reduced hrs phased return
i thought that was the end of it till that blinking call on friday a.m
As for teh stupid waste of space neuro has based his whole decision on an 8 minute consult during which time he took a call on his mobile :o
he tried to rush thro taking my history and checked my eyes ( they were bloody normal typical!! ive had x2 ON tho)
checked my upper n lower reflexes and did that scrape thing on my feet (absolutly NO reaction on either foot!! is that normal ??)
He concluded that i 'presented as ‘‘normal’’ and he was 100% certain that it was NOT Benign Intercrainial Pressure and NOT Benign MS ( how he came to the later conclusion im unsure)
but to make certain he has said he will send me for EVP’s on eyes and limbs, so does trhis mean then he could think there could be something???
His attitude, quite frankly, was very pfft!! stop wasting my time just go away n lose some weight
not at all overly helpful i was kinda hoping he’d tell me something i didnt know!! lol
Lou
Hi Lou,
you are having a tuff time and we both seem to be going through the same thing…I have been lucky enough to sell my house as I was ill in Jan last year but thought it was to do with mini strokes, having had passed problems with these before we decided to sell up last summer due to the stressful job I have which seem to aggrevate everything I have. the house went on the market in July and I started being ill again in September and was admitted to hospital. I was never sure why they kept sending me to nuero until a locum mentioned in October I had MS symtoms but clear MRI’s. Since then I have been backwards and forward on the NHs roller coaster of differant diagnoses, just had a further MRI on Sat morning and waiting for EVP appt, the new nuero does not think its MS but sending me for tests just in case, he is now saying it could be non organic, which is frustrating as I have heart problems and arthiritis in my back in two places, so it could be any of these. Luckily we have a sale going through and we are downsizing as we only have 2 children left at home now, thank goodness too I have a supportive husband. I am taking each day at a time as it all seems to much to think about but I do think returning to work will make what ever I have speed up so I am trying to take a step back and slow it down, which to me seems the common sense thing to do.
I decided to retrain too and become a counceller, not sure if this is a pie in the sky though, we shall see. I really hope things work out for you Lou, keep going, Catherine xx
Hi Catherine
wow u are too loading urself up with added stress to it seems lol
Im in rented housing so hopefully i can convince them that i am not deliberatly adding to my aready mounting rent arrears "/
Just wish the blinkin Neuro would (at least try n fake) believe me that would be half the battle won in my eyes lol
im off to the docs again 2moro appointment pending lol to see if they think i can go back to work n if not if they have actually made notes on my notes that i have been back n forth to them a few times with the vairing symptoms that way i mait actually be able to think about claiming DLA
whats the worst they can say NO lol
Sorry im finding it all to hard to try n concentrate now and actually type at the same time so im going t o cut it short
Take care
lou