Thanks for that HoneyBee It's a rather odd situation I know, but having checked the information I have about the scheme it doesn't appear that there is any mention about other jobs and shortfalls (in saying that though I don't have much information on it, the information on our contractrs and sick pay is held on the internal server at work and they won't allow me access at home ) I will try contacting them to find out for sure, I'm just concerned at what they will say (especially in regards to the negotiated settlement) due to the way they have messed me around so far. Thank you though for the help, and hopefully some one else shall have more a little more input

Hello Honeybee It is being paid by my employer's parent company, so in effect by the company that has hired me.

Hello I got some great help from this forum last year and really hope that some one can help me again this time around. Briefly, I have been on long term sick for a few years due to major depression and social phobia. My job was a big contributor and in May this year they offered me a "negotiated exit/settlement" seeing as I was still unfit for work and in the meantime have kept paying me occupational sick pay. However, we are now in December and they are still dragging their feet. I agreed in writing to this negotiated exit in May, but have nothing in writing from them with the details, and last month I was instructed to put in writing that I wanted a negotiated exit (despite agreeing to the one they proposed in May!!) Now, more than 6 months later, I have been for an interview for a completely different, less stressful job with fewer people which means that even though I still struggle with big groups, it wouldn't be anything like dealing with the minimum 100 people every minute of my "current" job (that I haven't been able to attend in years.) Thing is, what happens now to the settlement from the negotiated exit and the occupational sick pay? Do I inform my employer and if so can they withdraw the offer? I have the feeling that they are up to something given that I've had to put it in writing twice about the negotiated exit in totally different ways. I would imagine occupational sick pay will stop even though this job is unrelated and for less than half the number of hours. I still have a sick line from my doctor stating that I'm unfit for that job as well as psychologist reports stating how much I struggle with groups of people and stress. Any help, advice or info is greatly appreciated so that I have even a rough idea what I am doing until I can speak to Citizen's Advice (And sorry about this being rather long )

Thanks all for the replies and sorry for not being on again sooner! I didn't notice the sticky threads unti ltonight and have sat and read them. I wish I had found this site before going for the assessment. Honeybee - I have discussed my meds with my psychiatrist and although he has given me numerous different medications (so far 10 different medications and various strengths of them all) none of them seem to help so the consensus has been that the tablets just aren't the way forward. So I just need to hope that the psychologist and therapy will help. Leemack - no I can't cook a meal from scratch but my doctor has no notes of anything to do with my dyspraxia. It was diagnosed at school just before I left and the doctor at the time didn't want to know, so I have been left to deal with it myself as the school decided "well you are leaving soon and will be some one else's problem so there is no point in us getting involved." So I don't have any "proof " from specialists. I really appreciate the help from you, it's nice to know that some one can give me some advice because I didn't know where to turn. IN other news - I received the copy of the medical assessment today. The nurse who did it has lied out right about the lenthg of time for the assessment - I was in the assessment centre for 50 minutes, 40 minutes of a wait and 10 minutes of assessment. According to her though I was assessed for an hour!! She hasn't taken note of anything that was said, and half of the questions she has said I answered "doesn't apply to me" she didn't even ask. On top of that, I recognised her name. She didn't introduce herself at the assessment but I recognised her name as soon as I saw it on the paperwork yesterday. I met her once - she is friends of one of my mum's work colleagues. My mum accompanied me on the day of the assessment but couldn't place where she recognised the nurse from. So the nurse knew about me before going as the work colleague told my mum and I that she had discussed my illness with her. And the work colleague is forever telling us about how she (nurse) has said she will (and she said this when my mother met her before) "single handedly stop people claiming benefits - none of the lazy ***s deserve it." So I will make a point of mentioning this to the lady at money matters but I don't know whether I should get in touch with DWP to let them know before discussing this with money matters. Some one upstairs must hate me!!

Hello, I hope I have this in the right place as am a new member. I really hope that some one can give me advice because I am completely lost now as to what to do. I am 26 and have suffered from severe depression for a number of years but since February 2010 it has been so bad that I haven't been able to work. I am self harming, suicidal and taking panic attacks and don't go out without some one being with me (in part due to the panic attacks but I also can't go anywhere new or take new routes to places I know because of Dyspraxia which interferes with my ability to follow directions, coordination etc.) I am attending both a psychiatrist and a psychologist and was assessed by a psychiatrist from my work who determined that I am unfit to work and will be unable to do so for some time. Medication hasn't helped a single bit. Now my work have awarded me their health insurance meaning I get a small percentage of my salary for as long as I am unable to work but they also stated that I had to apply for ESA and DLA, which I did. And I've had nothing but problems since. I received letters from DWP today advising that after attending their medical assessments I have been awarded 0 points and am not entitiled to any benefits. I have been in a complete mess all day and have just got to the stage that I want to give up fighting everything but eventually managed to calm down enough to phone them between the tears. They are sending out the things I need to appeal but I already have the appeal things for DLA. Despite sending an in depth psychological capability report from my work's psychiatrist (who spent almost 5 hours assessing me) to them they have ignored all information in it saying that I don't need the help or have any of the problems in it that I state. And my doctor and psychiatrist haven't included any information either other than that I have "low mood" (but they are telling me that I can't go back to work because I won't be able to cope.) I was honest at the medical assessment saying that I don't go out at all, I struggle to keep track of anything, don't do any of my hobbies anymore, had to have some one take me in and accompany me, self harm etc but they don't seem to have considered any of this either - despite the fact that the only way I could keep calm during the 10 minute assessment was to gouge a chunk of skin out my hand which the nurse noticed and didn't bother about. So a 10 minute assessment from an ordinary nurse not trained in learning difficulties or psychiatry has been able to say that she knows better than my GP, psychiatrist, psychologist and a work hired psychiatrist and that I can go back to work. If I was able to go back to work I would, I was on a good salary of £1200 per month and seconded onto a leadership role, all of which i have lost with being off ill - I'd give anything to go back and not be claiming the pitance from DWP!! So my questions are this, given my luck it will get to a tribunal stage which is just more stress. So can some one tell me, please: 1. What does the tribunal entail? 2. What happens if they decline the ESA appeal? 3. Do they contact my doctor and work and tell them that I have to go back despite the fact that I had such a bad panic attack last time I was there I ended up being sick and could hardly breath? 4.Can I just not claim ESA and still be off while my work are paying me health insurance? I'm really really sorry for so many questions and the long post, but I haven't any one else to check this with as the woman who has been helping me from Money Matters has been away on holiday and doesn't get back for another week and I just can't stop worrying about this