the best option for a person with fluctuating mental illness

[Emma15]

I'm writing on behalf of a friend who has had longstanding mental health problems - 20 years of on and off psychosis - her illness fluctuates and so she will be fine for several weeks or even months and then crash psychotically and have a relapse which can result in her being suicidal. When she is well, apart from being very unfit physically (morbidly obese) due to the medication she's had to take, she seems okay and would likely fail an application for the support group of ESA if they just go by appearances and whether she can make a cup of tea.

 

She's asked for me help to find out what her best options are, because she's very stressed over the situation with the benefits. She is on incapacity related income support at the moment and gets the severe disablement allowance along with that because she claims low rates of dla. She's in regular contact with a cpn.

 

While she is well she is able to do several hours voluntary work a week, which has been important for social contact apart from visits from family every 3 weeks or so.

 

If she got a part-time paid job for less than 16 hours per week, would she automatically be reassessed for ESA (and taken off incapacity related income support) because her situation would change and she would be earning a small wage? If so, would she automatically lose her severe disablement allowance because she had a job? She is scared of losing her allowance because she finds it hard to budget and also is significally worse mentally if she doesn't take omega oils amongst other supplements (she is also diabetic now due to the antipsychotic) and might not be able to afford them. If she would lose the allowance, does anyone know how much she can be expected to manage on per week?

 

If she was assessed for ESA because she got a job, would she have to attend an interview? Would they automatically reassess her dla too?

 

She's not even sure that she would manage a number of part-time hours, but would rather be proactive and look now for something suitable (low stress) than wait and perhaps get forced back into the job market because her support would suddenly be cut.

 

 

Thanks for any help.

[Nystagmite]

DLA is based on care and /or mobility needs. Getting a job won't automatically trigger a review.

 

Has your friend looked in something called permitted work? She can work for as many weeks as she wants and keep the first £20. More information here

[Emma15]

Thanks for your reply. Having looked at permitted work I'd be amazed if there were any paid opportunities for her near to where she lives where an employer would be willing to supervise her - its competitive for the few jobs that there are. She was thinking more of not declaring to them her situation and looking for any regular shop work or clerical work - I doubt very much that anyone would employ her if she was open and honest about her past health situation. Either that, or if she couldn't find paid work, doing more voluntary work.

[Emma15]

I wanted to update on this thread because having talked more with my friend and with more insight into her situation, i really don't think that she would cope with even a part-time job at the moment. Even though she is quite intelligent in some ways, she simply does not seem to have the life skills to cope when it comes to budgeting, managing a home - keeping it clean, as at times she can't even keep herself clean. I'm cross at the way such pressure is being put on people who are mentally ill - since it is often impossible to evaluate at a one-off interview and is often made worse by day to day stresses that most people take for granted.

[SKJP]

I wanted to update on this thread because having talked more with my friend and with more insight into her situation, i really don't think that she would cope with even a part-time job at the moment. Even though she is quite intelligent in some ways, she simply does not seem to have the life skills to cope when it comes to budgeting, managing a home - keeping it clean, as at times she can't even keep herself clean. I'm cross at the way such pressure is being put on people who are mentally ill - since it is often impossible to evaluate at a one-off interview and is often made worse by day to day stresses that most people take for granted.

 

Is she well enough, able to, or interested in studying (specifically at higher education level)?

 

Because full-time students are not expected to seek work. It 'pays', too, via the student finance system, plus extra allowances for disabled students.

 

However, some elements of studying (and its funding) affect some benefits. It doesn't affect DLA, but there are implications for Income Support, I.B./ESA and Housing Benefit. Council Tax benefit is irrelevant because (assuming she lives alone), FT students gain council tax exemption, anyway.

 

However, there are various rules and exceptions for students of certain disability, household and income statuses, so it's a plan she'd need to hash out with an experienced adviser, before taking the plunge.

 

If it's something she's at all interested in, it's worth having a look at, with the right advice. Any university worth its salt will have very comprehensive support systems in place for disabled (inc. mentally ill) students. Moreover, even if she doesn't have the right qualifications to gain entry, this is also negotiable in most cases for 'mature' students.

[Emma15]

Is she well enough, able to, or interested in studying (specifically at higher education level)?

 

Because full-time students are not expected to seek work. It 'pays', too, via the student finance system, plus extra allowances for disabled students.

 

However, some elements of studying (and its funding) affect some benefits. It doesn't affect DLA, but there are implications for Income Support, I.B./ESA and Housing Benefit. Council Tax benefit is irrelevant because (assuming she lives alone), FT students gain council tax exemption, anyway.

 

However, there are various rules and exceptions for students of certain disability, household and income statuses, so it's a plan she'd need to hash out with an experienced adviser, before taking the plunge.

 

If it's something she's at all interested in, it's worth having a look at, with the right advice. Any university worth its salt will have very comprehensive support systems in place for disabled (inc. mentally ill) students. Moreover, even if she doesn't have the right qualifications to gain entry, this is also negotiable in most cases for 'mature' students.

 

 

Thanks for your reply. I'm not sure if she could cope, but it sounds like its certainly worth thinking about. However, she does not live near a university so it would mean losing her flat (as it is rented) and moving into a rented room near one - she would probably have to sell all her furniture and downsize, as she would be strapped for cash and wouldn't be able to afford removal fees and start up costs to living in another property which are quite a bit now.

 

She'd be more likely to cope with a university course if someone helped her with her finances. When you say that she'd need to thrash out a plan with an adviser, do you mean from somewhere like a jobcentre or is there someone she could speak to who would be more help? In the past, they haven't been very helpful at all.

[Nystagmite]

Open university is another option. And it's part time.

[SKJP]

Open university is another option. And it's part time.

 

Good idea - I'm an OU student and could not recommend it highly enough.

 

However, the financial package is different on the OU than with other universities.

 

But, but, but, it is moving more in line with the same package as other universities, with changes happening pretty much now.

 

Emma15, as for where to get advice from, I'd recommend an independent body over a gov. dept. The CAB and local law centres are very good with this kind of things. Some local councils and/or housing associations also offer advice of this nature. Most towns in the UK will have some sort of advisory service available to residents for all kinds of matters, including this kind of thing.

 

You don't necessarily have to live near a university in order to study at it. Many further education colleges up and down the country offer HE courses validated by 'local' universities, even when the university isn't very close. My local college grants degrees validated through Lancaster Uni (one of the best in the country), and I live nowhere near Lancaster. http://www.ucas.com is the best (and official) place to search for courses, and will also list non-university 'colleges' that offer degrees in partnership.

 

Most colleges and universities offer financial advice services, with whom budgets and such could be discussed both before and after enrolment.

[Nystagmite]

I'm an OU student too. Benefits shouldn't be affected whilst studying with OU.

[SKJP]

I'm an OU student too. Benefits shouldn't be affected whilst studying with OU.

 

What I meant was, the OU doesn't (or more accurately, didn't) provide much in the way of an 'income' for students, in the way that students at other universities can secure loan and grant packages that under the right financial and personal circumstances can add up to many thousands of pounds. In understand that the OP is concerned that her friend might be pushed onto ESA with a requirement to seek work at some point, that she's ill-equipped for.

 

However, as a transitional fee student (with no access to any kind of financial support), I don't know what kind of 'cash' incentives OU study will bring from 2012 onwards, because I haven't had to research it myself.