Should I stay or should I go ...Dilemma!

[shortwoman68]

I started a job on 9th March as a GP receptionist which is a role I wanted to do for a while. Unfortunately I fell ill with Bells Palsy a few months later and have not been to work since 2nd June. I currently receive SSP from my employers and send in regularly Fitness to Work certificates as I have had another condition brought on by Bells Palsy. Anyway to cut a long story short, I previously went a Welfare Meeting at work and it was agreed that I would return to work for 4 hours a day when I was well enough however I have now seen a neurologist who has diagnosed me with a condition called FNsD (Functional Neurological symptoms Disorder). Basically I get very bad migraines which affect my speech. The migraines are triggered by the cold, heat, humid conditions, stress, hunger, tiredness and over exertion...yes alot. My speech becomes slurred so it is difficult to speak but also difficult for people to understand me.

 

I saw my GP today who although said that I could try to work 4 hours a day but recommended that I try a role nearer to my home (my travelling time to and from work is between 1 and a half to 2 hours each way) and a role that does not require me to talk constantly. Although I would like to return to my role, I am conscious that I may be off work again due to migraines or would have to leave work if I experience one.

 

I was thinking that if I had to leave work, I would volunteer for a few hours a week in a role of interest but in terms of entitlement to benefits, what would my options be???

[honeybee13]

Hello there. I'm sorry to hear that you're in the wars. I can see that changing your job and hours could help, that's a lot of travelling.

 

The people on the employment forum don't generally advise on benefits. See how you get on and if need be, you could start a new thread in the benefits section asking about what you would be entitled to.

 

HB

[unclebulgaria67]

The problem is that if you terminate work, DWP won't pay benefits for a period. You therefore really need your employer to find that you are unable to work because of health and travelling distance, therefore you approach DWP to claim relevant benefit e.g Universal Credit. If you were signed off sick by your GP saying you are unable to do any work, it would be ESA or if you could do some work locally, it would be Universal Credit and help via your local Job Centre to find suitable employment. You might be referred to a company that assists people with health issues find work.

[shortwoman68]

I am currently employed on a full time contract at a doctors surgery as a receptionist/administrator and started March 2016, however since May 2016 I have had Bells Palsy and this has now led to a condition called Functional Neurological symptoms Disorder and I see a neurologist for this and have been referred to a speech therapist. The condition leads to severe migraines that in turn leads to speech problems so it appears that I have had a stroke but I have not. Anyhow due to this condition I have been hospitalised 3 times and been off time in total probably 7 months. The condition is caused by stress, humidity, cold, tiredness and hunger.

 

It takes me a hour and 30 minutes to get to work and 3 modes of transport which was not previously an issue however my GP told me that I need to find a job closer to home due to the stress of having to get to and from work and that I might need to return home quicker when I have an episode. Currently I take a cab to and from work paid for by the DWP due to an intermittent mobility problem and my hours have now been reduced to 4 hours a day as agreed with my neurologist, GP and employer.

 

Now my problem is this, I am due to return to work this week but the thought of returning to this role is causing me anxiety as I no longer think that this is the role for me. With anxiety and stress I am experiencing will eventually lead to migraines and inturn my slurred speech which means I will be unable to return to work. It is not that I do not want to work as I always have done but no longer have the zest for this job and it has now become a point of depression.

 

I have to see my GP before going back to work but am really at a crossroads at what to do. My employers only paid SSP so I am now on ESA and I know that if I leave my job I cannot claim benefits for 6 weeks or so which will only increase my financial problems but returning will only increase my stress and lead to me being off work again. What can I do???

[honeybee13]

Thread moved from the media employment forum to the main one.

 

HB

[honeybee13]

I've also merged your previous thread about the same employer, to keep the information together.

 

Edit: I suggested before that you start a separate thread in our benefits forum because the employment guys don't advise on that. It's best to ask over there about the possible six week gap.

 

HB

Edited March 6, 2017 by honeybee13
Addition.

[sangie5952]

I am currently employed on a full time contract at a doctors surgery as a receptionist/administrator and started March 2016, however since May 2016 I have had Bells Palsy and this has now led to a condition called Functional Neurological symptoms Disorder and I see a neurologist for this and have been referred to a speech therapist. The condition leads to severe migraines that in turn leads to speech problems so it appears that I have had a stroke but I have not. Anyhow due to this condition I have been hospitalised 3 times and been off time in total probably 7 months. The condition is caused by stress, humidity, cold, tiredness and hunger.

 

It takes me a hour and 30 minutes to get to work and 3 modes of transport which was not previously an issue however my GP told me that I need to find a job closer to home due to the stress of having to get to and from work and that I might need to return home quicker when I have an episode. Currently I take a cab to and from work paid for by the DWP due to an intermittent mobility problem and my hours have now been reduced to 4 hours a day as agreed with my neurologist, GP and employer.

 

Now my problem is this, I am due to return to work this week but the thought of returning to this role is causing me anxiety as I no longer think that this is the role for me. With anxiety and stress I am experiencing will eventually lead to migraines and inturn my slurred speech which means I will be unable to return to work. It is not that I do not want to work as I always have done but no longer have the zest for this job and it has now become a point of depression.

 

I have to see my GP before going back to work but am really at a crossroads at what to do. My employers only paid SSP so I am now on ESA and I know that if I leave my job I cannot claim benefits for 6 weeks or so which will only increase my financial problems but returning will only increase my stress and lead to me being off work again. What can I do???

 

I am sorry, but the advice you received earlier was in error. You had clear medical advice that the role was not suitable for you due to its requirements - you could have resigned and faced no sanction because you could have produced medical support for your claim. I am not a benefits advisor, so it is correct that you should seek proper advice on the benefits aspect, but to my knowledge, since you are already on ESA, there should be no interruption of payments if you "transition" to the unemployed status by resigning on medical advice. Others can better advise you on the benefits aspect of it, but resignation for medical reasons, when supported by a doctor, is far from uncommon, and even this government is not so lost to reason that they would penalise someone by sanctioning them for doing what their doctor has advised.

 

I'm afraid that benefit levels are not fantastic, so you will struggle on as you have already been doing. But provided your doctor's advice is still that he does not feel returning to work in this position is advisable, and will say so if asked, there is no reason why you cannot resign without any sanction.

 

I am sorry that you are feeling so bad. But if there is any prospect of any recovery, you need to focus on that rather than worrying about your income being sanctioned needlessly.

[shortwoman68]

Thank you all for the advice.

[shortwoman68]

I have had a short talk with a duty doctor today who admittedly did not know anything about my ongoing illness. I explained my problem with travel to my job and the implications on my health however she stated that although the GP's and neurologist may agree that my job is far and may impact on my health, I would need an occupational health assessment to confirm this as they would not be able to as they would need to request further information from my GP or neurologist. As I do not know anything about this as I have never been in this situation, I do not know what to do. My employers outsource the OH and I have already had an assessment which did not consider the travel implications at the time as the focus was on the actual job. The duty doctor has now given me an extra 2 weeks off sick so that I can discuss this in depth with my regular GP. I really don't know where to go from here