PATHWAYS TO WORK INTERVIEW

woodbon

Hi I went to see the Jobcentre disability adviser, its in the back streets of Norwich, the other side to the side we know, but we found it quickly, as Jerry got directions from someone at work, otherwise I don't think we would have got there! My arther was playing up due to starting the exercises the physio gave me, I think I went over the top with them, she warned me not too! We had about 10 mins to walk, which was because I kept stoping and walked so slowly as every step sent a pain right up through my back. The Adviser was fine asked me how I was, when I told her she said I have to ask you, what sort of thing would you like to do if you are well enough? I said, I've no idea, as I don't know how much better I'll get and the physio is talking about a life-time of pain relieving treatments and the council have totally re-tired me.

I have to go back in a month 6 more times! when she said this, my husband said he would not be able to bring me as he couldn'nt keep taking time off work and I explained that I didn't drive much these days as it was painful and I didn't feel safe when my hands and wrist hurt as spasm! I layed it on the line, no lies but thicker than I would normally. They said they'ed pay for a taxi (for a 30 mile return trip, what a cost!) Then she said would Attleborough be better,( 3 miles away and I can drive there) So at least I wont have travel worries! Also the seats were so low in the waiting area I had to stand waiting and felt silly in a big open plan office. My husband mentioned that. The chair to for visitors at her desk was a lot higher and high backed so I could get out. I had 2 people, the woman was training and he was assessing. They also asked if I had dla, I said no, they asked why not and I said I couldn't face another form, I'd read it on the net and I thought, from what I heard, I'd be turned down. He made a note of my reasons and told me to have a go! Still not sure I can face 2 more medicals. I told them the occy health and an independant doc had totally retired me and I had a pension. They didn't know that.

Well, it could have been worse, but I felt so bad when I got home I dosed all evening and still feel tired today! Sorry this is so long.

Love Sue xxx

chinablue

hi sue sorry to hear you had to go through such an ordeal do they think your suddenly going to get better in 6 months do they not know how this desase works. :roll: What a lot of hoops we have to jump through to get what we are entitled to. Most of us have worked all our lives and word still do so if we could. It makes me so angrey that it is the people who are really suffering that seem to be picked on. I suppose if we where used to the systerm like some others it would be easier(if you get my meaning).
Please do go for you DLA but don't attempt to fill it on your own get help from your local CAB they gave me a great deal of help and both times i was turned down at first but appealed and got it. I didnt have a medical but was just asked lots of questions I just answered them from my worst days which is easy now as i dont seem to have good ones any more. But it is really best to go for it and follow it to the end you have nothing to loose and everything to gain. Take care and hope you feel better soon lots hugs CB

woodbon

Thanks I suppose I'll have to give it a go,but I sometimes think we'd be better with less money and just me stopping work and not claiming. Husband says what about your dwp pension, when the time comes, you've paid in for that all your life. I suppose I feel so tired and in a bit of pain from the neck! :shock: I'll give it a go with no real hope of gettin anything, from what people on here have gone through. Thanks very much for the reply and encouragement! Love Sue

chinablue

Hi sue again as i read your reply i felt you were feeling really down but please dont let you experience make you feel this way its just that we are not used to asking for help as we have been so independant and think working is what we should be doing I know i keep think yes i could do that or this and my faimly say your just fooling yourself as they see what i am like anyway. My head tells me i can and body say no you cant :shock: I am being silly really as i can no longer even do my housework or hang out washing and making a meal forget it. It because we are proud and don't like excepting what we think of as hand outs but its not really because we have contributed to this all of our working lives and now we are just asking for a little help(and it is a little help) we proberly don't claim all that we are entitled to as we don't know and have not needed to before. Its hard I know but please keep your chin up and carry on thats all we can do I asked my doc for stronger pain killers today and when he looked at what i was having he said there is nothing else i can give you so looks like i will just have to put up and shut up until my op take care lots love CB

sharmaine

Hi
Sorry you're feeling a bit down. Like you I had to give up work early due to OA I thought I would work until I was 60 and I'm only 53. I've made a lot of taxes over the years and when I gave up work applied for ESA. I've been toying with the idea of applying for DLA but can't face it. I suppose I want to see how I get on after my first TKR surgery. I think someone said on the site that you can claim both. Not sure either when/if I'm going to return to work it depends how I get on. At the moment I've been signed off work until December and think that I'll be signed off for another year.

It doesn't cost anything to try and apply for these things. Make an appointment to see the CAB - it may work in your favour. You can also fill in an application online and it will tell you if you're entitled before making an official application.

Take care
Sharmaine

chinablue

hi sharmiane hope thats the correct speeling sorry if wrong, DLA is not means tested so you can apply for it even if you are working and it wont affect any other allowance you are getting either you are better off appling for the forms and taking them to the CAB because they have to go on a long course to fill these forms in so know more about it than us they also ask you questions in way that really makes you think about your illness and how it affects you. They remind you to think about your worse times and not what you may be able to manage sometimes we are like to be possitive and say well we can do this and that even if its difficult and we only manage it a few times. I dose make you face the true about your illness but its a good thing you may feel a little down after it because you have been concentrating on what you cant manage anymore but you soon get over it and it helps you to face up the realatey of it all which i dont think any of us like to do. Take care and lots of hugs CB

joyful164

Hi Sharmain

Yes, I think you should have a go for DLA. I know forms can look a bit daunting, but if you don't want to do them yourself, get someone from Welfare Rights to help you or perhaps your physiotherapist could help. The DLA take it more seriously then. That's what I have been told.
good luck
joy

frogmorton

Hi Sue
You did good!!!
Well done you!
I reckon they are on your side from the sounds of that
You gonna give the DLA a go then?
If you do you could get skome support like CAB ior someone and then that would maybe help you get about a bit easier?
Take care
toni x

woodbon

Hi, Yes, I suppose thiers no harm it trying and I will get some help, they gave me a leaflet of a local help group for form filling. They were nice, no probs with the people, just feel the system is silly and it must cost them so much to have the advisors and what not when they have people who have been sighned off by doctors. I have a letter from the occy health doc saying it would be inadvisable for the council to try and redeploy me as their are so many things that would be unsuitable, and I have a very small pension! Oh well, thats the way it goes. I will have to have a medical next, which also seems as if they will try and find out that I am fine really and should have a job. I'd like to go back to work, but it would be very hard facing interviews at the moment!
Love Sue

woodbon

Hi, Yes, I suppose thiers no harm it trying and I will get some help, they gave me a leaflet of a local help group for form filling. They were nice, no probs with the people, just feel the system is silly and it must cost them so much to have the advisors and what not when they have people who have been sighned off by doctors. I have a letter from the occy health doc saying it would be inadvisable for the council to try and redeploy me as their are so many things that would be unsuitable, and I have a very small pension! Oh well, thats the way it goes. I will have to have a medical next, which also seems as if they will try and find out that I am fine really and should have a job. I'd like to go back to work, but it would be very hard facing interviews at the moment!
Love Sue

woodbon

Hi, Yes, I suppose thiers no harm it trying and I will get some help, they gave me a leaflet of a local help group for form filling. They were nice, no probs with the people, just feel the system is silly and it must cost them so much to have the advisors and what not when they have people who have been sighned off by doctors. I have a letter from the occy health doc saying it would be inadvisable for the council to try and redeploy me as their are so many things that would be unsuitable, and I have a very small pension!
Oh well, thats the way it goes. I will have to have a medical next, which also seems as if they will try and find out that I am fine really and should have a job. I'd like to go back to work, but it would be very hard facing interviews at the moment!
Love Sue

woodbon

Hi, Yes, I suppose thiers no harm it trying and I will get some help, they gave me a leaflet of a local help group for form filling. They were nice, no probs with the people, just feel the system is silly and it must cost them so much to have the advisors and what not when they have people who have been sighned off by doctors. I have a letter from the occy health doc saying it would be inadvisable for the council to try and redeploy me as their are so many things that would be unsuitable, and I have a very small pension!
Oh well, thats the way it goes. I will have to have a medical next, which also seems as if they will try and find out that I am fine really and should have a job. I'd like to go back to work, but it would be very hard facing interviews at the moment!
Love Sue

woodbon

Hi, Yes, I suppose thiers no harm it trying and I will get some help, they gave me a leaflet of a local help group for form filling. They were nice, no probs with the people, just feel the system is silly and it must cost them so much to have the advisors and what not when they have people who have been sighned off by doctors. I have a letter from the occy health doc saying it would be inadvisable for the council to try and redeploy me as their are so many things that would be unsuitable, and I have a very small pension!
Oh well, thats the way it goes. I will have to have a medical next, which also seems as if they will try and find out that I am fine really and should have a job. I'd like to go back to work, but it would be very hard facing interviews at the moment!
Love Sue

woodbon

Hi, Yes, I suppose thiers no harm it trying and I will get some help, they gave me a leaflet of a local help group for form filling. They were nice, no probs with the people, just feel the system is silly and it must cost them so much to have the advisors and what not when they have people who have been sighned off by doctors. I have a letter from the occy health doc saying it would be inadvisable for the council to try and redeploy me as their are so many things that would be unsuitable, and I have a very small pension!
Oh well, thats the way it goes. I will have to have a medical next, which also seems as if they will try and find out that I am fine really and should have a job. I'd like to go back to work, but it would be very hard facing interviews at the moment!
Love Sue

woodbon

Hi, Yes, I suppose thiers no harm it trying and I will get some help, they gave me a leaflet of a local help group for form filling. They were nice, no probs with the people, just feel the system is silly and it must cost them so much to have the advisors and what not when they have people who have been sighned off by doctors. I have a letter from the occy health doc saying it would be inadvisable for the council to try and redeploy me as their are so many things that would be unsuitable, and I have a very small pension!
Oh well, thats the way it goes. I will have to have a medical next, which also seems as if they will try and find out that I am fine really and should have a job. I'd like to go back to work, but it would be very hard facing interviews at the moment!
Love Sue

patriciamary

woodbon wrote:

Hi I went to see the Jobcentre disability adviser, its in the back streets of Norwich, the other side to the side we know, but we found it quickly, as Jerry got directions from someone at work, otherwise I don't think we would have got there! My arther was playing up due to starting the exercises the physio gave me, I think I went over the top with them, she warned me not too! We had about 10 mins to walk, which was because I kept stoping and walked so slowly as every step sent a pain right up through my back. The Adviser was fine asked me how I was, when I told her she said I have to ask you, what sort of thing would you like to do if you are well enough? I said, I've no idea, as I don't know how much better I'll get and the physio is talking about a life-time of pain relieving treatments and the council have totally re-tired me.

I have to go back in a month 6 more times! when she said this, my husband said he would not be able to bring me as he couldn'nt keep taking time off work and I explained that I didn't drive much these days as it was painful and I didn't feel safe when my hands and wrist hurt as spasm! I layed it on the line, no lies but thicker than I would normally. They said they'ed pay for a taxi (for a 30 mile return trip, what a cost!) Then she said would Attleborough be better,( 3 miles away and I can drive there) So at least I wont have travel worries! Also the seats were so low in the waiting area I had to stand waiting and felt silly in a big open plan office. My husband mentioned that. The chair to for visitors at her desk was a lot higher and high backed so I could get out. I had 2 people, the woman was training and he was assessing. They also asked if I had dla, I said no, they asked why not and I said I couldn't face another form, I'd read it on the net and I thought, from what I heard, I'd be turned down. He made a note of my reasons and told me to have a go! Still not sure I can face 2 more medicals. I told them the occy health and an independant doc had totally retired me and I had a pension. They didn't know that.

Well, it could have been worse, but I felt so bad when I got home I dosed all evening and still feel tired today! Sorry this is so long.

Love Sue xxx

Hi Sue
I got called for the same type of interview and phoned then and said I could not drive the distance into town. They only have about 4 disabled parking spaces yet seem to call loads of people in at the same time so you have to park over a mile away. I was told if I did not attend my incapacity benefit would be stopped. I said well so be it. Then they decided they could make an appointment time for me on the phone and do the interview by telephone. Strange how the rules change when you ask the right questions. So stand your ground and let them come to you instead of you suffering trying to get to them. Let us know how everything goes.
Love Patricia Mary

penfactor

Hi Sue - I had my first PTW interview yesterday too. My son came with me & the guy was really nice. I have my THR op hopefully on the 20th so said will have to see how I am after that. I think the whole thing with all these is interviews & tests is so depressing after all the hospital visits as well isn't it. You feel like you are just moaning all the time & are nothing without your disease if you know what I mean. I think we are both still in shock at how our lives have changed so much in the last year & this is another scary reminder. The money is ours though, we have worked for & deserve it.
Just wanted to say I identify with you so much on how you say you feel here.
Love Pennie Xx

skezier

Hi Sue,

I am absolutely amazed they called you in to be honest. They are talking about doing surgery on your neck so how could you possibly be fit for work?!

I think its wrong that cus few people have played the system that all of us have to prove we have problems and well at least they have suddenly found somewhere nearer for you to go. Good luck and dig in..... As Pennie said you have paid in enough and its why we all do pay in so much, so we have a safety net in the event of illness. Luv Cris x