Had a shock on payday!

Lubs · 30. Mar 2014, 05:24

Hi,

I've had a real shock on payday. As everyone knows I'm currently off sick. I been teaching for 13 years and not really been off sick for period this long. Don't get me wrong when I was first diagnosed and on DMRDS I caught viral meningitis where I had 2/3 months off work and a phased return to work. After this I been very lucky, until 2010. This is where I had a bacterial infection in the blood - I stayed in hospital for 3 weeks, had a week off at home and then went back to work.

Recently, I been extremely tired and ill that the GP and rheumatology consultant have both signed me off from working for a total of five months - until June. But my pay has stopped, I wasn't given any warning, no letter to tell me I will now be on SSP for a few weeks. Can you imagine the shock when I was paying bills and found I had been paid a fraction of what I used to earn. When I called the office, they informed me that I haven't worked for this new school for more than four months or a year and I'm not entitled to six months sick pay.

Does anyone know what other financial help I can ask for as I've never tried this before and I'm completely confused by some of the information on these websites!

elsa56 · 30. Mar 2014, 07:26

Reading this has brought back memories and I know its not easy.
Firstly if you have any loans or overdrafts you need to contact them and ask if you can make a reduced payment for a while, or check if you have any insurance cover thet will pay your bills while you are off.
4 years ago I was laid off work due to ill health and didn't know where to turn and SSP was nowhere near enough to pay things.
If you want to pm me I may be able to give you some suggestions.
Best of luck
Elsa
xx

peggie · 30. Mar 2014, 09:13

Hi

Do you work for the Local Authority? If so your terms and conditions of service should transfer between schools when you start another position.

Peggie

Lubs · 30. Mar 2014, 10:34

Hi Elsa,

I've never taken the insurance with the loans, at the moment we have two large loans to pay off. One will finish in November this year and the other will finish in a year's time. My husband's wage will just cover our bills if we reduce what we have for food and fuel. I've worked it out to £10 over.

Peggie - the schools are all becoming academies. With this they have changed their sick pay policies. My previous school, was a local LEA school, then it changed to an academy, that's why I had to leave. The head teacher was trying to sack me for malpractice. I then told this new school I explained what happened with the previous head teacher and they couldn't believe what he had tried to do. Again, he could because it was an academy. The school I'm in is also an academy, but the head teacher is much better and helping me to apply for ill health retirement.

All this stress is not helping my condition, I feel my jaw on the left side is really becoming painful. At night I feel that I might be clenching my teeth tight at night.

barbara12 · 30. Mar 2014, 12:32

Oh Lubs
What a blinking blow, and when you are poorly anyway..I just wish I could offer you some help, we do have the working matters section maybe someone has posted on there ,but if not you put your own on..and see if anyone can help..other than that I would make an appointment with Cab and see what they say..(((()))) xx

bubbadog · 31. Mar 2014, 04:52

I'm so sorry you have been left in such a financial hole like that. I remember when I was sick from work and got a letter from my employer saying I was fired from my job due to large amount of time off sick! Was given no money so was left with what I had in the bank which was not a lot! So had to sort SSP and further down the line Incapacity Benefit and Disability Benefit. It's a long messy job and takes a long time to get it right. So I'm so sorry you have been left in this mess and good luck getting it all sorted out, remember we are here to support you and help you where we can.

Had a shock on payday!

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