General Chat

Had my S-I-L crying on the phone yesterday as she had been to the unemployment office and they had told her if she hasn't got a job within the next 8 weeks they are going to send her for a special interview to enable her to get get employment or her benefit (just over £60) will be terminated, she was in her last job for 29 years and in went into work as normal in March and was told that they had closed down and she was out of work . Her doctor put her on the sick as she has quite a severe hip problem but was sent before a medical board to assess her condition and has been told she must seek employment of some sort, I expect many are saying what's the problem well she is 60 in March 2010 and because of her health problems she has been looking forward to her retirement but the local unemployment office have now told her she must get a job or they will stop her dole payment , she has been looking for a job that she feels suitable for her but yesterday they gave her the details of a job 40 hours per week between 7am and 12 midnight she would have to catch 2 buses to get to it, it was also split shifts so would have to either wait around for the place to reopen or take 2 buses home then 2 buses back and when she finished at midnight would have to pay for a taxi home and also she would be standing for the whole time she would be working.

She is so upset as she has never claimed any benefit since she had maternity benefit when she had her youngest child in 1975 and she feels that she is being forced to take a job that she feels that she wont be able to do because of her health and what for 6 months, why is she being targeted when so many have never worked and she has such a short working life left and these resources could be used to get someone who is much younger in to work and would benefit for this help
Sorry needed to get this off my chest

Pam

I felt so sad reading this last thing your S-I-L needs right now is more stress However they do seam to be offering her an unsutiable job as she got anyone who can take her & have a word to explain her health situation
If It was me I would be asking for them to contact my Doctor to see what work is suitable or have you got a Citizen Advice Bureau who can offer her advice one of my complaints now I am older for us who have never claimed anything before just do not know what or how to claim we need helps not threats of no money when we have worked all our lives & entitled to are respect & support hope she gets the help she needs XX

Hi Pam,
firstly, your SIL should appeal against the decision made by the medical board. She should also ask someone to go with her and speak up for her, this is allowed.
She should definitely NOT get herself so worked up and upset over it.
She is not the first person to appeal, and she has a very good chance of winning her appeal.
Please get her to try it Pam, she would not be the first to have a decision overturned.
If they carry on upsetting her this way, she could well end up being unable to work through depression for goodness sakes.
Good luck girl, keep fighting.
Deanna X

hi,
Just a thought, could she not try to claim DLA as her hip problem seems to be the crux of it, its worth a try and the people on the end of the phone are helpful and will fill out the form with you. also definatly appeal the decision and ask the GP for further documaentary evidence back to send with the appeal

Julia (in Cambs)

They did something similar to my friend, and insisted she should apply for work even though she only had 3 months to retirement.
So she settled for an expensive computer retraining course paid for by the government and had her moneysworth.!

Julia, I agree with you. Disability living allowance seems the way to go about it. I have got the mobility component and I was recommended for it through Social Services.

It is such an unfair world -my hubby has paid enough NI stamps -37 years so he doesn`t get anymore paid nor a penny cos I`m working.You don`t need to sign on if you have enough stamps so the GOVT figures for the unemployed are wrong

Thanks everyone for all you comments and advise I will be seeing her over the weekend and will pass all you have said , if she was a person who had never worked I could understand them trying to get her into work but she was 29 years in her last job and not her fault the company went bankrupt earlier this year.

Pam