can't work?

[timmytim7]

hello everyone,

i know there are some here who can't work at all, and many others disabled in some way for other reasons... so i don't want to sound like i'm moaning!

anyway, i can only work p/t because i cant wear my lenses all day, day after day. maybe for 2 days i could manage, but consecutive wear makes my eyes sore and painful. i'm sure many on here are the same.

i work about 20-25hrs a wk currently. i get about £6.80ph. what can i do to top up my income? i don't earn anything like enough to really survive. do i qualify for any benefits?

ok, i could get housing benefit i guess for low income? i dont have children.

what do others do to make enough money if they can only work p/t? is it financially even worth me working p/t or better to be unemployed or registered disabled????

i'd like to get a flat and one day a car. i don't want any luxurious lifestyle - just to live independently at a normal level!

any advice please!

thanks,


tim

[Pat A]

Try getting in touch with Action for Blind people and Access to work. ATW are particularly able to help people with a disability to find - and retain - work. They also are kept informed of suitable opportunities. Their websites are both very good, and there are contact phone numbers too which enable you to have an informative chat with someone.

Not too sure about benefits - but I think you will find ATW & AFBP can help with information on that too. You may be entitled to tax credits - you could do worse than have a look on the HMRC website for information on that.

Hope that is helpful...

[donna]

If you earn less than a certain amount a year you can get working tax credit and can also claim for help with council tax and rent.
Its worth a try, they can only say yes or no! Claim and see

[lou]

Hi Tim

I have been on incapacity benefit (long term) for 10yrs and it wasnt until last year when i began to struggle at home with my baby while my hubby was at work. My mum looked into things and we contacted our local services they came round to have a chat (lovely people) and they couldnt believe i wasnt claiming DLA (as ive been registered blind for 4yrs).

I rang the benefits agency and they sent me the DLA forms then social services came round to my house to fill them in with me, since i have been approved with no medical checks (enough info from consultant/GP) and thanks to my social worker i am now getting Direct Payment to pay a cleaner to come in everyday so my allergy to household dust and mites is reduced.

Please dont quote me on this but im pretty sure you could claim DWA (disability working) and you could still do your part time job because i was told when Ruby has started school (in 3yrs) if i wanted to go and do some work my benefit wouldnt be effected.

So my advice would be is to cantact your local social services for help.

Let us know how you go on with whatever you decide to do.

Take care

luv

Emma xxx

[GarethB]

Tim,

Through Acces to Work (more infor at the Job Centre Plus) a new employer gets everything paid for with respect to making reasonable allowances to enable someone in our position to work full time.

If you are already in employent, they pay a large proportion of the costs needed to help us. My employers and myself took this up so when I have a bad eye day, as long as I can get into work I can do a full days productive work with lenses or not.

Without lenses I am legally blind in the right eye and partially sighted in the left. The only thing that changes is my ability to work in the lab, but I have a list of jobs that need doing and move them round accordingly.

Access to work said they could even provide transport to work for me as public transport is expensive and takes 4 hours to get to work, a taxi takes 40 minutes and they were happy to help with that so it would be affordable.

Action for the Blind and the RNIB can help. There is absolutly no reason why visualy impaired people can not be as productive as the next person. Even minor adaptations can make a big difference.

[Andrew MacLean]

If you are registered blind in the UK you automatically qualify for DLA.

Andrew

[timmytim7]

hello everyone,

thanks for so many replies. i will print them out and ask the organisations refered to for some advice.

thanks again,


tim