Work, Disability and Benefits

1
Work, Disability and Benefits

• What GPs need to know

2
Objectives of session

• Explore concepts of disability and their
  relationship to work
• Broadly understand health-related Benefits
• Know about resources to help people get back to
  work
• Be able to apply this to real life situations

3
Speakers from JobCentre Plus

• Dominic Whowell, External Partnerships manager
• Carol Chuer, Disability Employment Adviser
• Mick Stasiuk, Benefit Processing Team

4
One GPs view of the key points
5
Why work?

• Money
• Companionship
• Structure/routine
• Self esteem
• Interest/stimulation
• Personal development

6
How might work make you sick?

• Psychosocial stress (pressure, bullying, feeling
  undervalued, feeling exploited, coping with
  change, poor management, difficult colleagues,
  difficult clients)
• Physical stress
• Specific hazards (noise, dust, toxins)
• Boredom/repetition/lack of development

7
Going off sick or seeing yourself as too disabled
to work depends on whats wrong with you AND..

• The demands of your job
• The rewards of your job
• Your employer
• Your workplace
• Your individual attitude
• Your culture

8
Where do Benefits come from?

• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (formerly
  Benefits Agency, DSS, DHSS)
• Divided into different sections
• Jobcentre Plus (JCP) - work and work related
  benefits
• Disability and Carers Service (DCS) - disability
  benefits

9
If you cant work, money to replace your income

• If youre in a job
• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for 6 months, via your
  employer
• Your employer may continue to pay you something
  on top of SSP, and may go on more than 6 months
  (depends on your employment contract)
• If youre not working, short-term Incapacity
  Benefit (for 6 months) and/or Income Support, via
  JobCentre Plus
• After 6 months, long term Incapacity Benefit, via
  JobCentre Plus
• People on long term IB can do 16hrs therapeutic
  work

10
How people get Incapacity Benefit

• Short term - GP fills in Med3 (white) or Med5
  (pink)
• Long term
• JCP asks patient to fill in form IB50 explaining
  how ill health stops them working, and asks them
  to enclose form Med 4 (green) from GP
• JCP may send GP form IB113 to help them make
  decision - explain how ill health stops person
  working
• JCP may ask patient to attend medical examination
  (contracted to an agency called Atos Origin)
• No more certificates needed from GP
• JCP reviews benefit at intervals, may ask GP for
  further IB113s

11
Disability Living Allowance and Attendance
Allowance

• Intended to help people whose health means they
  cant move about or care for themselves
• 2 components Care (3 levels) and Mobility (2
  levels)
• Can only apply for Mobility component before age
  65
• Attendance Allowance is same as Care component of
  DLA, paid after 65

12
How people get DLA and AA

• Patient fills in a long form
• May ask GP to fill in a section to be completed
  by someone who knows you
• DCS sends GP a form for additional info (DBD
  70??), re how condition affects patient and how
  they need help with personal care or mobility
• DCS may arrange for pt to be examined by doctor
  from Atos Origin
• If turned down, can appeal, may ask GP to support
  - letter needs to tick the right boxes, Benefits
  Adviser might help GP re useful things to include

13
Helping patients get back to work

• Back to own job
• Employer obliged to try and make modifications to
  accommodate employees with disabilities
• Occupational Health department should be involved
  
• GP may be asked to write report
• Off Benefits and into work ..