Help with being disabled - disabled register

[lil_miffy]

get him to see the disability employment advisor at the the job centre. Also look for the Saw Trust in your area. Im not sure if its a national organisation but they help disabled people get back into work and help with Access to Work and offer lots of support.

Theres no such thing as being registed disabled now. That was stopped a while ago although some local authorities do still keep a register and you can join it but its not a nessacity and it doesnt really offer any benefits in terms of recognition etc. The best way to get support for work is through specialsit disabiltiy job brokers like the Shaw trust and also the job centre.

There is no harm in receiving benefits that are for people with conditions or disabilities. You can still receive Disabilty Living allowance if you work as its not a substitute for a working income but rather is a benefit that anyone with a disability or long term medical condition can apply for. It helps to pay for equipment, care, adaptions, and mobility (you can even get a car from teh motability organisation in exchange for the mobiltiy part of the benefit if you recieve the higher rate).

Benefits that are given to people with medical conditions that affect their ability to work are also a great source of income if you find it difficult to work full time. IF you cannot work at all for a period of time Employment Support Allowance is like the old school incapcity benefit. Not only does it give you an income while you cannot work but it also opens doors with support to find suitable work and to gain qualificaitons and training. The job centre also run a condition management program that is offered to people with health problems. It is a program that offers therapies such as pain management, relaxation, stress management etc to people who are out of work.
If you are unable to work full time or are on a low income you can also get help with perscription costs, rent (via housing benefit) and much more. I know its hard for some people to accept these benefits but they are there for people like your son who is struggling to manage full time work.
You can work part time and still recieve benefits. I you work less than 16 hours a week you can do Permitted work, where you still receive your benefits but a certain amount is deducted according to how much you earn. This is great for people who need to start off with part time work as it ensures you do not overdo it trying to owrk more than you can manage, and also means you are more likely to stay in work as you can build up your hours gradually.
If you work more than 16 hours a week you can recieve disabilty tax credits if your income is under a certain amount. This means you can still earn the equivelant of a full time wage if you are unable to work full time hours but can work more than 16 hours. Again with this tax credit it entitles you to help with percsription costs and other things.

There is no shame in living on benefits now bcecuase of health problems as the stigma no longer exists. but it can take time for some people to accept they are entitled to or rather need the extra support of some of these benefits. Some people feel that by accepting the benefit they are accepting they have a disabiltiy and some people are unable to do that. However there is never a need for someone to struggle financially and certainly no need to push yourself to far just to earn a living. Managing a condition like hms takes alot of organisation of time and energy and can be managed quite well if done properly. But pushing yourself to work more than you are capable of at the time only ever leads to making the condition worse and your financial situation suffers as a result.

It might help if your son could talk to others with the condition to see how we manage and to show that alot of people with hms lead normal lives and work perfectly fine. but that some support is needed and accepting this support is not weakness.

[lil_miffy]

To clear things up about registering as disabled (becuase it really winds me up that people still make out that you have to be registered disabled to recieve their service or conscession)

Registering as disabled was abolished when the DDA came into force, some (alot) of local authroities have a disabilty register but it is merely for their benefit to plan services better. You do not have to be registered disabled to recieve any support, consession, legal support,benefit or anything else disabliliy related. Ignore the Directgov website info on registering disabled as it is not phrased properly and has been complained about many times by various disabiltiy charities to change the info on registeration. You are still perfectly able to state on job applications that you are disabled if you are not registered. You are covered by the DDA whether you are registered or not. The disability register only exists now so local authorities can keep a tab on how many disabled people they have in their area. but legally you do not have to register disabled to recieve any service, benefit or consession (eg a disabled persons bus pass) so if anyone tells you you have to be registered they are wrong. Some local authroties no longer have a register and more are getting rid of their register becuase of the confusion that some people have about its purpose.

You are still protected under the Disabilty Discrimination Act if you are not registered disabled and job applications should no longer ask if you are registered but rather 'do you define yourself as disabled'. If a job application, or application for a benefit or service, asks if you are registered disabled they are breaking the law by askign you this. You do not have to by law state you have a disabiltiy, even if you do have one, on job applications, but it does make it easier to get support. If you state you are disabled on a job application this information does not get passed onto the interview panel so when you go to an interview they will not know if you have a disability unless you state that you need special arrangements for the interterview eg a sign language interpretur needed.

Don't confuse registering as blind or partially sighted with registering disabled because registration of being blind and partially sighted is very differnt. This is used to certify that a persons sight is below a certain level. Again you do not by law have to be registered as blind or paritally sighted to recieve services but a person will be registered once their sight drops below a certain level by a dr and social worker to ensure their local social services are aware of the person in order to place them in the sightloss support team to gain urgent support.

Here is some info on registration from a legal site just to clarify things becuase it winds me up that people refuse someone a service or concession if they are not registered disabled. (according to the disabilty charities its now seen as offensive and discriminatory to ask someone if they are registered disabled and it is also seen as the same that local authorities still hold registers and is something that is continuing to be challenged).

Below are a list of the most common myths of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA):

1. A disabled person has to be registered disabled

There is currently no register of disabled people, there used to be, but the disabled register was abolished when the DDA came into force, therefore a person has to show that they fulfil the definition of disabled person under the DDA to be considered disabled.....However a person who is registered blind, has either cancer, HIV or MS are automatically considered disabled from the point of diagnosis. (local authority registars are not the same as the old type of registration and do not provide any legal or other type of carification of disability and should not be used to determine a persons eligibility for services. Local authority registers of disabled people are merely for councils use only in order to plan services. It is against the law to refuse someone a service if they are not on their local authority register and disabled people should not be made to feel that they must register in order to access any service, benefit or conscession as this register is has no legal standing.)

2. Does receiving Disability Living Allowance mean that I am registered disabled?

As above no, because the definition of disabled person under the DDA and the definition for Disability Living Allowance are completely different, however receiving Disability Living Allowance is evidence that another organisation accepts that you are disabled.

3. A disabled person must declare they are disabled when applying for a job!

This is untrue, although there are a few exceptions, if a person however is asked as part of a formal medical background then they must declare it, this is due to Health & Safety grounds, however the mere fact that a person is disabled should not be used to discriminate against them and a disabled employee has the right to complain to an employment tribunal or court if they consider that this is the case.

hope this clears things up about registering as disabled.

[BendyBoff]

Miffy - you are a mine of information!

After reading through the DDA the other day I have become clearer about what it means and have also thought about how having HMS really effects me. The main problem for me is mobility - its not a problem every day (eg, walking to work is generally ok) but I always have to be aware of how far I can walk before the pain becomes agony and this is never the same time/distance twice. I think it was my after work shopping trip on Friday that made me realise that my HMS is a disability as I was in agony after about 30 mins and had to use my hubby's golf umbrella as a walking stick and something to lean on while waiting for the bus. I then made the conscious decision to use the seats for disabled people rather than stand.

After the easter break when my boss is back in work I am going to sit down and talk this through with her so that my employer can be made aware that I now consider myself disabled - on the application form I said I didn't think I was but told them about the HMS. To be honest in this job it doesn't matter too much as its a small friendly office I am based in the organisation that our charity is part of provides support to disabled people so they are very understanding. However, if I ever change jobs then I will be ticking the 'I consider myself to be disabled' box.

Thanks everyone who has offered advice about this.

xxxxx

[lil_miffy]

thanks. i worked as a legal secretary for a while which got me intrested in law and rights etc. But it was when i was working with the NUS Disabled students team that i really got into it all.
My mum always says that if i could work id be great as an advocate or advisor for people with disabilities etc.
I think i just can't stand people being given the wrong information especially when it can have a detrimental effect on them.

[serenity79]

In all my searches on the net and phonecalls to so called 'people in the know', miffy's post has been the most informative and most helpful (and the easiest to understand!) Thanks lil_miffy!

[Lillithe4th]

Serenity I know what you mean. I was on our local council website and followed the links back to the first page.
Thanks to Lil Miffy and Stone, I really appreciate your help.

[lil_miffy]

no probs. my head is full of lots of useful (and not so useful) info. If there was a job i could do at home in my own time schedule ie at 3am, that was advising people or something similar i would be made up!
When i lost my sight i created an online forum for other blind people and filled it with loads of info. I was contacted lots of times by the RNIB and other charities and an mp at one point asking for info and advice, opnions etc on certain matters. I would love to do that again becuase i love helping people especially with giving them information on their rights or help available.
cx

[Spireite]

Very interesting. I am applying for jobs and registering with recruitment agents. Most of their forms have the question are you registered disabled? Yes or no?

I have been leaving it because I don't think it is quite so black or white, maybe, or slightly, and it depends why they are asking and .... but they all think it is a simple question! Thanks for the info.

[jojackson]

That question should be being phased out - I've seen it replaced in many cases by the question, "do you consider yourself to have a disability?", which I think is clearer, and fits better with the DDA.

[Spireite]

On the question 'do I consider myself to have a disability?' I still want to answer, maybe, slightly, it depends, who's asking........ but the form invariably demands just yes or no.

I had to see the Disability Employment Advisor this morning and she reckons I am definitely disabled, though I doubt anyone else does.

[jojackson]

The DDA (1995) states that:

"a person has a disability for the purposes of this Act if he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities"

Looking at some of the other threads on this forum, I would say that the majority of us have some form of disability - things in everyday life that are adversely affected by our physical condition.

[BendyBoff]

I also never know what to put as some days I can do stuff and other days I can't so it really depends on what day I happen to fill a form in! I feel a fraud when I say 'yes' but then feel stupid when I say no but then later have to explain my bendiness when I get the job! There needs to be a sometimes box!

xxxs

[lil_miffy]

I't always better to tick 'yes' on the forms becuase it does make it slightly easier to get support etc. Alot of jobs will have you see an occupational health advisor if you get the job before you start. These are like drs who work out what support you might need to do the job with your condition. They are very useful, even more so for people wtih conditions who fluctuate becuase they send a report to your manager/boss adivsing them on your condition, how it affects you and more importantly what they need to do to allow you to do the job the best you can, that means on good days AND bad days.

The last job I went for the occupational health advisor told my boss that i needed:

Proper ergonomic desk chair,
Not to be asked to lift or carry things,
2 breaks in the morning and afternoon as well as lunch so that I could pace and rest better
Time off for any medical appointments I had (basically meant that they had to allow me to go to appointments without giving me greif for all the time off).

So ticking the 'yes' box, even if you think that you might only be a bit disabled on a bad day, is very beneficial.

[Spireite]

So basically, it is asking whether you have 'special needs' in the workplace or will any old workstation do? (So it is also back to my 'it depends who is asking'.) I do need a proper ergonomically set up workstation, and no the titchy bit of a table with the computer twisted round and keyboard on your lap I was presented with at the local PCT of all places just won't do. (Bloke who did accept sitting twisted at that little bit of a table then went off sick with a bad back, though everyone but me blamed his motorbike and not sitting twisted at the computer all day every day.) I can't carry or use a laptop like so many. I must have wrist rests for both keyboard and mouse (called 'greedy' for that at one premium brand employer applying to be a top 100 employer - you are allowed one or the other but not both). An ergonomic chair would be wonderful given my chronic bad spine from skull to sacrum but they just don't make them my size as in another thread. I can't cope with a ten tonne mouse I need both hands to move like in my last job. I have a break on the hour every hour, but I don't broadcast it as such. Either I go to the Ladies to realign myself, or I generously offer to make the coffees.

There hasn't been any occupational health advisor at any of my places of employment. At the last place I had to fill in a medical questionnaire for the first time, and that scared them. HR then wanted a 'little chat' with me.

Sounds good as long as it doesn't put them off and if they actually do have an occupational health advisor. I sound high-maintenance, but I am low maintenance once set up correctly. I'm used to fighting for what I need all on my own. Support would be nice, but the shock might kill me.

[Stone]

So ticking the 'yes' box, even if you think that you might only be a bit disabled on a bad day, is very beneficial.

I disagree with this - per the DDA you either have a condition with a long-term effect on your day-to-day life or not. You can't be 'a bit disabled', but then I suspect you know that

Spireite: from my experience of ergonomics I would never recommend using wrist rests. The gel ones for mouse use encourage incorrect arm use - the temptation is to support your whole arm with your wrist on the (static) wrist rest and then operate the mouse by using damaging ulnar/radial rotation at the wrist - this is what b****r up all my intercarpal joints so beware! Keyboard wrist rests are usually used for much the same reason - I don't know if you touch-type but that makes it worse still. For some reason they put the little flip-out feet on the back of the keyboard so it slopes towards you - if you're using a wrist rest you then have to type using excessive flexing at the MCP joints and if the keyboard is a standard size and you don't have enormous hands you use ulnar deviation to line your fingers up with the home row. Ideally they would slope backwards so you could relax your hand properly - some of the most advanced ergo keyboards do exactly that.

Kinesis keyboard


Maltron keyboard


Basically almost all modern computers have shocking ergonomics and it makes me quite agitated!

Please don't work in the wrong position, it's too late for me (which is why my hand problems are 10 years ahead of the rest of me) but you might not have done the damage yet...

Stone