Since being d/x in 2009 I have been working full time. I have been in employment ever since I left school at the age of 16. Full time is now getting to be too much for me. My employers [a large national company] are being very understanding towards me and my illness and will go along with any plans I might have. Obviously, if I choose to go part time, I will get a part time salary. Who do I go to and what forms do I need to fill in to "top up" my wages. I'm the only bread winner in my house and I have a wife and 2 daughters to support plus the morgage has to be paid somehow, I don't know what to do for the best. I do know, I can't carry on working full time. Any advice of suggestions gratefully recived.
Regards....Andy.
There is a specialist employment adviser in the Parkinson's UK helpline team. I'd advise you to speak to him or someone like him if you have not done so already. The helpline gang can also point you in the direction of benefits advice to understand your eligibility and how to proceed. Their number is at the top of the page.
It is good to hear that your employer is being supportive. You don't say what kind of work you do or exactly what problems you are having. Have you looked through the options, if any are possible, to adapt your job to allow you to carry on? or to find you a different role in the same company. I too work for a large UK company and I have seen the kind of adaptations that can be made.
I hope this is helpful
EF
It is good to hear that your employer is being supportive. You don't say what kind of work you do or exactly what problems you are having. Have you looked through the options, if any are possible, to adapt your job to allow you to carry on? or to find you a different role in the same company. I too work for a large UK company and I have seen the kind of adaptations that can be made.
I hope this is helpful
EF
hi
if you feel you need to go part-time then there is no question that is the right thing to do.
is there any reason your wife is not working? one way of doing it is split shifts - you and your wife share income earning and household work.
do you mind if i ask what meds you are on and how much commuting you do?
cheers
if you feel you need to go part-time then there is no question that is the right thing to do.
is there any reason your wife is not working? one way of doing it is split shifts - you and your wife share income earning and household work.
do you mind if i ask what meds you are on and how much commuting you do?
cheers
Could you speak to your employer about changing your hours? some people have found that starting later in the morning makes a big difference, alternatively is there any way you could be re-deployed to a more manageable role (sorry don't know what you do)
Perhaps you could take rests during the day? an hours sleep at lunchtime might make all the difference. It must place you under huge pressure being the only breadwinner, as turnip suggests, is there any way your wife could take some of the pressure off by working some hours herself?
Caroline
x
Perhaps you could take rests during the day? an hours sleep at lunchtime might make all the difference. It must place you under huge pressure being the only breadwinner, as turnip suggests, is there any way your wife could take some of the pressure off by working some hours herself?
Caroline
x
Thankyou all for your replys. I mainly work in the warehouse at a branch of a national plumbing and heating supplies company. I do a little bit of sales behind the counter as well. I would love to send the mrs.out to work but she is 5 years older than me [I'm 52] and not in the best of health herself. I think it would be VERY difficult for her to find a job at the moment.
TURNIP, I take one pill daily of Pramipexole 3.15mgs. This dose is the highest that I can take so I'm told. I'm quite lucky as my workplace is just 3 miles down the road, I did cycle to work for a long time before parkys got it's hold on me. For the time being, I'm driving to work. I have walked to work before now if I was to do that now, it would take me forever to get there, then I would be fit for nothing. Plus, everywhere around here is going up. Out of my house is uphill, and out of work at the days end is also up.
Caroline, thats an Idea I had not thought of. I intend going part time at first.Your idea of starting later in the day certainly appeals to me. I shall keep that in mind. I quite fancy having a siesta half way through the day also.
Don't know what my guvnor would think about that. So far, he has been very good to me. I cant complain at all at the way I've been treated.
Regards to you all....Andy.
TURNIP, I take one pill daily of Pramipexole 3.15mgs. This dose is the highest that I can take so I'm told. I'm quite lucky as my workplace is just 3 miles down the road, I did cycle to work for a long time before parkys got it's hold on me. For the time being, I'm driving to work. I have walked to work before now if I was to do that now, it would take me forever to get there, then I would be fit for nothing. Plus, everywhere around here is going up. Out of my house is uphill, and out of work at the days end is also up.
Caroline, thats an Idea I had not thought of. I intend going part time at first.Your idea of starting later in the day certainly appeals to me. I shall keep that in mind. I quite fancy having a siesta half way through the day also.
Don't know what my guvnor would think about that. So far, he has been very good to me. I cant complain at all at the way I've been treated.
Regards to you all....Andy.
hi Andy
its sounds as if you have got a nice short commute which is good, so not wasting energy on unpaid travel.
you might want to think about levadopa at some point. it gets to the parts that DAs don't reach. It might be worth trying before cutting back drastically on your hours. you could talk to your neuro about how important it is to maintain your income.
do you have any mortgage insurance (not always easy to get money out of).
cheers
its sounds as if you have got a nice short commute which is good, so not wasting energy on unpaid travel.
you might want to think about levadopa at some point. it gets to the parts that DAs don't reach. It might be worth trying before cutting back drastically on your hours. you could talk to your neuro about how important it is to maintain your income.
do you have any mortgage insurance (not always easy to get money out of).
cheers
Hi Andy, just a word of advice about going part time and or cutting hours. If you have to eventually finish work due to ill health and then want to claim ESA (contribution based) sometimes when you go part time you then dont pay enough National Insurance which invalidates a claim. This happened to me and although DWP tried to help eventually I got nothing. Just information as I thought I was doing the right thing in going part time but it backfired financially.