Planning Ahead for Possible Inability To Work

Hi there,

My story is a bit unusual, so please bear with me.

I'm suffering from what is now extreme pain and a host of other symptoms that I have been carrying for the last 3.5 years.

While I'm in the process of being tested and there are some issues in the bloods, I'm yet to go fully through the MSK triage process, which is long overdue.

The root cause is unknown, though I suspect, based on the prescribed Diazepam that for some, can cause terrible problems that mimic chronic illness - www.benzoinfo.com/2018/04/28/how-benzodi...what-to-do-about-it/

I have tapered off half of my dose, but stopped 2 years ago because I was in a huge amount of debt (business tax debt and personal debt). Because I own a portion of the property my Mother lives in (joint ownership), if I had gone bankrupt there was every chance the property would have been at risk (this is in part due to the nature of my debts at the time, which I won't get into here).

My work in the technology/marketing space goes back 14 years and I have a very solid background and good resume, with lots of good experience.

Even before Covid, I was working fully from home via my Limited Company of which I am the only employee.

Right now I work within IR35 as a contractor.

My business is on payment plans for corporation tax. Because of a crime I was a victim of, HMRC gave my company 10 years to pay back a year's corporation tax while I was paying off a shark loan that put the company in question on the deed of my Mother's home (I do not live there and the (£18K) debt is paid off).

My company has a tax bill to pay soon of £6.5K which on the basis of my current holdings and earnings through the next 6 months (the length of my current contract) I should be able to meet and still save.

The issue is that my symptoms have gotten so bad that I am now thinking that the only way to get better is to get off the medication (slowly and safely) and that in order to do that, I may have to stop working.

My Mother and the rest of my family and I have no contact.

I have no support.

To complicate things, I currently live in a Guardianship, whereby I live in this place officially in order to look after it while paying a lesser fee. The building is due to be knocked down later this year, so I may have to move anyway.

The medical process is ongoing and may take time before I get a formal diagnosis (if at all), as right now I only have chronic fatigue on my file (it's way more than that in actuality).

I read this form www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/pip-test-form and I can walk more than 200 metres right now, but it feels like I’m being crushed by a tank - I just have no choice.

Similarly, I can wash myself, and clothe myself, but it’s all incredibly hard, everything is and the deterioration is also a trend that scares the hell out of me.

That said, I haven’t even done the test because I can see I’ll get a very low score.

Previously I wanted to think I could soldier on and find a way to work less and somehow get off the medication and or recover however I can.

I also have a ton of trauma and mental health issues once again associated with the medication, but also from events in my life.

I am often suicidal. I hang on by a thread.

Can anyone give me an idea of how I could start planning?

One idea I have is to save up as much as possible for the next 5 months or so, move out (assuming I can find a cheap tenancy) and then go on UC and try to get housing benefit etc.

If I can still work and keep myself going I will, but things are getting too bad, I'm starting to think it may not be possible.

I've read some scary things about the likelihood of getting housed if I can't be on the private market and if I became homeless in my state, well, I won't say anymore.

Hi. I would get medical investigations done as a priority. You will not get PIP on the basis of a diagnosis, but rather on how you are affected by your illness(es). You will need medical ‘back up’ if you want to make any benefit claims. If you live on benefits you will need to ‘prove’ that you are too ill to work. What benefit you will receive will depend on your NI contributions. Self-employed people can have issues with this because they pay NI at a lower rate.

You can ask for ‘social housing’ as you are under threat of homelessness and have ill health. If you part own a property though, you are likely to be declined unless your mother lives in a one bed. You may be asked if the property can be sold so that you can recoup any money, or that you move in there.

I would focus on all these separate issues individually if possible.

I would also get some Mental Health support. Ask your GP for a referral to IAPTS.