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Dear Daily Newspaper, I just wanted to drop a line to let you and your readers know how appalled I am at the service that is being provided by our local council. 5 weeks ago I slipped and fell at work, damaging my back, my company agreed to give me full pay while I was signed of with a Doctors Certificate. I have now been told by my employer that they will no longer pay me full pay, Statuatory Sick Pay only. Due to my financial circumstances (as i expect many people are in the same situation), I cannot afford to live on the £63.65 a week I would get on SSP so I am being forced to return to work this wednesday, against Doctors wishes and despite having a Doctors Certificate til at least september. I decided to contact the benefits office to see whether there was anything I could claim that would enable me to stay at home and take the time I still need to recover. Now I have paid my full national insurance and tax since I have been working and never claimed benefits before. However I was appalled to find out that I could claim £53.50 Incapacity Benefit, IF I stopped recieving the SSP (a loss of £10) so no help there. I was then passed to another department where i was told the only other thing I could do was claim income support, but this was only applicable if my husband also gave up work and even then we would only recieve £84.65 BETWEEN US!!!. I have never claimed anything before and when I finally need assistance from the government they are unable to provide any form of help for us, unless we are prepared to give up a lot more. I am now in the situation where I have to return to work, against Doctors wishes, to a manual job when i can barely make it round tesco for a 15 minute shop ( and when i do I have to rest for several hours after). I ask you, why should we be bothered to work at all when, when we need assistance, the government cannot help out the people who need it short term. Yours, Emma from Southampton If you would like to submit your opinion to Daily Newspaper please submit here. We will read all letters but we cannot always guarantee inclusion. |