Lucyr
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Whilst this topic won’t apply to many people here, it may apply to some and is worth knowing about to bear in mind when speaking with people who have complications or other medical conditions.
Access to work is a government grant that helps provide equipment, support or transport to help people with disabilities or long term conditions stay in work, or to be able to start work. For example if you become visually impaired and need special equipment or a support worker, or help getting to work. You can read about it online. You don’t receive cash but either the equipment or reimbursements.
Many months ago (the time lag is about 7 months if already employed) I applied for an access to work grant because of my ME/CFS and a change in office location I knew was coming up this month. I live very close to the previous office but 6 miles from the new office. I can’t always drive to work as my brain gets too tired to drive home safely if the day has been tiring, plus the car park is always fully booked and “just park a while away and walk” isn’t really an option for me. The bus journey is too long to manage regularly too, took me 90 minutes when I tried it last week. The commute is only 6 miles!
So it was a nice surprise to have access to work contact me yesterday. I’d only applied for help with taxis to work occasionally, no equipment etc. I made a low request for 4 return taxis per month, perhaps should have asked for more but as I can work from home and I know there’s no magic money tree I didn’t want to ask for more help than the basics needed. I had to explain why I can’t just drive even though I have a licence and car, why I can’t just get the bus, and what reasonable adjustments my employer had made to reduce the travel needed.
Then it was all approved, I will receive some paperwork to sort it all officially but now for four return trips per month I can get a taxi and be reimbursed most of it. I have to make a contribution which is estimated on my costs if I was driving, which seems fair. This will help me stay in work and mentally well, by making sure that even in bad phases I can get out of my flat and into the office a few times a month.
So, something worth bearing in mind if ever you’re chatting to someone who has health problems that are affecting work and needs support beyond that their employer can provide.
Access to work is a government grant that helps provide equipment, support or transport to help people with disabilities or long term conditions stay in work, or to be able to start work. For example if you become visually impaired and need special equipment or a support worker, or help getting to work. You can read about it online. You don’t receive cash but either the equipment or reimbursements.
Many months ago (the time lag is about 7 months if already employed) I applied for an access to work grant because of my ME/CFS and a change in office location I knew was coming up this month. I live very close to the previous office but 6 miles from the new office. I can’t always drive to work as my brain gets too tired to drive home safely if the day has been tiring, plus the car park is always fully booked and “just park a while away and walk” isn’t really an option for me. The bus journey is too long to manage regularly too, took me 90 minutes when I tried it last week. The commute is only 6 miles!
So it was a nice surprise to have access to work contact me yesterday. I’d only applied for help with taxis to work occasionally, no equipment etc. I made a low request for 4 return taxis per month, perhaps should have asked for more but as I can work from home and I know there’s no magic money tree I didn’t want to ask for more help than the basics needed. I had to explain why I can’t just drive even though I have a licence and car, why I can’t just get the bus, and what reasonable adjustments my employer had made to reduce the travel needed.
Then it was all approved, I will receive some paperwork to sort it all officially but now for four return trips per month I can get a taxi and be reimbursed most of it. I have to make a contribution which is estimated on my costs if I was driving, which seems fair. This will help me stay in work and mentally well, by making sure that even in bad phases I can get out of my flat and into the office a few times a month.
So, something worth bearing in mind if ever you’re chatting to someone who has health problems that are affecting work and needs support beyond that their employer can provide.
