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Escapee · 13-03-2005, 22:40

My father is unable to work, but he doesn't get a big hand out like many do. He will not even have the Blue badge and free road tax because he's too proud. It means my mother has two jobs to keep finances manageable, the strange thing is somedays my father looks OK, then other days he is unable to get out of bed.

He worked all his life and had never been out of work, the problem started when he was made redundant. Not being the type shy of work he took a job in a timber yard along with a few other younger and fitter guys loading lorries with logs by hand, unfortunayely he did a lot of damage to his back in those few weeks and had to give it up. He applied for a job as a postman and was successful, he struggled around for about 9 months carrying the sack of letters until one day he slipped in the snow.

He had to go on income support, and it was based on your last earnings. In those days postmen were not paid very well, so he didn't get a great deal of assistance. He came off income support for a while and did some driving work, but found that some days he was ok, and other he couldn't move. He eventually paid to go to a private specialist but he said the damage was too far, and an operation would not help. He is now on income support and finds it difficult to get about part of the time, I'm sure anyone seeing him on one of his good days would assume there's nothing wrong with him. Due to the damage to his spine, his one leg is a lot thinner than the other.

My father doesn't do that well on benefits, but we do know some people who are coining it in for injuries far less severe than my fathers.

Make no mistake, if he could work he would!

13-03-2005, 22:40	#22
Escapee Inactive Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: This Planet Posts: 4,028	Re: The Welfare State My father is unable to work, but he doesn't get a big hand out like many do. He will not even have the Blue badge and free road tax because he's too proud. It means my mother has two jobs to keep finances manageable, the strange thing is somedays my father looks OK, then other days he is unable to get out of bed. He worked all his life and had never been out of work, the problem started when he was made redundant. Not being the type shy of work he took a job in a timber yard along with a few other younger and fitter guys loading lorries with logs by hand, unfortunayely he did a lot of damage to his back in those few weeks and had to give it up. He applied for a job as a postman and was successful, he struggled around for about 9 months carrying the sack of letters until one day he slipped in the snow. He had to go on income support, and it was based on your last earnings. In those days postmen were not paid very well, so he didn't get a great deal of assistance. He came off income support for a while and did some driving work, but found that some days he was ok, and other he couldn't move. He eventually paid to go to a private specialist but he said the damage was too far, and an operation would not help. He is now on income support and finds it difficult to get about part of the time, I'm sure anyone seeing him on one of his good days would assume there's nothing wrong with him. Due to the damage to his spine, his one leg is a lot thinner than the other. My father doesn't do that well on benefits, but we do know some people who are coining it in for injuries far less severe than my fathers. Make no mistake, if he could work he would!