Hi, any advice would be appreciated, My partner who suffers from psychotic episodes signed up for a 2 year contract with 02 when he was unwell, he was already a customer of theirs but renewed in the shop one day. Anyway we had to take the phone of him because he was convinced his calls were being recorded because of the paranoia he suffers, I cancelled all his DD and I took the phone of him and just forgot about it for the last 7 months. He received a letter this week of a debt collection agency demanding nearly 600 pounds, he is worried sick about this and is concerned they will come knocking on the door for the money which is highly stressing him out. He never used the phone for calls etc as he only had it about 3 days. Can anyone offer me advice about what I can do about this, should I call o2 or the DCA Thanks

My dad who is 87 has had a pamphlet from Bluecrest Health Screening advising of a complete health check for £99. He is of the impression that they will find something wrong with him that the NHS has not been able to find. Are the Bluecrest genuine or are they con artists out to fleece people? Please advise.

A NEW mental health service for veterans and reserves has been launched in East Yorkshire. Specialist nurses in the region are helping military veterans get help for a range of conditions, including depression, whether they are related to combat or not. The Veterans Outreach Service found many ex-military workers struggled to talk about mental health problems or found it difficult to approach their own GP. Now, Humber NHS Foundation Trust is providing specialist nurses to cover the region, chat to veterans and work with them to get the help they need. http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Service-brings-mental-health-care-barracks/story-18088468-detail/story.html

I looking for a bit of advice. My husband has been unwell for the last 18 months and last year had spinal surgery to correct the problem. Since he had the surgery he has suffered blackouts. He went back to work in June but is still suffering. Work has paid for him to have a medical and while the report says he has problems, the company should try and make allowances while the cause is found out. The report also says his problems are covered by the Disability Act. What I'm wanting to know is can they sack him. He has a stage 3 meeting next week to discuss his level of absence and the letter does say that as part of company policy he could be dismissed. We are both worried as if he is dismissed we are not entitled to ESA contribution based and I earn just over the limit for income based. Any help would be appreciated. Joanne

I have a question, what is the grounds for you to be medically retired on the grounds of ill health. I am currently employed however I have a medical condition called sacroiliac joint injury of which the characteristics are: Pain on the right of my lower back. The pain ranges from an ache to a sharp pain which restricts my movement to the point where I cannot leave the house. If I leave the house, I walk for around 5 mins then experience pain in my back and legs and struggle to return home. Experience difficulty turning over in bed, struggle to put on shoes and socks and sometime get pain when getting in and out of cars. Have stiffness in the lower back when getting up after sitting for long periods and when getting up from bed in the morning. Have difficulty climbing stairs and have been advised to avoid stairs and take the lift whenever possible. This condition have now become worse since coming back from holiday into the cold which was -2 degrees at the time. My symptoms was extreme pain in both legs and my feet however I managed to go to work for over a week. However I have now been off work since 13th December due to the extreme pain in my back and legs and have been told by my GP that it now appears that my condition has worsened and I have have a pinched nerve in my back which he feels has been exacerbated by the cold weather. Although I am feeling a bit better through taking three types of medication and trying to do some gentle exercise, I am fearful that my work place will take a negative view of yet another bout of sickness. I have been told that I have had 99 days sickness since I have been with the company and I have been there 20 months. However when I initally started I was off for 5 weeks due to being injured during training. (I also have a screw in my clavicle and was injured during physical training). I have injured my shoulder twice since being in work amounting to 6 weeks off. I have also been off with my back on two occasions lasting from one to two weeks, this is the third occasion. The other times have been colds and flu and sinusitus. (As I work in a private mental health hospital they discourage staff from coming in when they are unwell, however as we do not recieve company sick pay, many staff work whilst being sick)! My company have already been advised that my back and shoulder fall under the DDA 1996. I am concerned that my company may take the view that I am unable to work and consider dismissal due to my record of sickness or even feel that I should be medically retirement. What is the implications of this as I do not want to be medically retired or even loose my job as I am only 44. Any advice. :-(

Very disturbing http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/cardsloans/article-2231040/Payday-borrowers-face-Christmas-credit-shock.html

My house was recently repossessed as i was unable to pay the mortgage. I have longstanding depression and initially i was able to maintain a well paid job with medication. But then due to certain stresses i became too sick and was unable to work. This led to breakdown of marriage and i separated from somebody i deeply cared about. These stresses have left me a mere invalid. I feel so insecure that sometimes i leave the lights on at night when i sleep. I never pickup the phone if i don't recognise the number. I also have significant credit card debt. I live in terrible fear of the DCA's. I just can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Is there somebody else like me out there?

Could someone help me with this, my daughter had an accident in a major department store. Staff where told, and acknowledged by the physical evdience of that happened. I was in shock and had a very very upset child, when i have spoke with various people re the accident i was told due to Health and Safety law this should have been recorded. I contacted the said store, and got a responce that i refused medical care thus this means it would not go in the book. A- I never refused medical care B- I have been told even though we never had medical care their that its their responsibility and they had to record the accident for their own legalalities to cover themselves from being sued. Can someone please confirm what ACT it is in law that they have to follow on recording this

Hi Folks Not really a problem A member of the Hamster family is to start a new job. He has to have an Occupational Health Check. What does this entail? H

Hello Everyone, I am writing to request the help and opinion of anyone on this forum in regards to a problem that I am facing right now. I will cut to the chase - I work for a large international company and recently stopped working due to a diagnosed mental illness. I have been seen by GP and have been referred on to see psychiatric specialists who I am now under the care of. In addition to this I am also taking prescribed medication as part of my treatment program. In my contract of employment it states that I am entitled to sick pay and gives the amount I will be entitled to and the duration I can expect to receive it for. However, I have been informed by my HR department that I am not entitled to sick pay based on the condition that I have been signed off with. I do not want to disclose what the condition is in open forum; however, I can advise that the medical community would class it as a serious mental illness. My employer has failed to publicise what conditions it pays sick pay for and makes no reference to any form of qualifying criteria in my contract of employment. In short, I believe that I am being discriminated against because I have a mental illness and I would really appreciate the advice and thoughts of others. Best wishes, Time to shine

For those who claim this is not happening: http://tvguide.co.uk/detail.asp?id=135640656

My better half has had planned sick leave from her work as she had to have a back op. She is coming to the stage where she is nearly ready to return to her duties. I must add that she is very eager to return. The problem is that the GP and the consultant have advised that she have a phased return as she does not have full movement and her job involces a lot of bending and reaching up!! They have advised that she be seen by the firms occupational health department to assess exactly what she can and can't do and plan a phased and proper return to work plan. Her employers are disagreeing with this and say that she can do a sit down less strenuous job for 6 six weeks and then return to her normal duties. The thing is that no one knows whether she will be able to return fully to her normal duties (which she has been told is her employers expectation). She is of course worried that if she is not able to carry out her normal duties after the six weeks if this would make her vulnerable to dismissal because of not being able to do the work that she is employed to do. I would have thought that it would be in they're best interests that she have an occi health assessment and input before she goes back. Your advice will be much appreciated.

Hi all, I've been off work due to illness for a year now and have finally admitted to myself that I won't ever be going back. I've therefore about to write to my employers with my resignation. Before I do though, I just want to make sure I know what I'm entitled to and that I don't get ripped off in any way. I've googled and googled but haven't been able to find definitive answers to the questions below. I'm hoping someone on here has been in a similar situation and can provide some info. I gather that any holiday pay I've accrued is still owing to me, but what happens where there is a 'use it or lose' clause in your employment contract? I had 3 weeks holiday pay owing to me in January this year, but any holiday owing has, by contract, to be taken by the end of January or be lost. However, as I'm ill I wasn't in a position to take all my holiday. Have I lost that 3 weeks pay or am I still entitled to it? (I have asked my employers, but they've been vague in their replies... ) My SSP stopped in March and I've been on ESA ever since. If I resign will I still be owed month's wages in lieu of notice or will I get nothing at all as I'm not currently receiving any pay from my employers? Is it correct that neither holiday pay or money paid in lieu of notice will affect my ESA? Hoping someone can help...

Hi, as I expected I was dismissed this week from my job due to being ill for a considerable time, also they cannot provide me with alternative work that I could do. What I wanted to know is as I am on ESA(support group) will the back holiday pay and pay in lue of notice affect my benefit, do I have to tell them I have received this? Most of it will be from holiday pay from last year when I was on SSP not ESA.

I attended a formal meeting with line manager and person from HR about my recent Occ Health report. I had a doctors appointment to talk about the possibility of an operation after this meeting. However after a short discussion about the report the manager changed the subject to an incident I had earlier that day with a supervisor where I made what I had thought a minor flippant comment (even the supervisor told me it was all sorted out when I spoke to him, but he was obviously lying). The manager then continued to 'grill me' about the incident. I asked him not to continue with his questioning as I wanted union rep to be involved. He continued with his questioning or should I say interogation. When I finally said I had to leave for doctors appointment he said "this is not over and we will continue this tomorrow!" Anyway I was signed off sick for 2 weeks and nothing ever came of the disciplinary. I have since put in a grivance against this incident and other lack of duty of care relating to my disability (which is another story). It was never really investigated properly at the grievance so I have appealed. Question is when does a disciplinary meeting actually start as I feel I was denied my rights of being given a letter and the legal right of representation? Manager has used an entrapment tatic by using the occ health meeting. This was clearly not just an investigation but a disciplinary hearing! Any advice appreciated!

Wonder if anyone can give me a few pointers when I attend this meeting please? Brief history...was taken ill Feb 14th 2011 spent 5 weeks in hospital, in which time I had to have an operation to repair a ruptured intestine and after suffered many serious post-op complications, I have kept my work Manger informed of my progress or lack of it, supplied sick notes as needed. My sick pay ended after 26 weeks and am now on ESA(support) and DLA. I cannot return, as yet, to my employment due to my wound refusing to heal and being an infection risk, both for myself and the people I would be caring for,also will need further surgery to correct some complications caused by the first operation. The letter that arrived today informing me of this meeting mentions the points that will be covered by the meeting such as impact on the team, impact on management team, impact on the employee and cost. I understand the problems of replacing me with another member of staff but as for management time and cost...well other than a meeting lasting 10 to 15 mins every couple of months no other management has been involved and as for costs, they didn't pay me any sick pay and have not received any holiday pay that I think I was entitled to over the past year. Can anyone confirm that I am entitled to accrued holiday pay when I am on sick leave or am I mistaken? Also they asked my Doctor if he would class me as disabled which he answered yes, should they offer me another position in the company? I work in one of the largest private health care providers in this country.

This is a free 45-page PDF booklet supported by Mind, Rethink, CAPUK and others, for people with mental health problems and those caring for them. It covers how to handle debts when unwell, work with banks, free debt counselling, specific tips for bipolar disorder or depression sufferers, whether to declare a condition and more. This guide is not only aimed at people experiencing mental health problems, but friends, family and carers who want to help them tackle their finances. It was written with guidence from several leading charities, including Mind, Rethink, Christians Against Poverty and others. Throughout the guide, there are tips to start taking small steps to cut your debt. We have used real-life case studies. We've included them to illustrate that you are not alone. Hopefully their experiences of escaping from debt may give you hope that you can do the same. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cards/mental-health-guide

BBC news headlines on the net, hope it's ok to post this, do you think they would pass the atos medical for ESA???? MPs Charles Walker and Kevan Jones tell of mental health issues Charities praised Charles Walker and Kevan Jones for their speeches Continue reading the main story Related Stories Mental health must be 'destigmatised' Listen MPs 'should admit mental health issues' Watch Two MPs have spoken out about their mental health problems in an effort to break the "taboo" around the issue. Tory MP Charles Walker told MPs he was a "practising fruitcake" as he described how he had lived with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) for more than 30 years. His Labour colleague Kevan Jones told of his battle with depression and the "difficult" decision to speak out. The pair earned praise from charities for their "historic" speeches. MPs were told by Lib Dem Health Minister Paul Burstow that mental health was a "taboo subject" - even though one in four people in the UK will suffer from mental health problems at some point in their lives. Speaking about his own experiences with OCD, Mr Walker, MP for Broxbourne, said: "On occasions it is manageable and, on occasions, it becomes quite difficult. It takes you to some quite dark places. "I operate by the rule of four. So I have to do everything in evens. "I have to wash my hands four times. I have to go in and out of a room four times. My wife and children often say I resemble an extra from Riverdance as I bounce in and out of a room." Anti-stigma campaign Mr Jones, MP for Durham North, said he had "thought very long and hard" about whether to speak publicly about his mental health problems. Continue reading the main story “Start Quote If it helps other people who have suffered from depression in the past - good” Kevan Jones Labour MP "In 1996 I suffered from quite a deep depression related to work issues and other things going on in my life at that moment," he said in the Commons. "Like a lot of men, you try and deal with it yourself. You don't talk to people. I just hope you realise, Mr Speaker, what I'm saying is very difficult right now." He said it was important to talk about mental health in Parliament because "we are... in politics designed to admit that somehow if you admit fault or frailty you are going to be looked upon in a disparaging way, in terms of both the electorate and your peers as well". He "didn't know" whether his admission would affect how people viewed him or his career prospects but added: "I actually don't care now because if it helps other people who have suffered from depression in the past - good." He said funding should be made available for MPs suffering from mental health problems to get treatment. Mr Walker and Mr Jones were both praised for the speeches by Time to Change, a mental health anti-stigma campaign run by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness. Campaign director Sue Baker said: "This will go down in the history books as we have never before seen our political leaders and Parliamentarians feel able to discuss their mental health problems openly without fear of discrimination. "We want people from all walks of life to be able to do the same and it's great to see politicians making a stand." Mr Burstow told MPs his department is ploughing millions of pounds into helping people with mental health problems.

I have been off sick since January I saw Occupational health nurse & personnel manager at my home in March. I got another letter in early may stating they wanted another occ health appt, i called head office and requested a home visit with the occ health nurse only (we are allowed to request this!), she did not turn up. I then received a letter to state i had a booking for a telephone appt with occ health, they did not ring me. I then receive a letter from work stating I have missed 2 appointments, the matter is serious and I am putting them in a very difficult position. I sent work the copy letter confirming my telephone appointment and also explained that I had not missed 2 appointments. That was last friday (18th) and I have heard nothing but i believe the personnel manager has been on holiday this week! Aaaaargh, what do I do!!

On the ESA50 form question 11 asks about a persons ability to learn new tasks. If someone has depression and anxiety and has a good IQ and although sometimes could learn somthing new but due to severe depression and/or anxiety struggles to do more than be awake almsot all the time, how should that question be answered? Technically the person has the ability to learn a new task but in reality is not going to be able to be in the position of needing to if that makes sense. There are many questions on the ESA50 that have the same dilemma and I'm hoping answers can reveal how to answer the all. Thanks.