To want to work for cash to pay for treatment

[gopherit]

AIBU to think that if the nhs can't give you the treatment you need and you're expected to self fund (in my case, 2 different types of physio and long-term counselling) then you should be able to work additional hours tax free to be able to fund it? As it is, if I work extra, my universal credit will reduce and it still won't cover it. To do it properly, long term private physio and counselling is already setting me back around £300-400 month which I can't sustain.

I am so fed up. When I chose a vocational career to qualify in, it's because you could survive without luxuries if that's what you chose. I'm not someone who needs or wants 5 long holidays abroad every year! I'm happy to shop cheaply and forego expensive treats, to do something I love and that's good for society (3rd sector). That was the choice I was happy to make when choosing my area of study/speciality. BUT, there was a half decent healthcare and benefits system at the time, which now there isn't. I'd like to work extra to pay for my treatment, but I can't.

Would it enable a society that could more easily fund treatment, rather than struggle to stay in work without?

Apols if I post and run, will be back this evening!

I think that would be very hard to administer.

Is private health insurance an option?

I have cover through work but not for pre-existing conditions...

...and the EAP at work won't provide the counselling as it's too complex 🙄

UC is there to help. If you can earn money to support yourself other ways then you probably should.

if you’re able to work (to pay for extras) you should rather than collect UC payments

If something isn’t available on the NHS then it will be for a reason - the NHS can’t fund everything.

Thats quite a blanket statement. UC is there to top up a low income - im sure its not calculated with paying for private treatment in mind? Then when you add in there are no nhs dentists so am paying extra for that as well, I am feeling a little peed off!

If I increase my hours then my student loan kicks in and uc reduces as well, so doesn't leave me with any additional to pay for treatment.

Usually once you've been to physio a few times you do a lot of it at home everyday. Same exercises etc and then you can go to physio a bit less
Would a gym or swimming membership be beneficial? Walking in the water meant to be very good for some conditions and weightlifting can help stabilise backs etc obviously depends on your specific problems.

NHS barely funds anything and it's not really the spirit of benefits that you work cash in hand so you have more money but don't want to lose out on UC.. but so many do it and I get why.. in my experience there's not many easy cash in hand jobs around anymore unless you know someone with a shop or business.

But that applies to everyone OP. I've never qualified for any benefits and I still have to pay for any private medical or dental care, whether I can afford it or not.

You are deliberately keeping yourself on a low wage so that you can get UC.

You can't have it both ways.

Im not deliberately keeping myself on a low income to claim. I work full time. I'm talking about a side hustle.

And I wont do it for cash in hand - i have too much of a guilty conscience (blame my religious upbringing 😁). I'm just musing that more people might access the support/treatment they need if they could work extra for it.

If you’re able to increase your hours you should - and if it means you’re paying more student loan then that’s what happens. Just like the rest of us.

UC is not supposed to be an interactive to work which is what you’re suggesting when you say if you increase your hours you’ll lose out.

Thats not what I'm saying at all. I already work fulltime.

Perhaps everyone who needs treatment the nhs cannot provide should be able to claim tax back. I think that's what I'm saying!

On whatever they are paying out for.

Wouldn’t PIP be for this kind of thing?

That's an interesting idea. No idea how it could work in practice though.

No it wouldn't, because I dont tick Pip boxes, in spite of being disabled with a long term health condition.

Thank you. No idea don't know either, but it would be a vote winner for me!

So what would happen if you then needed urgent expensive treatment that you can only access through the NHS? Would you then repay the tax you had claimed back to pay for your optional treatment? Because otherwise you wou.ld be expecting to have your expensive and urgent treatment paid for by others who hadn’t claimed tax back and sliced off a little bit off the top of the cake for themselves…..

The system only works* if everyone accepts that everyone pays in and you get back what they need not what they want. If you want extra, breast implants, a face lift, physio, designer vagina you pay for it yourself.

(*That is not to say it doesn’t need looking at, the current funding model is badly flawed and the system itself is clumsy and inefficient.)

If you’re claiming UC you’re probably taking out more than you put in already. A relatively small proportion of people are net payers. Why do you think you should be able to take out the tax related to the NHS? It’s like someone claiming back insurance premiums because they didn’t claim on their insurance.

Unfortunately private counselling and physiotherapy are luxuries. NHS counselling and physio are under extreme pressure. People are waiting up to two years for hip replacements when they can hardly walk.

Like everyone else you have to try and manage things yourself or save up for private treatment. I also try and limit how much I use the NHS by working things out myself if possible. There are lots of physios and counsellors on YouTube that tell you how to manage specific issues if you already have a diagnosis. You could for instance have physio once a month and counselling twice a month which would reduce the cost.

I'm not getting back what I need though...
Long term trauma informed therapy isn't exactly a want...

Are you saying you claim UC and can still afford to pay £300-400 a month for private health care?

No I have used my credit card ! Hence me saying I cannot sustain it !!

is there a charity that could offer the counselling? Nhs were useless for me but a the did signpost for charities that specialise in the area I was looking at. Your doctor may be able to refer to a gym and from there get a private trainer with some options that you can repeat often in the gym.

I spoke to a therapist through the job centre once, was free as was on UC, they could only provide a certain amount of sessions but the lady I had my weekly sessions with over the phone said you can quite often get cheaper sessions through trainee therapists, although how helpful that would be for you I dont know if it's quite complex?