Quit work to care for G/F with mental health issues or carry on with SSP??

DEBTMONKEY1A

Hello all,

Please see my other post/s to bring u up to speed (!) Other 1/2 has mental health issues & is a bit worse at mo. Thanks to the great advice on here have contacted CAB who've been GREAT! When her contract ends (20 May-she's still on pay at the mo but written off sick) been told to claim ESA & also try for DLA now & also in a week or so to 'get the ball rolling-so it's 'in the system' (I quote the CAB worker here!) appy for housing/council tax benefit. Obviously if DLA mid/high level comes in other benefits such as carers, etc could be claimed-we'll wait & see.

My question-I'm signed off sick with chronic stress & high blood pressure & am on SSP. I feel sure my work will TRY & edge me out. From a benefit point of view am I best to carry on on SSP or quit job & apply for JSA/income support??

Obviously I hope G/F will be better very soon but am not sure how much more patience my work will have.

I've not claimed benefits for over 15 years-really really don't want to but of course we have to live!

Any ideas?

fatou256

stay in SSp it will be bettr for you in term of benefits . this is was the advise i was given y this board i am more or less the same situation as your apart that's me suffereing form mental issue.
if you quit now u migh tnot be elegible for JSA as u left voluntarily or something like that
carer allowance is not much about 50 pound/week !

NASA_2

You should be getting £75.40 on SSP which is higher than ESA is paid at (For the initial 13 weeks) so I would suggest staying on SSP for as long as possible. If work give you the heave-ho then so be it, you can cross that bridge when you come to it, but dont forget that things might get better and you might be able to return at some stage.

Also, ESA cant take a while to come into payment, if you are going to quit your job and claim it make sure to send absolutely everything in that you think they might need.

cattie

If you quit your job any benefits you might otherwise have qualified for could be sanctioned for up to 26weeks.

Stay on SSP untill your bosses take the relevent steps necessary to dismiss you on the grounds of not being capable of carry out job satisfactorily.

Pleased to hear you got good advice from CAB by the way, as I contributed to your original post for advice, though suggested MIND as a resource for info & help.

NASA_2

cattie wrote: »

If you quit your job any benefits you might otherwise have qualified for could be sanctioned for up to 26weeks.

Stay on SSP untill your bosses take the relevent steps necessary to dismiss you on the grounds of not being capable of carry out job satisfactorily.

Pleased to hear you got good advice from CAB by the way, as I contributed to your original post for advice, though suggested MIND as a resource for info & help.

Sickness Benefit (ESa) isnt sanctioned for leaving a job.

DEBTMONKEY1A

Cattie-once if receive DLA form will deffo contact MIND to try & help!

Thanks all for your replies.

cattie

ESA wrote: »

Sickness Benefit (ESa) isnt sanctioned for leaving a job.

No, but OP asked should he leave job & try for jsa/income support, so sanctioning would then apply if DWP deemed he left his job without due cause.

tatiepot

Hi Debt Monkey,
I have been following your posts, believe it or not sounds very familiar to myself and my husband. Eight years ago my husband suffered an acute and transient psychotic episode and was off work 6 month. I too worked in Sales, obviously they were none too happy at my absence when my husband was in hospital. At the same time, I had my 7 year old son to consider. So, I applied for DLA and was refused, not just once but three times, part of that time my husband was being paid SSP by his employers and then IB. Anyway, eventually he went back to work and in all honesty he struggled.(Not that I am saying that will happen to you). Long, long story!!!
Anyway, four years down the road, I gave up my job , because it was necessary! And this is what we get, which I am grateful for because I don't work.....my husband is none the wiser because everything to him is a struggle and this is not where either of us want to be..But I do understand your dilemma but .. it is not living or sometimes existing, but you want to know so here are the figures.
DLA ( remember this is MY husbands situation)
high rate care and low motability = £89.00 per week
INCAPACITY BENEFIT = £ 96.35
So weekly he gets £ 185.35
Now, because my husband gets high rate care I am allowed to get carers allowance @ £53.10.....
We also get our Council Tax paid for us which is about £1200 per year.
We are a 10p , Income Support Case and get part of our Mortgage Interest paid. Not all of it because my husband was medically retired from work and has a pension. Whatever, his pension that and Incapacity Benefit is deducted from the amount that normally would be paid.He is also a tax payer which I might add he is delighted with. The only thing that does annoy me is that , had he not paid into a pension, he would be in exactly the same place. My advice, nothing works in your favour short term, benefits and illness is only the long haul, and the effect it has on you both is traumatic . Really think about your job, personally I have given up everything because I had too, the place I am in is awful. I wish you well, what I have told you is the way it is. Good Luck
Tatiepot

tatiepot

Hi Debt Monkey,
I have been following your posts, believe it or not sounds very familiar to myself and my husband. Eight years ago my husband suffered an acute and transient psychotic episode and was off work 6 month. I too worked in Sales, obviously they were none too happy at my absence when my husband was in hospital. At the same time, I had my 7 year old son to consider. So, I applied for DLA and was refused, not just once but three times, part of that time my husband was being paid SSP by his employers and then IB. Anyway, eventually he went back to work and in all honesty he struggled.(Not that I am saying that will happen to you). Long, long story!!!
Anyway, four years down the road, I gave up my job , because it was necessary! And this is what we get, which I am grateful for because I don't work.....my husband is none the wiser because everything to him is a struggle and this is not where either of us want to be..But I do understand your dilemma but .. it is not living or sometimes existing, but you want to know so here are the figures.
DLA ( remember this is MY husbands situation)
high rate care and low motability = £89.00 per week
INCAPACITY BENEFIT = £ 96.35
So weekly he gets £ 185.35
Now, because my husband gets high rate care I am allowed to get carers allowance @ £53.10.....
We also get our Council Tax paid for us which is about £1200 per year.
We are a 10p , Income Support Case and get part of our Mortgage Interest paid. Not all of it because my husband was medically retired from work and has a pension. Whatever, his pension that and Incapacity Benefit is deducted from the amount that normally would be paid.He is also a tax payer which I might add he is delighted with. The only thing that does annoy me is that , had he not paid into a pension, he would be in exactly the same place. My advice, nothing works in your favour short term, benefits and illness is only the long haul, and the effect it has on you both is traumatic . Really think about your job, personally I have given up everything because I had too, the place I am in is awful. I wish you well, what I have told you is the way it is. Good Luck
Tatiepot

DEBTMONKEY1A

hi-thanx for sharing! How difficult for you...especially with a child involved. This 'blip' at the mo i hope should be the last. Problem is she has no family/friends here-they're all overseas. Possibly once this next blip isovercome she may go back overseas to rest & recover. We live in a fairly small, town centre flat-obviously not too quiet(!)-her family live near the alps & have a lovely house & garden....We'll see what transpires! Thanks again for your post.

tatiepot

Good Luck to you both !