Entitlement to benefits if I leave my job

CHARDONNAY_3

I have been off on the sick for over a week now & I'm feeling very run down & lonely. Most of my friends work FT so during the day I'm stuck at home alone.

I spoke to my manager yesterday & said I would get myself signed off the sick & return to work next week as I don't think being at home alone all day is helping.

Now I'm not sure if I have done the right thing. It really isn't helping to be alone so much but I'm dreading going back to work too. I have applied for a few jobs, but who knows if or when I'll hear back from those.

I have looked into returning to college part time, but can't decide what to study & the thought of returning to my old job & taking on a college course might be too much for me to handle right now.

I just feel trapped & I don't know what to do for the best.

Metranil_Vavin

In an ideal world what do you think would work for you at the moment?

NASA_2

CHARDONNAY wrote: »

I have been off on the sick for over a week now & I'm feeling very run down & lonely. Most of my friends work FT so during the day I'm stuck at home alone.

I spoke to my manager yesterday & said I would get myself signed off the sick & return to work next week as I don't think being at home alone all day is helping.

Now I'm not sure if I have done the right thing. It really isn't helping to be alone so much but I'm dreading going back to work too. I have applied for a few jobs, but who knows if or when I'll hear back from those.

I have looked into returning to college part time, but can't decide what to study & the thought of returning to my old job & taking on a college course might be too much for me to handle right now.

I just feel trapped & I don't know what to do for the best.

I can really sympathise with how you feel as I was quite close to going off sick for a while when I was feeling totally despondent. I really didnt want to as being at home would just have been a different kind of depressor.

There will come a point when you know what you have to do one way or the other.

CHARDONNAY_3

I went to see my Dr a fortnight ago & he decided I was not in a position to return to work & should let my sicknote run it's course.

I have done this, during which time I have been to see a careers adviser, put in a request to work part time in my current job, went to a college open day & looked into voluntary work.

All of this seemed positive - I hoped to go back to work 3 days a week, college 1 day & volunteer 1 day.

I knew it would still be tough returning to work, but I thought with something else to focus on I would be able to get by, however I have spoken to my manager and been told I am not able to reduce my hours due to company needs.

I am due to return to work on Mon, but really can't face it now, just don't know what to do?

Urgent_advice_needed

I think you should go back to the doctor and get a sick note for some more time, as you are clearly getting in a terrible state about returning.

Perhaps in the interim you could look around for a job with fewer hours that you might enjoy doing? And if you are on a lower income then you might be able to do a one-day-a-week college course or something that will prove useful to you in the future.

CHARDONNAY_3

I have managed to see my DR this morning and get a sicknote for another 4 weeks. I know this will put back my return to work, but I'll still have to face up to it, only later rather than sooner and I'm not sure that delaying the inevitable is the best option.

I really want to leave my job and I'm not likely to need to give a notice period given the circumstances (or at least this is what my manager indicated when I last spoke to her.)

So should I get in touch with the jobcentre & start a claim for JSA? I could get the DR to sign me off as fit to return to work, as he feels it is this job in particular which is making me ill, I could also see if he would give me a letter to take to the jobcentre to help support my reason for leaving my current job.

I just don't want to be off on the sick or claiming sickness benefit as it makes me feel so worthless, I just want to work, but not in a call centre.