I wanna resign but will i get jsa?

candygirl

I have been in my current job for the past 18 months, during which time i have been going through a multitude of health and personal problems which has resulted in me having quite a bit of time off with stress.Things are no better at work or home and i feel like i am lurching around in a state of exhaustion and depression.
My boss has been very unsympathetic and is in denial about any of the bullying issues that have been going on at work.the union is involved and 2 of my colleagues have recently resigned as they can't take it anymore.
what i want to know is would i be entitled to job seekers allowance if i resigned in these horrendous circumstances?i have paid enough contributions and want to work but feel like i need a breather or i will go over the edge.i also have a mortgage and am also worried about how that will be paid.
I have never claimed benefits before so need all the help i can get in this situation.

lovetoshop_2

I think if you resign you will not get jsa fo six weeks:o

dmg24

If you need a breather then maybe better to ask your GP for a sick note and claim Incapacity Benefit for a while?

I was in this situation and wrote an explanation of why I felt I had to leave my previous job (the Jobcentre will ask for this). The Jobcentre then sent this to my previous employer for their response. They got very defensive, and I ended up going on incapacity because of the situation, and with no reference from my previous employer for future employment.

Unfortunately you won't be able to get any help towards your mortgage for quite some time (provision for this comes under Income Support, I'm not sure of the timings but it is over at least six months before you can claim).

Nightmare of a situation, and unfortunately I have never found the Jobcentre to be at all sympathetic. I would go down the incapacity route in the short term.

jude_g

I WORK FOR JSA SO HERE IT IS IN A NUTSHELL. If you resign and then claim JSA the Jobcentre will ask you to state why you gave up your job. It is important that you provide a log of all meetings you have had with managers/trades unions to show resigning was a last option. You should also provide details of how your health has been affected. Your info will go to a decision maker at the Jobcentre who will decide whether JSA can be paid. They may come back to you with additional questions. Whilst the decision is being made your claim for JSA will proceed. It is only if they decide you have not shown 'good cause' for leaving that your benefit would stop. You can appeal any negative decision. In my experience, as long as you can show that you had BIG reasons for leaving and that it was a last resort, you will have a good chance of receiving JSA. One thing to consider though. You mention you need a breather. The jobcentre would expect you to be available for and applying for work from day one of your claim. You have to demonstrate you are trying to secure a job when you sign on each fortnight.

jude_g

Forgot to mention mortgage. Mortgage interest would not be paid on your behalf by JSA. It is only after being on benefit for a LONG TIME before you can claim any help. By then you would probably be behind with repayments. You could contact your lender and ask for a repayment break until you find another job. JSA is £57 per week. Not a lot to live on when you are used to a wage coming in. If it is work that is causing the stress I would say - get out of the job. Why don't you start applying for other things now? It may be that you need a change of work environment to something that is low stress. You can access Jobcentre website on WWW.JOBCENTREPLUS.GOV.UK and you can do jobsearches from home. Good luck - hopefully in a few weeks you will be in a new job and be less stressed.

needaspirin

Sanctioning JSA
The decision maker will also write to your employer and ask for a statement.
In setting a sanction of discretionary length, a decision maker can take into account the circumstances which led to the sanction. A sanction of between one week and six months may be applied.

Help with Mortgage
If your housing costs began after 2nd October 1995 in most cases there will be no help for 39 weeks.
If your housing costs began before 2nd October 1995 there will be no help for 8 weeks, then 50% up to 26 weeks, then 100% if interest paid on the mortgage.

needaspirin

Sorry, should read "then 100% of interest paid on the mortgage".