Am I entitled to anything if I have resigned?

sn00k1969

Not sure if anyone is able to help but here goes (apologies for the ramble)......

I was made redundant just over a year ago after 20 years in the same job and was lucky enough to get another job within 4 weeks but the working hours were not ideal - I took it

a) out of pure panic that I wouldnt get anything else
and
b) on the basis that my Mum was going to help with childcare (dh doesnt get in until about 7pm) it would be just about doable.

Basically a year down the line, my little girl has now started primary school, my Mum is no longer able to help me with childcare due to bad health and having found a childminder, I find that I am getting in later of an evening and my 5 year old is going to bed too late and on a full stomach having only just ate her tea! If I let her stay up later, she doesnt want to get up in the morning.

I have sat down with my husband and agreed that the situation is now intolerable for me, its getting me down and I handed in my notice at work and finished last week :eek:. Moneywise we can literally just about get by and have a little in savings in case of any emergencies.

I called the jobcentre on Monday as thought I should sign on in order to get my NI stamp paid and am going in to see them tomorrow. I'm not expecting to be entitled to JSA as I resigned - I think this is right?

Have also notified Tax Credits (we were only getting the Childcare element) and was advised that payments would stop in December.

This is where I need the help - should I assume that as I have resigned, we would not be entitled to Working Tax Credits (My DH is self employed, working over 16 hours pw and last years accounts show a figure of about £14,000).

I am actively looking for another job that sits better around the school day but wondered if we would be eligible for Working Tax credits in the meantime?

I know that I have put us in this situation and I know that there are many people a lot worse off than me but wondered if anyone can give me any info?

Many thanks - even for just reading what has turned into a rather lengthy post:o

viktory

You may be entitled to contribution based JSA for six months - but they are likely to sanction you because you resigned. The sanction can be as long as 26 weeks. Not sure about tax credits, I am sure someone will be along shortly with more knowledge than me.

HappyMJ

If you are getting the child benefit then you are also getting ni credits with that so there is no need to sign on to get nothing. You could also consider self employment as well and pay a small amount in contributions weekly to keep them up to date. I doubt you'll get any JSA for a while. You should be entitled to some tax credits. Use the entitledto website to check the figures.

FBaby

maybe you might be able to justify it if you chose your wording wisely. I resigned from my job after being on maternity leave because I just couldn't balance this job and childcare (more than an hour travelling in a train and two undergrounds, no childcare provider within 1/2 hour walking from where I lived). We decided to move close to my partner's family, and when we arrived, I just went to the job centre and was advised to sign on and I received JSA no questioned asked. I had no idea at the time that I could have been sanctioned because I resigned. I just told them the truth. Now to be fair, it was 10 years ago, so things might have changed since, but surely it is worth a try explaining your reason for leaving the job. After all, if single parents can receive IS and not work until their child is 7, and then can choose to only work school hours because of issues with childcare, why shouldn't you be entitled to benefits when you gave up your job for the same reasons?

missbunbury

sn00k1969 wrote: »

...should I assume that as I have resigned, we would not be entitled to Working Tax Credits

I don't think tax credits work like that, only JSA as others have said. The number of hours being worked may make a difference. You get more tax credits for 30+hours (currently anyway) so if your husband isn't managing this on his own it will make a difference. If he is already doing 30 hours, I'd imagine your tax credits might go up, given the drop in income.

sn00k1969

Thanks everyone for your replies.

HappyMJ - I didnt realise that if you got child benefit then your NI is covered - like you say I wont need to sign on to get nothing!

FBaby - I am going along tomorrow and have been thinking along the same lines as you - I am going on the basis that they may help with finding a new job and assuming that I wont be entitled to anything so if by telling the truth I do - thats a bonus.

Missbunbury - My husband is working over 30 hours (I thought the minimum was 16 which was why I pointed it out but that's obviously wrong!) so who knows we might get working tax credit.

I'm assuming that the childcare tax credits will write to me to confirm the change in my circumstances - does anyone know if they would automatically amend my initial claim or if I would need to make a new claim for working tax credits?

Thanks again for your help

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi, just wanted to wish you luck, I am in a similar situation myself having just handed in my notice at work. I have struggled to work and care for my son who has health problems and have decided to take a year out. As someone else said go to www.entitledto.co.uk for some info. I dont know too much about JSA but you must surely be entitled to more tax credits.

As far as I am aware it doesnt matter that you have resigned in terms of your tax credits award, but I would make sure they are fully aware of the circumstances. I rang them up when I cut my working hours and reduced my income and they had it all sorted in a couple of weeks.

duchy

Tax credits are payable for self employed as well as PAYE so a it it a joint claim you will as a family still qualify (although figures will be different obviously) on what you've posted. Just make sure you notify tax credits as soon as possible. They should be able to do the calculaion for you on the phone

sn00k1969

Thanks Duchy - on my first non working day I called Tax Credits to tell them of our changes as the thought of being overpaid worries me! The advisor told me that my payments would stop on the 18th December so I assumed that this meant we wouldnt get anything - perhaps we will get notification to the contrary - might give them a call to see if they can tell me what decision has been made.

Also, when I went to the Job Centre, the advisor there asked me why I resigned and I told her the reasons, she then gave me a form to complete and said that my reasons would be considered and that I should hear in a couple of weeks.

Perhaps things wont be quite as bleak as I was expecting!

Thanks to everyone for their input and advice.

mitch161

its nice to see that someone is avoiding the IS route due to childs age and is actively wanting a job. i know your husband is self employed but is there any possibility of helping him out in his accounts in exchange for a slice of his income and to keep the taxman happy by paying national insurance through your husbands business.

as you say the business makes £14k a year but can he slice you a couple thousand a year, you pay NI through his business?

the reason i ask is i was on JSA for 3 months and they then reviewed my claim and read the resigned under protest (constructive dismissal case pending) and deemed me as voluntarilly resigning.

i am now sanctioned for 26 weeks and i cannot receive IS or ESA or anything. only a hardship payment (currently being applied for but not yet accepted).

it would far be more beneficial to use your husbands business to employee you for the sake of NI and then if money problems to get tooo drastic before the 26 weeks rely on IS and then switch to jobseekers when you are fully entitled to claim jobseekers.

with me there were no questions about my resignation in the initial payments, but a letter of surprise dropped on my door saying i no longer qualify. which has left me in a very dier state financially.

its nice to see you want to work, but be very careful. get it in writing that the person processing your claim understand the resignation reason.

hope this has helped