Help! Not a clue what (or if) any benefits can be paid?

TRAVELMAN_2

Hi all, Wonder if any of you learned people can advise?

I started a new job a few months ago (still in probation) but have had to take the last few weeks off to care for my partner who has mental health issues. This is unpaid & the way our salary works I'll get ZERO wage on payday next month-plus I've got a meeting next week & am sure I'll be fired (the company has no sick pay). My partner does limited work & her contract ends in 10 days-her wage will be £320 after deductions. I was due back Friday on limited hours but am suffering from depression & anxiety-caring for my partner & the financial situation is making me ill. I can get a sick note for this (although I fear I'll be sacked anyway).

Can anyone advise of anything I can claim? Usually from end May my partner claims contributions based ESA as her GP won't sign her as fit for other work due to her issues. Any ideas...please...at my witts end & the calculators online are so confusing! If anyone has a minute or 2 to advise that'd be great.

pmlindyloo

TRAVELMAN wrote: »

Hi all, Wonder if any of you learned people can advise?

I started a new job a few months ago (still in probation) but have had to take the last few weeks off to care for my partner who has mental health issues. This is unpaid & the way our salary works I'll get ZERO wage on payday next month-plus I've got a meeting next week & am sure I'll be fired (the company has no sick pay). My partner does limited work & her contract ends in 10 days-her wage will be £320 after deductions. I was due back Friday on limited hours but am suffering from depression & anxiety-caring for my partner & the financial situation is making me ill. I can get a sick note for this (although I fear I'll be sacked anyway).

Can anyone advise of anything I can claim? Usually from end May my partner claims contributions based ESA as her GP won't sign her as fit for other work due to her issues. Any ideas...please...at my witts end & the calculators online are so confusing! If anyone has a minute or 2 to advise that'd be great.

All a bit confusing, sorry.

Looking at a previous post it seems your partner has a very understanding employer and gives her another contract after she has a break During her break she receives contribution based ESA.

Hope I've got that right.

OK so one thing at a time.

Your employer has to pay Statutory Sick Pay but needn't pay more than this - ie. company sick pay. If your doctor will give you a fit note then then this may get you SSP until things improve or your employer dismisses you.

There are two out of work benefits.

Job Seekers Allowance - if you are seeking work - contribution based if you have been paying NI contributions during past couple of years or income based if you haven't. If you are eligible for contribution based JSA then you can claim this and your partner claim contribution based ESA

If you are not eligible for contribution based JSA then you will have to make a joint claim with your partner. Since she is unfit for work then you will need to be added to her ESA claim - it would be contribution based with an income based top up for you. You can still look for work. You can not mix 'out of work' income based benefits'.

So much depends on what happens with your job and what you want to do in the future.

If you rent you can claim housing benefit and council tax support (forms from council). This will be automatic if you are on an income based benefit. Or you can make a claim for being on a low income.

The first thing I would do in your case is to put in a claim for HB and CT support.

The problem is, at the moment, you have bits of money coming in so be prepared to have to supply bank statements/salary slips for any claims.
If this doesn't make sense then give us some more information/questions.

p00hsticks

pmlindyloo wrote: »

Your employer has to pay Statutory Sick Pay but needn't pay more than this - ie. company sick pay. If your doctor will give you a fit note then then this may get you SSP until things improve or your employer dismisses you.

Sick pay is only payable when the EMPLOYEE is sick though - from the sound of it, the majority of the time that the OP has been off has been to take care of their sick partner, which sounds like the employer allowing the OP to take unpaid leave

merlin68

You can both claim cb esa, Does oh get pip or dla if she does you can claim carers allowance.

tomtontom

If being off work is making you sick, are you not better to get back to work? Could you reduce your hours to spend more time with your partner, or is there someone else that can look in on her?

TRAVELMAN_2

Hi-thanks SO much for taking the time to reply. No-G/F does not get PIP or DLA (she did get DLA years ago but on re-applying 2 years ago it was a decline & from what I understand now PIP is even harder to get & no money is paid until she see's a doctor_or am I wrong?). Tomtomtom-without going into too much info on a public board she's from overseas-she has no friends local to her & all my friends live 200 miles away in the South. I think the depression/anxiety has been lurking for a long time but being a bloke I don't like to acknowledge it..I am actively keeping my ear to the ground for work-I've worked from home before but in the immediate term it's a nightmare. Whilst not a forgone conclusion I feel I will get the boot this week. I could say a lot more but on a public board probably not too wise-but I haad no choice but to make sure my G/F was alright. Again-no big details here but the main objective was to keep her out of a secure unit-this happened a few years back-things were much, much worse & although recovered afterwards being in a secure unit is not nice.

Merlin68-I assume I'd have to be sacked (or should I leave?) to get cont based ESA? sorry to be thick.

TRAVELMAN_2

PMlindyloo-yes you are correct. No PIP or DLA (she did get DLA a few years ago-came off it-applied again & was declined-I gather PIP is even harder to get & is NOT paid out until she see's a PIP gp-or have I got that wrong?).

So to claim cont. based ESA I assume I have to not be working (sorry to be thick)-would it make a difference to ESA claim if I was sacked or I give my notice-any ideas?

tomtomtom-without going into too much info on a public board-she's lived her over 15 years & came from overseas-she has no friends/family i'm afriad in this country. All my friends live 150 miles away too. I am keeping a good eye out for home based jobs (i've done this in the past) should this weeks meeting not go well. Being a bloke I think this depression has always been lurking & would never admit anything was really wrong(pathetic I know)...my GP is pretty concerned but at least I'm addressing it.
The whole thing is a 2 edged sword as stress bring on my partners episodes....& 'touch wood' I've managed to keep her from a secure unit-a few years back she was in for 6 weeks-whilst she got better the trauma of being in there (not the nicest of places-although staff were brill) I wanted to avoid this if possible.

pmlindyloo

To claim contribution based ESA you need to have been paying NI contributions for the previous 2 tax years and have a fit note from your doctor.

So are you fit for work? Would your doctor give you a fit note? Have you been in full time work for the last 2 years?

If you claimed ESA then it does not matter whether you resign or are dismissed.

TRAVELMAN_2

OOps....thought I'd lost one message so sort of double posted.

rogerblack

TRAVELMAN wrote: »

Hi-thanks SO much for taking the time to reply. No-G/F does not get PIP or DLA (she did get DLA years ago but on re-applying 2 years ago it was a decline & from what I understand now PIP is even harder to get & no money is paid until she see's a doctor_or am I wrong?).
<snip>
Merlin68-I assume I'd have to be sacked (or should I leave?) to get cont based ESA? sorry to be thick.

PIP in principle may be paid without seeing a doctor, depending on condition and evidence.
While PIP was designed to be less generous and pay out only 80% as much in benefit in total - this is very much a generalisation, and specific cases vary a lot.
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/benefits_e/benefits_sick_or_disabled_people_and_carers_ew/benefits_personal_independence_payment_e/benefits_the_pip_assessment_e/pip_activities_descriptors_and_points.htm

The most important positive change from DLA to PIP in the positive is that there is now a concrete time limit on activities.
That is - if you can't do a thing in twice the time it would take a normal person - you can't do it.
You also can't do it if you can't do it safely, as often as required, and to a reasonable standard.

This can mean that while the nominal amount of distance you need to walk to be not able has reduced, the time limit has effectively decreased markedly.

You do not have to be sacked in order to get CB-ESA.
You can in principle get it while still employed, though not while working >16h/16*NMW/week.

TRAVELMAN_2

pmlindyloo-yes been in full time work for last 2 years & yes the GP is issuing a fit/sick note. Thanks for your time. Much appreciated. I assume as above I need to not be employed-better to be sacked or give notice?