Teetering on the brink

Cherryfudge

I was going to say almost exactly what @ellenvan said - being asleep is cheap! Your GP sounds sympathetic.

Nice that you can now leave the BP monitor with the GP and not have to try to sleep with it on.

Two months of not having to think about work must be a relief.

EatingBeans

You would think so but they stop paying me full pay from 7th Jan so if anything I am more focused on getting back to some kind of work! They will pay me half pay so that is something at least, but I don’t know how I will cover everything on half pay. ☹️

ellenvan

You must pay priority debts first e.g. mortgage, council tax etc.
The credit card debts will be put on hold if you explain to them. I know you didn't want to default but may not be any other way. Sickness will only be seen as temporary.
Also well worth targeting listing this week, if you are able to at all. Sales will fall off after that when everyone is food shopping, broke in January etc.
Keep a small cash reserve in the house just in case.
I know you already know above, but just reminding you.
What's the time scale for the leaving package?
Is it likely to come in before half pay kicks in?
Hoping you feel better soon.
 

EatingBeans

Thanks. 

I am still not giving up and going for the default option, at least not yet. The problem with Trigeminal Neuralgia is it is so unpredictable. It is entirely possible that I leave, get a decent pay out, walk into a higher paying job fairly quickly and then pay over half the debt off before summer next year. Equally, I could discover that my health does not improve, I have to live on the payout until I am eligible for unemployment/sickness benefits, I scrape through paying just the priority debts and I default the whole lot of debt come summer.  Currently, despite how ill I have been I would say option 1 is actually more likely than option two, so onwards I muddle until the direction becomes clearer. 

The decision about whether they will accept my application to leave must be given to me before the end of February at the latest. The half pay kicks in after first week of January. It gives me a little time to plan for a shortfall but it does mean that well or not I will have to at least try to go back at the end of Jan. I think they will let me use up some annual leave to soften the blow but it will need negotiating. Thankfully I have lots of holiday to use because once they give me an answer I have a 3 month notice period to get through before I actually leave. I am allowed to interview and accept another job offer in that time so I figured that was a better option than leaving without working the notice as that would mean paying tax on the cash. It’s a weird system but honestly I really chose that option as it would mean the worst of the cold weather would be over and it would give me a longer time to get better. Other people have clearly decided not to bother working notice as they are leaving in droves. 😬 I guess they deal with those requests first to just get them off the books. 🤷‍♀️ Who knows, the whole decision making behind it is very cloak and dagger. 

ellenvan

Well done you for not giving up!

As you say your illness is unpredictable.
I think although it shouldn't that will influence their decision and they will give you the leaving package.

Meanwhile keep going and do the best you can on good days to prepare.

daisy_1571

If you leave under a redundancy situation, even if you applied for it you, should be able to sign on for jobseekers allowance immediately.   Depending on your ni conts over the last couple of years and if you are looking for work, you might get 6 months cont based jsa plus its keeping your ni up to date for future claims and pension. 

satchmo1

Whilst under redundancy notice you are entitled to time off for interviews.

dawnybabes

Really look at applying for PIP, it might help with the shortfall - you can be claiming it and working, it’s not a means tested benefit. 

EatingBeans

My understanding is this is not technically redundancy so the rules are different I think. It is a voluntary leavers scheme and there is zero mention of redundancy anywhere, other than to say if not enough people choose to go then they will likely have to look at redundancies. There has been no formal notice of being put at risk and no consultation period but everyone knows the writing is on the wall. I think it is a way to avoid being the reputational damage of being in the news like many other unis have been. If I just got a redundancy pay out it would be a lot less. 

And I do agree PIP would really help and it’s not means tested. I also know that it is highly unlikely I will get it for Trigeminal Neuralgia despite the impact it is having on my life. The issue is the scoring system to see if people are eligible. I am in several support groups for Trigeminal Neuralgia and despite many people trying for PIP the handful of people that get it also have other conditions and they get it for those conditions not the TN. I have yet to hear even one person who managed to get PIP for TN alone no matter how bad it is. Fair? No. But it is what it is. That’s what comes with having a condition that so few understand. Years ago the double standard used to get me angry/upset but that does nothing other than make me feel bad so I learnt to just accept it. I decided to focus my energy on things within my control and I am a lot happier for it (despite being broke!) 🙂

daisy_1571

Voluntary Redundancy

If you take voluntary redundancy, you should still be entitled to JSA without being sanctioned, provided the job no longer exists as a result of the business changes. It is not considered "leaving work voluntarily without good reason" by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in this scenario. 

For personalised advice, you can use the GOV.UK benefits calculators or seek guidance from an organisation like Citizens Advice.



From my years in both offices where you sign on and look for work plus in the official government department where insolvent employeers get their workers sorted out - I've always understand as long as there is a net reduction in the amount of workers an organisation has: its a redundancy situation.   As far as the organisation operating properly and going through all the proper procedures that's an ACAS decision as I understand it.  One thing may be true whilst at the same time the other has not been followed properly. 

However DONT DONT DONT delay getting in touch with jsa as only they can properly decide your case.   Dont listen to me, to wee Jeannie down the street or to Eck in the pub.  Their circumstances are different, their sister in law did not have the same thing as you, their cousin definitely didn't understand and pass on correctly what happened to them.

Wages in leu of notice are earnings and cover you for whatever time period they cover (even though they are taxed differently, thats tax and ni not the period they cover) so 12 weeks paid in a lump sum is your earnings to cover you for 12 weeks, so check directly with jsa when you can claim from (directly with jsa - not jeannie, eck or me) and what happens with your ni.  Honestly the amount of people misadvised by neighbours, colleagues, friends and lost out on help, money and guidance they could have had, it would make you weep, and sometimes did.  Thats why I always say - go to the people in charge, they'll tell you if its not yet but come back on xx/xx/xx or else get you started immediately. 

Thats my advice,  but also, good luck with it all just now  😃 🙂 

Dxx