help - just become unemployed

top_drawer_2

hi,

I really need some advice ... I was dismissed from my job today in a call centre due to ill health. I was off work all last week with anxiety and depression related illness/symptoms. I am glad to be honest as the job was sooo stressful, im sure it caused a lot of the problem.

I have already completed a form to apply for housing benefit and am looking to put a claim in tommorrow for JSA. Is there anything else I should be claiming?

What should I tell them when they say why did I become unemployed?? if I say due to ill health will they try and push me into claiming incapacity which I am fairly sure I wont get on the basis of their scoring system...

Thanks for any advice,

Jen

Horace

Be honest and tell them why you became unemployed. Yes, they may push you into claiming incapacity benefit if you feel that you are unable to work (and your doctor declares you unfit), but you dont have to accept incapacity benefit and just claim JSA.

I am not an expert in these matters, however, as I also claim JSA (thankfully I was allowed 14 days to be ill in whilst I had eye surgery without it affecting my JSA).

[Deleted User]

As far as I/B goes you dont have to take what is known as the PCA(points test as you put it)for quite a while after you claim,so if you are unwell and get a doctors note and put that into the social you will get I/B,this will/may be topped up by I/S and other benefits depending on your circumstances,but I/B pays more than J/S
Just another thought,how long did you work for them?it may well be unfair dismissal in certain circumstances..

top_drawer_2

hi,

I doubt its unfair anything ... I was there about 7 weeks.

If I go to the Dr's and ask for a Dr's note they just give me a bit of paper stating Depression ... Ongoing ... Will this suffice?

Jen

mitchaa

Does depression really stop a person from working? (Genuine question, i'm just interested, not judging)

No chance of any other employment Jen?

Oldernotwiser

mitchaa wrote: »

Does depression really stop a person from working? (Genuine question, i'm just interested, not judging)

It can do if it's very extreme. However, in most cases it's generally considered more beneficial for someone who has depression to be active and occupied.

seven-day-weekend

mitchaa wrote: »

Does depression really stop a person from working? (Genuine question, i'm just interested, not judging)

No chance of any other employment Jen?

Mitchaa yes it certainly can.

My husband was totally unable to cope with ordinary everyday life for nearly two years in the 1990s and even if you had told him he would get no money unless he went to work, he still couldn't have done it (in fact at one point I doubt whether it would even have sunk in what you were saying).

Also a friend of mine was hospitalised two years ago for four months with severe depression, that does not denote a trivial condition.

True depression is more than feeling fed up, cheesed off or 'Monday-ish' and one day people might realise it. You wouldn't ask or expect someone with a broken leg to run the London marathon; why ask someone with depression to do the equivalent?

I agree that sometimes when recovering from severe depression it can be beneficial to start getting involved with things again and a structured return to work may help at this point, but it takes TIME to get to that point. If it is done too soon it can make the condition worse.

Hope this helps.

mitchaa

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Mitchaa yes it certainly can.

My husband was totally unable to cope with ordinary everyday life for nearly two years in the 1990s and even if you had told him he would get no money unless he went to work, he still couldn't have done it (in fact at one point I doubt whether it would even have sunk in what you were saying).

Also a friend of mine was hospitalised two years ago for four months with severe depression, that does not denote a trivial condition.

True depression is more than feeling fed up, cheesed off or 'Monday-ish' and one day people might realise it. You wouldn't ask or expect someone with a broken leg to run the London marathon; why ask someone with depression to do the equivalent?

I agree that sometimes when recovering from severe depression it can be beneficial to start getting involved with things again and a structured return to work may help at this point, but it takes TIME to get to that point. If it is done too soon it can make the condition worse.

Hope this helps.

Your husband obviously had a severe genuine case of depression then.

But how does a doctor differientiate between someone that's genuinally depressed and someone that's just had a bad day, or a bad week, or even a month.

I think the word depression can perhaps be used too often when in reality, someone is just feeling down. Perhaps due to loss of job, a death in the family, relationship breakup, money problems etc

I know of someone that claims depression, but to me she seems as happy as Larry, always out at the weekend and on holiday with the kids. Certainly doesn't come across as depressed.

I suppose thats what the IB rules are going to be clamping down on soon though.

Jen..This post is in no relation to you. If you are genuinally depressed i hope you a speedy recovery

Oldernotwiser

Mitchaa, you're absolutely right, the word depression is used to often inappropriately. As my GP described it to me, genuine depression doesn't happen in response to specific life events; bereavement, dislike of job, being dumped etc. It's something completely separate from that. And yes, it's possible to exaggerate it for the sake of gaining some kind of benefit from the situation. (Don't all shout at me, there are of course many people who are genuinely clinically depressed and it's one of the worst situations to be in.) Unfortunately those people who aren't truly deserving of financial help for this medical condition make things more difficult for genuine sufferers.

bestpud

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Mitchaa, you're absolutely right, the word depression is used to often inappropriately. As my GP described it to me, genuine depression doesn't happen in response to specific life events; bereavement, dislike of job, being dumped etc. It's something completely separate from that. And yes, it's possible to exaggerate it for the sake of gaining some kind of benefit from the situation. (Don't all shout at me, there are of course many people who are genuinely clinically depressed and it's one of the worst situations to be in.) Unfortunately those people who aren't truly deserving of financial help for this medical condition make things more difficult for genuine sufferers.

I have to agree with this.

I have been so depressed I could barely get out of bed, let alone work.

However, I have also (more often) been depressed to the point where every day is a struggle and I often wonder if I can keep going, but I can still function - work, look after my children, study (sometimes) etc. It may be tough, but I can do it iyswim, and while I can, I see no reason for me not to.

And when things start to get better, I am always glad to have these things in my life and I have no doubt they help by giving me a reason to get up every morning.

Yes, life with depression is tough, but it is not always impossible, however much it may seem that way!

That's how it is for me anyway!

seven-day-weekend

mitchaa wrote: »

Your husband obviously had a severe genuine case of depression then.

But how does a doctor differientiate between someone that's genuinally depressed and someone that's just had a bad day, or a bad week, or even a month.

I think the word depression can perhaps be used too often when in reality, someone is just feeling down. Perhaps due to loss of job, a death in the family, relationship breakup, money problems etc

I know of someone that claims depression, but to me she seems as happy as Larry, always out at the weekend and on holiday with the kids. Certainly doesn't come across as depressed.

I suppose thats what the IB rules are going to be clamping down on soon though.

Jen..This post is in no relation to you. If you are genuinally depressed i hope you a speedy recovery

You could have said that about my husband too.

At his worst, he could not have done any of those things. But when he was starting to recover, there were days when he could have and indeed a holiday in the sun or a weekend away boating could aid in his recovery. On a bad day he didn't leave the house so you would only have seen him on his 'good' days.

TBH, when I told people he'd had a breakdown, those that knew him were always surprised because he was 'always so happy and smiling'.

Well yes, that was just the face they saw, when he was able to wear it, which for the first part of the illness was hardly ever.

If you had seen a person as sick as as he was at the beginning, you would certainly know how to tell the difference between a person suffereing from a depressive illness and one who was merely fed up.

However, I too have suffered from less severe depression and I did have a couple of months off work but then was able to go back with a structured return.

Towards the end of our careers (we are early retirees) both of us went part-time and this made things a lot easier.

So, as in all illnesses, I think each case has to be judged on its own merits. Some people can work, others can't. And someone like my husband who wasn't able to work for two years was able to continue working through other bouts of less severe depression.