Career Break Advice

[Greedyfly]

I have been off work sick for several months and have been advised by my doctor that a career break would benefit me to give me time to get better and ensure I will have a job to go back to. If I stay at work it is very likely I will lose my job.

My employer has the right to end my employment and I am concerned I will lose my job. HR have advised that a career break would be possible. During said break I cannot work in any capacity.

I have no savings, no other income.

As the career break would be in medical grounds would I be entitled to any financial help?

I am aware I need the time to get better but I am concerned as to how I will pay for rent, food, bills etc whilst I am.

Thanks for your help

GF

[murraymints]

you will be able to make a claim for ESA as long as your GP supports you as being unfit for work..council tax too...Housing if applicable...

[murraymints]

https://www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance/how-to-claim

[hc4361]

The Work Capability Assessment will come in to play and you will have to satisfy them that you are unfit for any work, not just the work you are having a break from.

[alavahalf]

You maybe able to get ESA and as MM says "as long as your GP supports you", as in .. supplying 'Fit notes'. It is either income or contribution based and you only get it for 365 days. You may well get help with your housing costs, but believe me it's a maze of barriers in the system when you try to break into it for the first time.

Having been in the same situation (still am) as yourself, I can assure you anyone who is British born and bred and has paid into this system all their working life, can expect nothing whatsoever in return if they happen to have been stupid enough to save a little and clear their mortgage.
My employers have recently taken me through the capability process and dismissed me on the grounds of capability. Strangely enough I have been capable of doing my job for 15 years, but after an incident at work I ended up having surgery and haven't been able to return to work since.

I can't give you any advice on benefits or support as I get nothing at all and have no income whatsoever .. but if I can give you one bit of advice I will ask you to keep a diary of every bit of info relating to the possibility of a capability process. Write down the time of every phone call, when it happened and who made it and what it was about. Keep any documents and letters, infact anything at all concerning your employment. Start now and dont say you will do it later !
Make sure you have someone with you if you have any meetings with your employer and take a notepad, infact take one each !
... and if it actually comes to a battle with your employer, do a bit of research on a 'Reasonable Adjustment Specialist' for representation.
Good luck .. !

ps .. GO AND GET THAT DIARY !

[hc4361]

You can get ESA for years if you qualify.
The Work Capability Test I referred to is the government assessment and nothing to do with your employer.

[alavahalf]

hc .. sorry I thought you were refering to the capability process that an employer me take an employee through. But it may still be relevant in Greedyfly's case.
In my case I received ESA for the 365 days and after that nothing whatsoever. Once I had attended a government assesment where they deemed me to be capable of 'some sort of work'. But when you are of a certain age with limited mobility, offers of employment seem thin on the ground.

Funnily enough the bills keep arriving ?

[hc4361]

That seems harsh. Does your spouse/partner have an income?

[Peter Pedant]

it strikes me -
I dont wanna be a party pooper
that taking a work break could be very very bad for your wealth

I realise this doesnt solve the problem .....

[alavahalf]

The better half does work part time .. and I encourage her to !
Fortunately I have dabbled in shares and investments for years on end and somehow by sheer mistake, I squirreled away a couple of bob.
But it's because of that couple of bob I receive nothing at all.
This great country of ours will give you nothing in return for your contributions ... not unless you happen to be a immigrant with a shed load of children in another country who happens to have contributed nothing.
Then you can have the lot !

[hc4361]

alavahalf, as you've been deemed 'fit for work' you would be entitled to JSA for 6 months if you could be bothered. If you had no savings and your household had no other income you would get income based JSA until you found a job.

You should have appealed the decision that found you fit for work.

[alavahalf]

The wording 'Capable of some sort of work' is how someone who scores assesments put it. When I had the assesment I was on crutches and stuffed full of painkillers. That must sound really attractive to a prospective employee I'm sure.
Having received ESA based on my contributions, when you reach the 365 days you can, if you qualify, move over to income based ESA. The wife works 25 hours which rules me out. Would I be right in thinking that Universal Credit is taking the place of JSA ? ... and going by the questions they ask, once again I am ruled out because of savings.

Sorry Greedyfly .. we seem to be hijacking your post.. I'm sure you wont mind.

[hc4361]

If you're in the Support Group of the ESA there in no limit, regardless of household income and savings. The Work Group is different - 12 months before switching to JSA.