Can You Claim Benefits If You Resign Due To Ill Health?
By
HuutiMoney
In most cases, ill health leads to a lower income due to which one may consider claiming benefits to meet their living costs. This is why we aim to learn through this blog post whether or not you can claim benefits if you resign from work due to ill health. For a deeper perspective, we will discuss the details of the eligibility criteria and expected payments from relevant benefits in the UK.
Can You Claim Benefits If You Resign Due To Ill Health?
Yes, you can claim benefits if you resign from work due to ill health. Depending on your circumstances, there are different benefits that you may be able to claim if you resign (or intend to resign) due to ill health. The benefits that you will be able to claim depending on the following factors:
- you have difficulty performing everyday tasks or moving around
- you are unable to work due to your sickness or disability
- you are on a low income or have no income due to ill health and inability to work
If you have difficulty performing everyday tasks or moving around due to ill health, you can qualify for the following benefits if you resign from work:
- Personal Independence Payment; if you are aged between 16 years to State Pension age
- Attendance Allowance; if you are older than the State Pension age
If you claim either of these benefits and need someone to look after you, the person taking care of you may be able to qualify for Carer’s Allowance. This is a state benefit that provides financial support to individuals who spend at least 35 hours per week taking care of someone with a severe health condition or disability.
If your ill health prevents you from working, you may be able to claim Employment and Support Allowance due to “limited capability for work”. If you don’t qualify for ESA for any reason (the most common reason can be insufficient National Insurance contributions), you can apply for Universal Credit.
If you are on a low income or have no income due to resignation from your job on account of ill health you may qualify for the following additional benefits:
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Council Tax Reduction
In addition to welfare benefits, you may also be able to get help with NHS costs due to your health condition. If you live in England, claim certain benefits or are on a low income, you can get help with the following costs:
- eyecare costs
- dental costs
- NHS prescriptions
- help with transport costs to hospital appointments
How Do You Claim PIP If You Resign Due To Ill Health?
To claim PIP, an applicant must first check if they are eligible and meet the following conditions:
- aged 16 years or above
- having a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
- facing difficulty doing certain routine tasks or moving around
- the difficulties are expected to last for at least 12 months from the day they started
To apply for PIP, you can call the PIP helpline at Telephone: 0800 917 2222 or send a letter to PIP new claims at the following address to ask for the application form:
Personal Independence Payment New Claims
Post Handling Site B
Wolverhampton
WV99 1AH
Based on your application and the evidence you provide, the Department for Work and Pension will conduct a health assessment to confirm your ability to perform everyday tasks to assess your physical ability and mobility:
- whether you can perform daily tasks independently and safely
- the amount of time it takes you to complete daily living tasks
- how frequently and to what extent does your health condition affect your ability to perform basic tasks
- whether you need assistance in performing daily tasks or moving around (this can include help from a person or using extra equipment
You can expect payments to be between £61.85 and £92.40 for the Daily Living Part and between £24.45 and £64.50 for the Mobility Part.
How Do You Claim Attendance Allowance If You Resign Due To Ill Health?
You can claim Attendance Allowance by about the Attendance Allowance claim form online or in writing and sending it to Freepost DWP Attendance Allowance via post.
During your assessment for Attendance Allowance, you will be evaluated on the following grounds:
- whether or not you have a physical or a mental disability (including learning difficulties)
- the severity of your disability is such that you need help caring for yourself or you need someone to supervise you
- you have required support for at least 6 months
The DWP transfers payments for Attendance Allowance to your bank, credit union or building society account.
The amount that you can claim will vary as follows:
- you will receive the lower rate of £61.85 if you require frequent help or regular supervision during the day, or to be looked after at night
- you can claim the higher rate of £92.40 if you need supervision throughout the day and night
How Do You Claim ESA If You Resign Due To Ill Health?
You can contact your Job Centre or apply online to claim Employment and Support Allowance. Alternatively, you can contact the Jobcentre new claims helpline using the following means:
- Telephone: 0800 055 6688
- Textphone: 0800 328 1344
- Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 055 6688
However, you should first meet the eligibility criteria for ESA; which include the following:
- you are under the State Pension age
- your health condition affects how much you can work
- you have been employed or self-employed in the past(you can be unemployed at the time of filing the claim)
- you have made the required amount of National Insurance contributions
- you are not claiming SSP or your payments have run out
- you are not receiving benefits payments through Jobseeker’s Allowance
- you work less than 16 hours per week
- your earnings are not more than £152 a week
The amount that you can claim through ESA will depend on your age, your condition and your ability to return to the workforce. Therefore, you can expect a weekly payment of up to £77.00 if you’re in the work-related activity group and up to £117.60 per week if you’re in the support group.
How Do You Claim Universal Credit If You Resign Due To Ill Health?
You can file a claim for Universal Credit online or by calling their helpline at 0800 328 5644 for guidance.
Since your Universal Credit claim will be based on ill health that prevents you from working, you will be asked by the DWP to provide medical evidence for such a claim when you apply. You will also undergo an assessment process termed a Work Capability for Assessment (WCA) and its purpose is to confirm the medical or disability claim made by applicants.
During the assessment, applicants will be asked questions (in person or through a video call) regarding their health and how their conditions impact not just their ability to work but also to perform everyday chores.
After this assessment, a WCA form or a UC50 is sent to applicants who will fill in the required information before posting the completed form to the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments (CHDA) by the date requested.
After your form has been assessed, the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments will send their feedback report to the Universal Credit department at the Department of Work and Pensions. Based on your WCA, a decision will be made regarding whether you are fit to work, maybe granted Limited Capability For Work or will be assigned Limited Capability For Work And Work Activity.
Once approved, the LCW element will add £343.60 each month to your previous UC claim. Since the amount is generally received by claimants after a three-month waiting period, they can expect the first payment to include a three-month backlog of the given amount.
However, if the claimant is receiving benefits payments through PIP or Attendance Allowance, they will not require a Work Capability Assessment to claim Universal Credit.
How Can Your Carer Claim Carer’s Allowance If You Resign Due To Ill Health?
If an individual is responsible for taking care of someone at least 35 hours per week and the person that they take care of is also a recipient of Attendance Allowance, the individual taking care of them may claim Carer’s Allowance.
Additionally, the applicant must also be able to fulfil the below criteria:
- 16 years or older
- a resident of England, Scotland, or Wales
- lived in England, Scotland, or Wales for a minimum of 2 of the last 3 years or if they have been granted humanitarian protection
- not pursuing full-time education
- not studying for more than 21 hours a week
- earning £128 or less per week
During 2021-2022, the weekly amount for the carer’s allowance is set at £67.60. The claimant can choose to receive weekly or monthly payments.
Conclusion:
The discussion in this article helps to conclude that if someone resigns from their workplace due to ill health, their medical condition and reduction in finances can make them eligible for welfare benefits in the UK. Key benefits that one can claim include Personal Independence Payments, Attendance Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit.
FAQs: Can You Claim Benefits If You Resign Due To Ill Health?
What am I entitled to if I quit my job?
From your employer, you can expect to be paid in full up to the last day of your employment, as well as any benefits that you were entitled to but did not claim such as holiday pay. In case of state benefits from the DWP, you will be entitled to New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance, New Style Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit and Pension Credit.
Can you claim Universal Credit on a career break?
Yes, you can claim Universal Credit on a career break. However, you do not have to be unemployed to claim the benefit. If you are on low income or unable to meet your living expenses due to limited finances or a medical condition, you can apply for Universal Credit.
Can you hand in notice while off sick?
Yes, you can hand in your resignation or notice while you are off on sick leave. However, it is advisable to include a medical note along with your resignation and immediately return any assets of the office in your possession (this may include anything from a car to a laptop).
Can I quit my job due to health issues?
Yes, you can quit our job due to health issues. However, no employer can discriminate against you and ask you to leave your job based on your medical condition or disability.
Will I get paid if I resign with immediate effect?
Yes, even if you resign with immediate effect, your employer is supposed to pay you for the days and hours that you have worked until the time of your resignation. There may be exceptions only in cases where it is categorically mentioned in the employment contract that a resignation without notice may lead to reductions in the amount due for payment to the employee.
References:
Check what benefits to claim if you’re sick or disabled – Citizens Advice
What disability and sickness benefits can I claim? | MoneyHelper
If you have a disability or health issue | Gingerbread
Stopping work and ill health | Disability charity Scope the UK
Ill-health retirement: early medical retirement | MoneyHelper