Looking for some advice please! I currently work full-time as does my husband. I have been informed that there may be an option to take voluntary redundancy from my company. We currently claim UC due to high rent and childcare costs (we have 3 kids). The payment will be over £16K so we will lose UC entitlement for at least a while, however I wanted to check if there is an option for me claiming new-style JSA even if I leave voluntarily. We have 3 kids (one disabled) so want to check if there is something we can claim whilst I'm looking for work. We get DLA for him at the moment which helps with some disability-related costs.
Essentially it's a case of whether I jump before I'm pushed as my employer is struggling financially now. There is also the possibility that we could use the funds as a deposit on a shared-ownership house and get out of the hellish private rental sector. It won't be enough (with current extortionate deposits) to buy anything other than shared ownership unfortunately.
Before anyone comes at me, it is to tide us over and help with childcare costs mainly whilst we don't qualify for UC. Just want to pre-empt any benefit scrounger comments! I have worked since 14, I work damned hard (albeit for crap wages) and I do not intend to be out of work for long. I also refuse to be shamed for having to claim UC as the adults in our family work full-time despite significant health issues. It's the extortionate costs of childcare and rent that are the issue for families like mine. I have been there 18 years and want to make sure I get a reasonable pay-out rather than the statutory minimum. TIA :)