If someone has to stop working due to ill health, how long before they will get ADP or UC?

[TheseThings]

Hello everyone! I am trying to help someone who is struggling with very bad mental health. It's looking like they may have to leave their job as they are struggling to cope- and they have told me if they leave they will have a period of 12 weeks before they can claim any money (UC, or I would hope Adult Disability Payment, since they genuinely are too ill to work).
I want to speak to Citizens Advice about it all, but it will be a while before an appointment is available- so does anyone know- do the same sanctions apply on leaving a job due to ill health as to leaving a job just because? I would say surely not, but know how awful this system is, so it's sadly possible that there would be a 12 week period with no money. This would obviously be a huge problem, and is adding to their already large worries.
Any ideas?
Thanks 🙂

In my experience to get lwrca on universal credit can take around 8-12 weeks, assuming you get through the assessment ok. Pip, well we've been fighting for that since january. We have a Tribunal in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for the reply. I figured the claim process would likely take a while, what I mean is, will the person be barred from claiming for a period of time (they say 12 weeks) due to leaving the job they had (even though it's due to ill health)?

They shouldn't resign. They need to get signed off by their GP and then let the process work through if they get signed off for longer.

PiP is not about not being able to work. It's about not being able to look after yourself
You can be assessed as too ill to work and get UC but no requirement to seek work. This is very hard to get.

I have been in this situation. If you can keep working as long as possible even if you are doing a shit job. The money will help.
And agree don't resign, go off sick. If you resign it can be harder to prove you can't work for UC.

As PP said they shouldn't resign but should keep handing in fit notes and wait to be sent for assessment for LCWRA - this is what I did and once I had been awarded it I could resign from my job without any sanctions.

I left my job due to ill health in Jan this year. Apply for ESA and UC. ESA is much quicker than UC and you should have a payment within 3 weeks. You will need a doctors fit note until you have the assessment. Starting payment is approx 86 per week. This goes up to 130 per week after assessment.

The UC will take longer, but theres no time limit to wait before you apply- I didnt. It will still be 7-8 weeks. They will deduct your ESA from your award but can still pay you housing benefit seperate. I would also apply for council tax benefit (you do this through the council website) it can mean a reduction of 100 percent on your council tax bill.

Finally dont bother with CSA, they are useless. Stepchange were amazing when i needed advice, SCOPE is also brilliant.

Thanks everyone. I am getting confused already, and it's barely even begun 😬I, and the person I am helping are in Scotland, and my understanding is it would be Adult Disability Payment (https://www.mygov.scot/adult-disability-payment/applicants) that would be getting applied for, as it's a long-term mental health condition.

I did think that them just quitting was not the way to go, however the job is definitely adding to their problems. I think the sick pay they would get if signed off by the GP is a pittance, so this would already be an issue, though still better than just quitting I think.
I am trying to support them but I really want to do things right, and minimise the new problems that arise from them leaving work and going on benefits. Hopefully not doing the job that adds to their problems will give them the time to start proper treatment for the mental health conditions, but I imagine there is going to be a fair amount of jumping through hoops before any actual money appears.

They should not just leave, if they are eligible to claim SSP then they will be better off on Uc by doing so. As SSP works out to less than 16 x nmw they can still hand in sick notes to start off the work capability assessment process on UC.

It took me about 6 months after being signed off to get ESA. I didn't leave my job, just kept handing in sick notes

Don't quit. Stay off sick as long as possible. Ask for reasonable adjustments. They have to make them or you can make an employment tribunal claim.

It all gets very complicated.

Go to CAB for advice.

You can claim UC while signed off sick. Remember annual leave still accrues when off sick.

Thanks everybody- very much appreciated.

You may think SSP is a pittance, but it's generally more than UC or New Style ESA!

• basic UC or New Style ESA, that is.

Ah yeah, good point. All varying degrees of pittance, unfortunately.

Esa cannot be claimed until SSP ends. You can make a claim a couple of months before you know ssp will be ending.

I would say about adult disability payment that isn’t means tested. But the process is long and tiring. And they have more people applying than what staff can keep up with. I applied back in march, they lost documents sent with information on why I was applying. With a bit of pushing I only heard from them today saying a letter has been sent out. Still haven’t had a decision as such. But I would definitely apply

@MommaofGirlsx
Thanks for that. I hope the letter brings good news.

i went straight from employment to UC but i had to keep providing sick notes which was fine...then eventually got limited capability for work. there was no way in hell i could work.

i actually got a lot of support from the UC advisors. people in this situation usually just want to get better and be normal again.