Resigning, Universal Credit & Mental Health

[Mumofoneandanotherontheway]

Someone I know is looking to resign from work as it’s effecting her mental health. Although she doesn’t feel she is ready to go straight into employment right away. How could this effect her UC? Her doctor has already recommended she stays off & has offered a ‘not fit to work note’. She’s worried if she resigns, UC will stop paying her. She’s the only breadwinner in the family. Is resigning on mental health grounds classed as a good enough reason by UC?

Nobody could possibly answer that - what they decide based on all the circumstances is beyond our power to advise on. I would hope that if a doctor has told her this they would be supportive of the medical advice. But I wouldn't depend on that being the case, not with things as they are. Honestly she's better to find another job.

I don't know either, and the above poster is correct that she needs to liase with UC directly. But as an overview, no you're not just allowed to choose to resign from a job and get benefits instead. If there are extenuating reasons, she needs to discuss with UC and I'm sure a supporting evidence letter from a doctor would help.

My GP wrote a letter advising to me to resign on health grounds to both me and my employer (she knew I was going to). This then got shared with UC and there were no sanctions at all - it was well written and there was a lot of evidence widely available that my job at the time was v. stressful plus a lot of evidence I was very unwell.

I had a GP sign me of in summer 2019 (briefly) with no problem after an anxiety episode. I went out for work with a need to pay for my cat's ashes at the time but genuinely very much was in receipt of a fit note for a month, the job centre staff left well alone and switched off the need to job search.

People love to scare others with sanctions but I really don't know where it comes from, personally I've only ever been helped by the DWP in the last two years after working for the most unscrupulous of employers. I remember in 2021 when an employer reported late into hmrc on what was to be my last payment from them, this caused the UC to be opened, and when I directly said shouldn't you sanction me (as I chose to be inbetween jobs, the advisor simply made no comment) UC thankfully appears to have been there for when employers who decide not to pay wages and when nothing shows in real time with HMRC as wages received. I'm unsure why it's thought they would genuinely go against a medical professional.