lost job whilst on ML what next?

[daysoftheweek]

that's about it really.
I'm on mat leave and have lost my job.

My question is really when do i switch from being on maternity leave to being unemployed, can anyone point me to any advice about unemployment benefit or anything else I need to know
can anyone point to any sites advising me about benefits if I study?
thanks

(I'm very sad about my job I loved it and(thought I) worked with a really nice set of people)

How have you lost your job? was the correct redundancy procedure followed?

not made redundant, I didn't have a permanant contract, so they have employed someone else

(on paper it is apparently totally legal, it is however 100% discrimination there is virtually no question that I would have lost my job had I not been on maternity leave, there is also another aspect which makes it discrimination but I don't want to say too much or else I will be identifiable)

I'm really feeling so sad about it, I'm shocked that my colleagues could do this and I had a 'career'

If you've lost your job because of pregnancy then it is illegal. How is it legal on paper?

Is it worth getting some proper advice?

Who told you it was 'totally legal'?

If you have very strong evidence that you would have kept your job had you not gone on maternity leave then that's illegal discrimination. If they've employed someone else as a direct replacement that's good evidence as they can't argue there is no longer a need for someone doing your job so they wouldn't have renewed your contract anyway.

Hi

thanks

union says it's legal (however my union is about as useful as a chocolate teapot!)

Hard to have strong evidence, I have the spoken pre ML 'the job is yours, it's impossible to imagine anyone else getting it' etc etc
and I have the post ML P45!

however I do work in a tiny highly specialised field, whilst the fact that I have not got this job I feel will make me pretty much unemployable taking legal action will definately make me unemployable

does anyone know the answer to my questions?

Employing someone else in your place for no reason other than your maternity leave is strong evidence in my view.

Don't know about benefits sorry.

No idea about benefits, but if your union is useless, try reading up on Direct.gov and calling ACAS.

It doesn't have to mean actually taking legal action. YOu could negotiate a pay off. That would at least give you a cushion whilst you study...

if you have the P45 and they have stopped paying you then you can claim benefits immediately

What Flowery says is right. Its def not legal to employ someone else to do your job & sack you whilst on mat leave. 110% clearest case of discrimination ever... Seek Legal advice NOW!! Good luck!!

well I hadn't posted on this because I've been stunned.

Talked again to the chocolate teapot (union) made an off the cuff comment about how disappointed I'd been with the 'content' of their advice and got put through to a senior officer who tells me she thinks i have been discriminated against (I had phoned about some back pay issue)

I don't understand how they can have let this happen I checked with them (I'm not daft) and I had a my dream job after years of really hard slog (and I mean really hard work with literally thousands of hours of unpaid overtime etc etc)I'm completely shocked.

I'm searching for paperwork now to see if they are correct.

I will let you know the outcome but it may take a while!

thanks all

Good luck daysoftheweek. I know how it feels; after several years of working hard at my dream job, I've just been shafted; told that my position is redundant and I will be leaving the company with the standard payout, no further discussion entered into. That was six days ago and I haven't slept since then. My colleagues are all shocked, and one of them wept in my arms.
Even a dream job can grow stale, and I'm ready to move on. But I hope you get your job back.