So Confused?

[JONMARKEL]

Hi just wondering if anyone can help, I have been looking on the forums but don't know which way to turn.

Basically things started going wrong nearly 3 years ago when my now ex wife decided we were no longer compatible. She left the family home. I was devastated and fell into depression which forced me to take time off work. When i did return to work i was on nights on my own and did not receive a return to work interview. I visited the doctors and got some medical treatment and took up their counselling offer. I went along to the first meeting and found it helpful, however the second one was planned for me to attend so i notified work and occupational health but the manager stated that i could not attend due to a shortfall in the workforce. So
i could not go to any further ones as the counselling was accumulative. After this i was penalised with my personal; bonus by losing 50% of the amount, i was also then put on a PIP (performance improvement Plan) and also told to study and pass exams as part of the PIP. I passed one and was given my work appraisal which i succeeded with. I failed one exam due to stress with debt divorce and caring for my daughter with Scoliosis, so my mind was sometimes elsewhere and i found it difficult to concentrate. I was even after passing an exam and succeeding on my appraisal again penalised but this time i lost 100% of the personal bonus. The PIP was extended and further exams added after failing one, thus adding more stress. I failed the exam yet again due to the divorce and possibility of losing my home, I felt i knew what was coming wherein the company would terminate my employment based on my failing the exam. I offered the company my resignation as i felt that i could no longer take any further stress from them, so i informed the manager of my resolve. However i went into work the following day and was greeted with my Manager and his manager and taken to a room where i was forced to resign with immediate effect. I now have no money no Car and no Job. I can't afford an industrial tribunal as they also said they overpaid me by a large amount and are now demanding it back.All my money goes to paying off debts so i now have no money to live on ...is there anything i can do?

[wales01man]

Re: So Confused?

Firstl think of your health and your daughter they are more important than the company

any debts you have can be sorted help will come on here if they say you owe money there are a lot of things they must do and if its proven you owe they cant get money from you you do not have.
Stick on LB all the help and support you need will be here

[Trev1234]

Re: So Confused?

Hi Jon,

I too thought money and employment were the big issues - and having been dismissed and messed about found that actually it was my daughter who kept me going. She is the best thing in my life and worth far more than money and a job - sounds daft I know - but like Wales says your health and daughter are priceless. I promise you things will get better, but keep things in context and concentrate your efforts on those close to you and NEED you.

Best of luck mate.

T

[FlamingParrot]

Re: So Confused?

I offered the company my resignation as i felt that i could no longer take any further stress from them, so i informed the manager of my resolve. However i went into work the following day and was greeted with my Manager and his manager and taken to a room where i was forced to resign with immediate effect. I now have no money no Car and no Job. I can't afford an industrial tribunal

Before getting further into the subject of tribunals, I'd like to ask whether you are in Northern Ireland as you refer to industrial tribunal, or whether you are just referring to them by the old name. The reason I ask is I don't know the first thing about NI so I wouldn't want to comment if that was the case. However, in England and Wales, you only need to pay £250 to submit a claim, the big £950 payment is the hearing fee and only payable much further down the line, if the case gets that far without it being settled. There the possibility of applying for remission of the fees is you are unemployed/on benefits/on a low income and have less than £3,000 in disposable capital. See here: hmctsformfinder.justice.gov.uk/courtfinder/forms/ex160a-eng.pdf

Before doing anything with a tribunal you'd have to approach ACAS and submit a request for early conciliation, this is free and painless, see here for more info: http://www.acas.org.uk/earlyconciliation ACAS are a good starting points for employment disputes.

as they also said they overpaid me by a large amount and are now demanding it back.

Have you checked that they actually paid you for everything they owed you such as holiday pay? They may be attempting to intimidate you.

All my money goes to paying off debts so i now have no money to live on ...is there anything i can do?

You need to look at covering your priority debts/outgoings first. These are:

• Your housing costs (rent or mortgage) - if you fall behind you could lose your home. If you are renting you should be able to claim housing benefit. If you have a mortgage, you may want to look into support for mortgage interest, although there is a 13 week waiting period before you could claim.
• Council tax, as the council can apply for a liability order and send bailiffs round if you don't pay, however, you should be able to claim council tax reduction if you're out of work.
• Utilities such as gas and electricity, as the suppliers can disconnect you if you don't pay. Water companies cannot disconnect you.

You then need to allow for your living expenses, food, etc. and anything else comes behind that. Unsecured credit debts are at the bottom of the pile, you shouldn't leave yourself and your family without the essentials for the sake of repaying creditors, even though defaulting will affect your credit record. :mmph:

You should be able to claim Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) if you are fit for work or Employment Support Allowance (ESA) if your doctor signs you off as a result of your issues. :thumb:

[JONMARKEL]

Re: So Confused?

Hi all and thank you all for the positive replies. I will read s much as i can on the issues and update with any course of actions that come from that, it is great to know people have the kindness and the skills to give up their time to help a fellow human and i really do appreciate it.

[Trev1234]

Re: So Confused?

Jon

There are a great deal of support on this site - so ask anything; but remember you and yours are the most valuable things on the earth. That alone should see you through the dark times. When you fully understand this everything else makes sense.

Really, keep at it, and it will make sense mate.

T

[JONMARKEL]

Re: So Confused?

UPDATE: filed a case with ACAS: they have attempted to contact the company many times and eventually they were told they would look into it. A week later no reply so a certificate will need to be issued: in the interim i have had to sign on for job seekers allowance and been given £41 to last 2 people 2 weeks for food electric and Heating. The next port of call was food banks but friends and family have stepped in to help with some food and money. I am at a loss that when i was working i paid nearly £400 a month in NI contributions and cannot even get enough to live and keep myself and my daughter warm and fed. I despair

[Kati]

Re: So Confused?

i have had to sign on for job seekers allowance and been given £41 to last 2 people 2 weeks for food electric and Heating.

£41?? how did they work that out? Did you make a joint claim or a single person claim? Are you entitled to any tax credits?

[Amethyst]

Re: So Confused?

https://www.gov.uk/short-term-benefit-advance might help, unless that's what the £41 is ?

[Amethyst]

Re: So Confused?

Tax credits - how old is your daughter ? You mentioned you care for her and she has Scoliosis - does she live with you ? Is she receiving any benefits ? Have you looked into carers allowances/dla etc (they keep changing what things are called )

Have a look on Turn2Us benefits calculator https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/AboutYou which might help work out what you are entitled to, and an appt with Citizens Advice might help as well.

Resigning from a job does carry a sanction with JSA so that could be why it is so low. When you can claim it should be contributory JSA.

[JONMARKEL]

Re: So Confused?

I have been down every route i can to get help...her Scoliosis cannot be classed as a divisibility because she walk. She has had an infection which requires daily changes of plaster for 2 years now...yes 2 years..and i cannot even get the plasters on prescription so i have to pay for them. I have tried to claim for housing benefit and council tax rebate and you are supposed to upload evidence documents but there is no button on the website to upload them so i have to wait for them to contact me with an appointment (been 10 days now) before i can take the paperwork to them. I was forced to resign due to the nature of my work on a defence network. However i found out via a letter that you cannot claim the first 7 days and also they have rejected any back payment, even though i still have the form and have not had it signed off by the jobcentre. I have claimed TAX credits 2 weeks to get the forms and 3 weeks for the decision to be made. the forms came back in 9 days and i sent back the same day. while it is all a waiting game i still have to live but even that is beyond my reach i feel.

[Trev1234]

Re: So Confused?

Jon

Try taking Part B to your job centre and they may escalate a tax refund. Apologies this may prove to be nothing though someone advised me to fill in form P50 for any tax return (you can do it online). They knocked me back because I got £73 per week after the first month but afterwards understood taking your P45 to the jobcentre might be fruitful? I didn't get anything as I was reinstated.

I too couldn't understand I was paying £1k tax and £500 NI per month to get £73 after the first month!

keep going.

P50 link: https://www.gov.uk/government/public...ed-working-p50

[mariefab]

Re: So Confused?

Perhaps you could send the HB evidence documents by post.

[JONMARKEL]

Re: So Confused?

Handed my P45 in at the jobcentre when i signed on. just dont understand how things can take so long and in the interim theres nothing to live on they gave me an emergency payment which i now have to pay back at £14 a week leaving me with £59 a week whats the point

[Kati]

Re: So Confused?

Handed my P45 in at the jobcentre when i signed on. just dont understand how things can take so long and in the interim theres nothing to live on they gave me an emergency payment which i now have to pay back at £14 a week leaving me with £59 a week whats the point

does the decision letter give you an option of appealing the amount of re-payment?