Can I claim benefits if I leave my job due to childcare? (A complete guide)
By
PsychReel
In this brief guide, we will look at the question “Can I claim benefits if I leave my job due to childcare?”, as well as other queries people have about benefits, like Can I claim benefits if I leave my job due to stress or depression.
Can I claim benefits if I leave my job due to childcare?
Yes, in most countries that offer entitlement, you can claim benefits if you leave your job due to childcare, and this entitlement may also apply to other situations where you have had to leave your job. You need to provide the “Good Cause” for leaving however, otherwise you may have some amount deducted.
This possibility is even more beneficial in the time of coronavirus, as according to the Families First Coronavirus Response act (FFCRA), one may be entitled to childcare if they have worked 30 days or longer for their employer, and they are not a part of the Act’s exempt categories.
Another advantage of the act is that anyone who is eligible for this entitlement, may also be eligible for up to 12 weeks of protected paid time off if a child’s school or daycare center closes due to the COVID-19 crisis and no alternates are available.
The entitlement in this act is calculated according to the original pay of the employee, in that about two-thirds of regular pay may be provided, with up to a maximum of $200 per day.
The person is also allowed to supplement their pay with any other pay options such as sick or vacation pay.
The leaves allowed by the act may be taken intermittently as long as they do not surpass 12 weeks and only if the employer agrees.
The employer is not allowed to take any adverse action against the person because of their request to take time away from work due to childcare responsibilities.
These leaves or entitlement are in your favor and if your rights are violated in any way, you can also file a complaint with the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Can I Claim Benefits if I leave my Job due to Stress?
Yes, you may be able to claim benefits if you leave your job due to stress, and depending on the country these benefits may differ, like in the United States Labor Laws, the provision exists that allows a possibility for someone to be able to seek benefits if they can provide adequate proof of stress.
If you want to claim benefits due to stress they may be able to do so by providing adequate information about their condition, known as Good Cause, and in most states and countries, they may be required to tell the employer and the relevant authorities about what they are suffering from, and why they are not able to work.
“Good cause”, is a legal term and this clause requires the person to show proper proof that they have substantial grounds to quit their job, and this may include many reasons like if they are not getting paid, there are unsafe working conditions, or they may be dealing with a significant medical condition, in which stress may make the cut if it is bad enough.
If someone has stress from work or feels that they have stress from work they may need to provide some evidence of that too, or they may be required to tell the employer how quitting their job will help them.
If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.
What is Good Cause for leaving a job and claiming benefits?
Good cause is not a literal term, but rather a legal one, that refers to specific circumstances that may make the individuals eligible to receive benefits and it may include childcare or stress or any other reason that is important and unavoidable enough to warrant leaving the job and depend on benefits.
Good Cause can also differ from place to place, for instance, this legal website based in Illinois mentions these possible reasons as being under “Good Cause”:
- “Employer broke state or federal law,
- Working conditions or terms changed,
- Coworkers or supervisors were abusive,
- The employer refuses to pay you wages for work you have done,
- Hours, benefits, or pay rate was cut, or
- Boss changed your work shift, causing child care or transportation issues.”
According to the same website in order for a reason to be a “good cause”, it must include what is known as a “Constructive discharge”, which means that they should be doing what anyone else in their position would also have to do.
Can I Claim Benefits if I leave my Job due to Depression?
Yes, you can claim benefits if you leave your job due to depression, and you may need to provide adequate proof that you are depressed and that it hampers your work balance, otherwise you may get a sanction.
A sanction may involve docking of the first 3 months of pay or reducing it significantly, which may make things much harder on someone that is currently dealing with the issues of depression and has just started treatment.
Since you are having to leave your job due to depression, you may also be eligible for an unemployment insurance, which are programs that pay you money if you lose your job through no fault of your own as long as you meet your state’s eligibility requirements.
You may check to see if you are eligible for Unemployment insurance here.
According to the Department of Labor, here is a brief overview of the procedure involved in applying for Unemployment insurance:
- You should contact your state’s unemployment insurance program as soon as possible after becoming unemployed.
- Generally, you should file your claim with the state where you worked. If you worked in a state other than the one where you now live or if you worked in multiple states, the state unemployment insurance agency where you now live can provide information about how to file your claim with other states.
- When you file a claim, you will be asked for certain information, such as addresses and dates of your former employment. To make sure your claim is not delayed, be sure to give complete and correct information.
- It generally takes two to three weeks after you file your claim to receive your first benefit check.
Universal Credit
In the UK, benefits after leaving a job can also be in the means of Universal credit, which includes a number of different types of benefits that someone can claim if they have had to quit their job or have been fired.
According to the Universal Credit Government website:
“You may be able to get Universal Credit if:
- You’re on a low income or out of work
- You’re 18 or over (there are some exceptions if you’re 16 to 17)
- You’re under State Pension age (or your partner is)
- You and your partner have £16,000 or less in savings between you
- You live in the UK
The number of children you have does not affect your eligibility for Universal Credit, but it may affect how much you get.”
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we looked at the question “Can I claim benefits if I leave my job due to childcare?”, as well as other queries people have about benefits, like Can I claim benefits if I leave my job due to stress or depression.
Financial aspects of a job may often keep people from taking the decisions they need to take about anxiety, depression, stress, childcare or other situations in their family, and this can be difficult if you really need to quit your job.
Leaving your job is never an easy decision and one may ponder it for ages, but knowing that you can claim benefits if you have a good cause can make things very easy.
If you have any questions like “Can I Claim benefits if I leave my job due to childcare, please feel free to reach out to us anytime.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Can I claim benefits if I leave my job due to childcare?
What benefits can I claim if I resign from my job?
The most common benefit that you can claim if you resign from your job is Leave Encashment which refers to the rights of the employees to encash the unused balance of leaves during their service or after their resignation or retirement, which may vary according to place and employment.
Another benefit that an employee might be able to claim is that for government employees this leave encashment is completely exempted from Income Tax
What benefits am I entitled to if I leave my job?
Some benefits that you might be entitled to if you leave your job are severance packages, retirement plans, workers compensation, disability, references, and other potential benefits, and these all depend on the place you are working and whether it is a government or private sector.
You may also be entitled to benefits based on the nature of your job or your contract, so make sure you check before you leave your job.
Can I claim benefits if I leave my job due to ill health?
Yes, you can claim benefits if you leave your job due to ill health, and it usually comes in the form of employment and support allowance.
Another benefit one may claim if they have to leave their job due to ill health is housing benefit so that they can make rent, or job seeker’s allowance or universal credit provided that the reason is accepted as a good cause or good reason, which ill health usually is.
Can I claim housing benefit if I leave my job?
Yes, you can claim housing benefit if you leave your job, but you need to know that you won’t be able to get any more money than you would on sick pay, so leaving a job still is a decision that needs to be made after much thought.
In most cases, people find that if they stay in their job while they get better, they can keep getting paid and building up holiday entitlement, which helps them explore some more ways of getting the problem solved.
How long before I can claim job seekers allowance if I resign?
Usually, people can claim job seekers allowance after their official last day that they mentioned in their resignation letter, and they generally need to show that they had a good reason or good cause for resigning, otherwise something called a sanction comes into play, which means that there is less money for the first 3 months.
There are other benefits apart from job seeker’s allowance that people can claim if they resign, so make sure to check that too.
Citations
https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/eligibility
https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/unemployment-insurance
