Have you received the dreaded brown envelope informing you that you’ve been made redundant? Whether you are now ‘surplus to the current business plan’ or ‘an inevitable part of the economic downturn’, that little brown envelope has brought unwelcome news.

You may be feeling down, but don’t get too discouraged-there’s light at the end of the tunnel! Go through the Information sheet  Redundancy-making the best of it , use the websites and links.

There's useful advice about what you're entitled to, doing a skills health check and how to recession-proof your CV together with links to free courses on the Open University's Outsmart the recession . The Open University's Career's Advisory Service  also includes advice about applying for jobs for people interested in or aspiring to higher level skills, and the National Careers Service provides extensive advice for people working at all levels.

Read about how Roger is dealing with the process in "My firm is laying staff off and I am thinking of a career change, but feel too old at 45".

If you'd like free one-to-one advice from a local, experienced careers adviser, email us .

Get your facts and figures right

If you’ve worked for an employer for at least 2 years you have the right to receive redundancy pay. Up to £30,000 will be tax free. Exactly how much redundancy pay you are due can be calculated on the ‘ready reckoner’ websites below.
• What benefits are you entitled to?

• Check your pension, and if necessary make arrangements.

• What regular financial commitments do you have? Could any be reduced or terms changed? For example: mortgages, direct debits, credit cards, loans, hire purchase, life and/or health insurance, subscriptions and memberships.

• Do you qualify for benefits? This might either be ‘The Contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance’ for those who have been credited with Class 1 National Insurance (NI) contributions, or the ‘Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance. The current rate for someone aged 16-24: £47.95, aged 25 and over: £60.50 For couples or those with children see the Job Centre Plus information. You may also qualify for Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) or Child Tax Credit 

You can claim online, or ring 0800 055 6688 (8.00am-6.00pm Monday-Friday)

Upskilling with a degree

Higher education could lead to a wider range of opportunities, boost your career prospects and earning potential, whilst giving you the chance to immerse yourself in a subject that really interests you.  Many employers target graduates in their recruitment campaigns and on average, graduates tend to earn substantially more than people with A levels who did not go to university. Projected over a working lifetime, the difference is something like £100,000 before tax at today’s valuation.

Higher education is about taking your education to the next level: learning new things and getting to where you want to be. A higher education qualification could help you take charge of your future by building skills and confidence and opening up new opportunities - whatever stage of life you're at. Even if no one else you know is thinking about going into higher education, it could still be the right choice for you.

For work-related options search Foundation degrees in the South East - the tool that enables you to search everything on offer in the South East, see what's available nearest to you and view the individual course descriptions.

Studying part-time may be an option if you want to ensure that your benefits aren't affected.  Check the part-time offer at your local college or university, or look at the Open University where all courses are part-time and studied at home in your own time.

Postgraduate choices

If you have a degree or equivalent experience, see the Guardian's guide to what it would cost to do postgraduate study. Also have a look at the information and advice for postgraduates at Prospects and Postgraduate Study: Getting Started

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