on the club

From the term benefit club.

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on the club (not comparable)

1. (UK, slang) Temporarily away from work, usually due to sickness, supported by sickness benefit.
   • 1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “chapter 5”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:

     Then he crept up the stone stairs behind the drapery shop at the Co-op., and peeped in the reading-room. Usually one or two men were there, either old, useless fellows, or colliers "on the club".