The problem is the UKGC, they expect the average joe to use the correct legal terminology rather than "plain English". It's clear as glass that where a player mentions a "4 week break", they mean they want to use the "take a break" facility, rather than "problem gambling related self exclusion". The UKGC does make 6 months the minimum allowed period for a self exclusion request, but it also regulates the "take a break" system that allows for players wanting shorter periods.
It may well be right that where there is doubt about what the player means, the account should be locked until clarification is forthcoming, and unless the player has specifically mentioned "problem gambling", it should not automatically be set to 6 months irrespective of any shorter break specified by the player in the request.
It seems the UKGC are not in touch with the world of the player, and it is often the case that a player gets their terms muddled up, and common sense would expect CS to do what it's supposed to, help the player clarify their request so that the correct action is taken.
The downside is that making players too scared to ask for short breaks because they fear that the casino will get it wrong and implement a lengthy self exclusion with no means to correct the error could in itself cause problems related to these players not being confident that they can take short breaks as part of their control strategy, which might lead to a small number of these players not addressing a growing problem until it's impacts are so severe they have no other choice.
I am sure many players like the idea of being able to set a monthly budget, and then set a short break if they have a bad month to prevent them from overspending in trying to get a better run before they have the spare money to back it up, such as after they have been paid and they have paid all their monthly bills.