I don't know what to do about jobcentre situation

[Nightmarewithjobcentre]

2 years ago I had cancer, with lockdown my op and treatment was delayed for months.

I was working but on furlough so financially I was OK.

After I had my op I lost the use of one of my arms, and there was some nerve damage. They have also diagnosed FND.

I am in pain 24/7, I cant move my head and neck, I sleep very poorly as I wake every time I move, I'm on 7 different medications, and I have no feeling in my arm, alongside this my voice sometimes goes for up to a week at a time.

After furlough I applied for benefits, as I couldn't do my (very physical) job anymore they told me to quit rather than keep being signed off.

Since then I had one phone appointment and have been declared fit to work.

Every week I go to the jobcentre and get berated because I can't think of a job I can do.

I appealed, nobody contacted me, and it came back again that because I could raise one arm above my head I could work.

I absolutely can't, if I could I would. I put it for an independent reconsideration, and the letter today said it could take several months. Meantime the jobcentre said I need to keep looking for work or they will stop all my money.

I'm already up to my eyes in debt, completely on the bones of my arse here.

My worker is particularly unpleasant, one of my dc is in part time education just now due to a condition, that child goes into school and my little one comes out of nursery, they don't allow dc in the jobcentre so the only way I can go is if my friend bbysits after 4, unfortunately she has covid right now, so I asked if I could change the appt to a few days time, and she has changed it to school hours which I can do, and then told me I'm being deliberatly obstructive.

I have worked for 30 years, never once had a period of unemployment, and I seriously cannot work right now. I'm sure the independent review will come back agreeing that I cant, so I'm supposed to look for work, apply for jobs I can't do, keep up being spoken down to every week and be threatened to have absolutely nothing to feed my kids with if I don't comply with rules I physically can't follow.

I don't know what to do, or who can help, I cannot keep this up for several months.

I've been told to get a laptop, I can't afford one, they told me to use the library, but I cant get there during the day.

Does anyone have any idea what I can do, at this present moment in time I honestly don't want to even be here having to beg the jobcentre for a tiny scrap of compassion so I don't have to freeze and starve.

OP I was really sad reading your post, and your updates. I don't think you're being difficult and I think you're in an awful position, made worse by a vindictive little sod on a bit a power trip. Although the rules are ridiculous, many contradict one another and the whole point is the government doesn't want to help people in need (which is why they deliberately make it has hard as possible to get the pittance available); it is, as others say, about playing the game. However, I think you may need to be a bit more proactive in terms of looking up their own rules and quoting them back. For example, it's acceptable to rearrange a meeting because of childcare issues - I have had to do this and, fortunately, had no issues. No one was rude or made things difficult - they just rebooked the appointment and confirmed it online. I think I have been lucky with the advisor I've been assigned. I found her very difficult at the first meeting, but have realised that she is just rather reserved and is actually trying to do her best within rules she may not necessarily agree with. When I first signed up for UC, a different advisor reviewed my CV and gave me tips, so this service is available and I would ask for it again, if I were you (log it online as a message to your work coach, that way you have a record of everything).

In terms of applying for jobs, as others have said, yes, this is a total tick box exercise, but needs must. Could a friend lend you a tablet or old computer? If not, do you have a smart phone you could use to apply for jobs? Just go on reed.co.uk or indeed.co.uk, create an account and save your CV. Then you can just apply for multiple jobs on that site, using the CV you've already saved rather than having to upload it multiple times. I wish I had some other advice to give. I really do hope things improve for you, OP. Oh, and I agree, you should ask for another advisor, and keep a record of all encounters with her.

I would see the job centre manager and make a complaint about your adviser . Then ask to change to a different adviser. She sounds vile and shouldn’t be treating you like that. I had to change mine as she was horrid and started to make me sick thinking about going to my appointments. Some of them are on a god complex .

You just need to play the game until your esa gets sorted out.

make yourself a cv in Google docs on your phone, there is a prebuilt template so you only have to fill in the information.
spend as little time on it as possible.

spend an hour or so every week just applying for random jobs, pick ones where you don’t have to fill in a form, ones where you literally just submit your cv.

take screenshots of the completed application to show as evidence of your jobseeking.

she sounds awful but don’t give her any reason to sanction you, play the game, attend the appointments and show your evidence.

The one I'm appealing is to get the benefit cap taken off UC.

The advisor told me not to apply for anything else until I had my formal FND diagnosis, which was a couple of months ago now. I have since found out this advice was just a heap of rubbish. They said the PIP could take months to come through and she said it wouldn't make a difference to my capability for work.

ESA should not be hellish. If you are going through chemotherapy, they should refer you for a work capability form quickly and when you get the form it is just a matter of ticking a box and getting the back page of the form completed. Then you should automatically be awarded the support group rate . What stage of this process are you up to?

Have you had a work capability assessment on UC ? Is this what you have failed? If you were having cancer treatments - chemotherapy or Radiotherapy then LCWRA element of Uc should have been automatically awarded after you filled out the form. PIP is separate. Being awarded either LCWRA or PIP will lift the cap.

make yourself a cv in Google docs on your phone, there is a prebuilt template so you only have to fill in the information.
spend as little time on it as possible.

This is really useful thank you.

She said I would be ridiculous to do it on my phone, but the library here is open very part time and I can't get to it, and she couldn't refer me to anywhere else that could help me.

Sorry if I've got confused about the benefits, I've never been on them before other than some tax credits so I have no idea how it all works and I assumed the jobcentre would keep me right on what to apply for and when.

I’m so sorry if someone has already said this I’m on my way out the door, but your GP should provide sick notes that you then provide to the job centre.

Have you had a work capability assessment on UC ? Is this what you have failed? If you were having cancer treatments - chemotherapy or Radiotherapy then LCWRA element of Uc should have been automatically awarded after you filled out the form. PIP is separate. Being awarded either LCWRA or PIP will lift the cap.

That's what it is, the way the advisor explained it to me was that I fill the forms out and they will award me the benefits the think I should have.

I now think this is incorrect?

I didn't have IV chemo I had tablets for 4 weeks, at that point I was still on furlough from work.

I've had continuous sick notes throughout, they don't accept them anymore since I've been found fit for work.

Oral chemotherapy tablets should still have counted. I guess it depends what treatment you were having when they actually assessed you. Either way you should appeal the decision if not too late to do so. Please see if you have a local Macmillan Benefits team or call the national helpline for advice.

I had finished them probably 3 or 4 months before I applied, I was ever hopeful of going back to work, had been paying my childminder throughout my furlough etc, I was devastated when I realised I wouldn't be able to go back.

I'll definitely call them tomorrow, thank you.

I’m very sorry for what you’re going through at the moment, OP.

As someone who has worked as Work Coach in the past, there are a few things I could recommend.

While it’s correct that your WC cannot accept fit notes for the reasons that you’ve previously been assessed for a Work Capability Assessment (WCA), that doesn’t mean that they can’t accept notes for other medical reasons. To that end, I’d make an appointment with your GP to explain your situation and ask for a fit note for something else (anxiety, for example). Not dishonest as I’m sure this situation is having a very real impact on your MH at the moment. Your WC can then manually turn off your commitments for the duration of the note. Not a long-term solution but it’ll give you some breathing room to contact your MP or whoever (although I wouldn’t waste any energy complaining to the Jobcentre manager. In my very real experience they’re generally awful
people made worse by unrealistic and unrelenting pressures from above).

You can also ask for any appointments that the WC insists on having while
you’re signed off to take place over the phone. As you’ve already said, keep as much communication via journal so you have everything noted. Be sure to show that you are making every reasonable attempt to comply.

Following this, considering your appeal will take many months, like others have said, your best bet to keep any unnecessary stress to a minimum would be to apply for jobs. Care work is clearly a ridiculous ask but office work might not be. In your commitments though, be clear about your limitations about realistic working hours to accommodate childcare etc. An hour a week won’t cut it though as someone else suggested. Not if your WC is the tyrant you’ve made them out to be anyway.

Also, please know that your WC alone cannot stop your money. Imposing a sanction is actually quite a lengthy process over which WCs have little control. Any prospective sanctions (reductions to your UC claim) have to go via a Decision Maker. As long as a Decision Maker can see that you have made every reasonable effort to meet your commitments, they cannot impose a sanction. Keep using your journal, update your UC account with any job applications you make and attend your appointments. You can take your children; they 100% will not turn you away if you have them there with you. I was seeing UC claimants last summer with their children in tow. Is it ideal? Of course not, but it’s better that you turn up than not, or cancel. Trust me.

Wishing you success in your appeal, and good health and prosperity in the meantime x

Have you now also applied for PIP?

Why is one of your older DC part time?

Also create/update your LinkedIn profile and use it to search for 'easy apply' jobs. There 8s a filter which literally filters out the jobs where you just have to click on the easy apply button and it'll use your profile to apply. You can then screenshot the applications page each week to show which jobs you've applied for.

Have you applied for “pip” my ex’s dad has just started claiming this. He struggles to walk (arthritis) and he doesn’t have to attend the job centre, he just receives a phone call from them.

He also gets a sick note from the doctor which he hands in to the job centre.

I can't help you with advice around your circumstances, just want to say try not to take the job centre persons comments personally. A lot of them have lost all compassion and talk down to a lot of people like that.

I have been unemployed once in my entire life, aged 44 I was made redundant, was physically well enough to work and very actively looking. Every single week they talked to me like a was a piece of shit on their shoe, I followed their requests to the letter and absolutely nothing I did was good enough and they contradicted what they wanted from one week to the next.

Thankfully it was only for a few weeks before I found another job, I only signed on to trigger my mortgage payment insurance, I wasn't relying on it to feed me so I was able to give them a few sharp remarks back, but the experience was extremely unpleasant.

I just wanted to say it's not you, it is them and I wish every job center person who has lost that compassion to experience unemployment themselves.

Op is your child disabled, if so and you can claim dla for them ( middle or high rate care) then you can claim Carer’s allowance /carers element of UC and have no work requirements.

Echoing others who have said apply for PIP

I work full time and get PIP. The process took around 15 weeks so it is not quick but the sooner you get the ball rolling the better

I would also ask in your journal to change your work coach as her attitude is unacceptable

I’m admin on a Facebook group called Benefit Advice Essentials so please think about joining and you’ll get some good advice

This is a disgrace,op please go onto forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/benefits-tax-credits there are some very clued up members on there and a few are on the benefits you require they really know this awful system you are going through

good luck

@SeemsSoUnfair i expect they will experience it once more of it becomes computerised and more Job Centres close. Reminds me of the saying, Be mindful of how you treat people on the way up as you might need them while on the way down.

Thank you, this is really helpful.

She genuinely is awful, I had a guy when she was off and he was lovely, and far more helpful in one session than she has been the whole time.

My dc has tourettes, we are going through a really hard time with it at the moment, if dc goes into school all day it's a million times worse so we agreed on part time just now, it has to be afternoon because the tics at night are really painful for my dc. The doctor has tried a few medications but nothing is touching it just now.

It comes in fits and starts so dc can be ok for weeks then take a few months of it being horrendous. I home school at weekends and evenings to try and keep dc caught up.

I haven't applied for anything as I didn't think tourettes would be something I could apply for, especially as dc has weeks with no tics at points (although unfortunately it's getting a lot more frequent).

Thank you all for the advice, I'll go onto money saving just now and see what they say.

I'm not on FB unfortunately (problems with my ex when I'm on there) I could maybe set up an account with a false name though.

Gosh that sounds rough on your dd. You can claim dla for her because of the affects of Tourette’s not just the actual time she is having an episode. For example tiredness afterwards means she needs help to wash. Also if she needs care in case she has an episode which could cause harm to herself and you don’t know when that may be that counts too as is the care with children with epilepsy. Definitely apply for her but get some advice on filling in the form from a Tourette’s charity.