What can I do?

[Dreamer2027]

So to continue getting my universal credit I need to tell my work coach what I can do - Not what I can't do. I can't work in Retail, I can't do cleaning jobs, I can't work with the Elderly, I can't work with Animals, I can't work in cafes, I can't work in a place telephoning customers, I can't do a driving job, I can't do anything to do with Outdoors Gardens etc, I can't wash dishes/work in a kitchen do cooking jobs, I can't work in a warehouse, I can't work in an office at a computer etc .... All reasons due to either physical or Mental Health. I'm stuck I can not think of anything genuinely. My work coach wants a list of what I can do for my next appt or i could lose my universal credit. She does not care at all what I can't do. Any ideas appreciated.

You can do admin/clerical even with CT. Access to work can pay for ergonomic keyboard & mouse designed for that purpose. I have them, although mine are for arthritis. Shakes won't prevent you working in retail. Reasonable Adjustments by the employer can help. Ask to be placed with the Disability Advisor work coach instead of a standard one.

What you’re conveniently forgetting, the older generation, your generation have been claiming benefits throughout their life’s and still are, now it’s pension credit, housing benefit and disability living allowance etc.The welfare state has been in place, at least 75 years, your whole life.And in that time, many of the older generation have claimed benefits, it’s been generational, it’s been decades.So no, they didn’t just get on with, they also claimed benefits and still are.And older people are living much longer, which costs the uk much more.

Did she ask you to list jobs you can do professionally, or things you can do (skills that you have)? I would start by listing your skills, even if when you try to translate them into a paying job there's a problem. For example, starting with the basics - let's say you can sew, knit, and/or crochet, or you can drive, or you have a lot of experience caring for small children, or you know first aid. Start with a list of, literally, "things you can do" and let it go from there.

She may be sympathetic to your situation but working within a system where she is required to ask these questions and your being willing to provide a good faith response is necessary to continue the process of getting you help. She's not going to sign you up to work a full shift at Wagamama tomorrow if you say you can cook, so start the process of brainstorming and maybe between the two of you and with her resources you either find a suitable job or prove you can't do a regular job.

What about working from home on a computer? What is the actual issue with being in an office? I agree carpal tunnel syndrome shouldn’t stop you from this sort of job (I have it, I’m a GP, I had an operation which helped a bit).

Some sort of admin or data entry role? Medical receptionist/admin staff? Hotel receptionist? Work in a cinema, theatre or bowling place etc? Being someone who accompanies children with autism etc on taxi journeys to and from school (apparently this is an actual paid job as one of my patients does this though not sure how easy it is to get or how many hours it would be). What about working for a charity? Helping to fundraise etc.

I also don’t think all retail jobs would be problematic even with “shakes”. Clothes shops etc surely that wouldn’t be too much of an issue. I have noticed that both M and S and Josh Lewis in general seem to go out of their way to employ people with disabilities and make adaptations etc as needed, I’d maybe start there in your shoes OP.

it is all well and good throwing suggestions at the OP but the job market is dire right now. A lot of the jobs you mention they will want years of experience to even be considered. even the min wage jobs. I have seen shop jobs where i live want 3 years experience. They are min wage.

Try claiming for PIP again, but get help with completing the form from one of your local agencies such as Citizens Advice etc. The wording and the information you submit is crucial.

Sorry if this has been mentioned

you say you wouldn’t like to phone people but how about a job where people are phoning you? A help desk in a bank, or for a taxi company, or perhaps in a hospital? It’s not as daunting as cold calling people where they might be aggressive

Have you ever had to ring NHS 111? The person you get through to, who asks all the questions. That would be a great job I think. I doubt they need any medical knowledge, they’re just recording your answers for the medical professional to get back to you. I’d imagine they work from a script. Could you do something like that?

It’s really hard that you’ve been left with health issues from your previous work. I have some idea, as I have work-related nerve damage in my right arm which still causes issues 20 years after I left that job. Plus commercial cleaning products in particular cause asthma for me (having never had asthma in my life before). At home I use unfragranced, non irritant ones, but at work you generally get exposed to the nasty stuff.

However, one thing you absolutely cannot do, @Dreamer2027, is take offence to a few challenging or snarky comments on Mumsnet and flounce. I don’t know how long you’ve been on here, but almost everyone gets comments like that (and worse). Report anything that is a personal attack and keep scrolling. If you want help and advice you just have to focus on the people who are helping or are providing constructive feedback. Otherwise you are self-sabotaging.

Agree with a pp who said to list the skills that you have and activities that you can do, regardless of whether they’d be viable as a job. Brainstorm it! That will show your coach that are engaging and trying to find a way forward.

As you said, you ended up listing every job that you can’t do twice over, which would be demoralising for anyone. Listing the skills/activities that you can do turns it around and helps you look at what might just be possible.

Another pp suggested school escort. My council is always looking for people to do this. Don’t be put off by the job description which makes it sound more complex than it is. It’s mainly accompanying a child in a taxi to school and back again. No experience needed, mainly common sense. If that sounds at all possible list it for your coach as a may be - and ask them any questions you have about it. That makes you look proactive and open to things you perhaps hadn’t even known existed.

Wow OP you are getting a bashing.

OK what can you do?

Well you can write, your English is good so maybe start with that. That means you can also read doesn't it?

So proof reading? I know there is more to it than just reading but it is a suggestion.

Are you near a uni? Could you be a note taker for disabled students?

Not a job, but could you volunteer to hear children read in a local school?

What are your IT skills like?

Could you work on a reception? Lots of places have receptionists, Dr, vet, office complex, hospital, lots of places.

Don't forget your work coach is supposed to help you. Ask them about things they could put in place to help you.

OP asked specifically for suggestions to be fair. And most/all of the things I’ve mentioned are entry level jobs and yes likely minimum wage but that’s how it goes unless she has relevant qualifications and experience she hasn’t mentioned. I do appreciate the job market is difficult and it’s always easier to get jobs with relevant experience of course (though for certain jobs eg medical receptionist there are often advantages in employing someone older than average with more life experience etc), but right now it’s more about thinking up half realistic possibilities in an ideal world, and showing willing to the job coach, rather than actually securing a job to start next week anyway.

School transport escorts are in demand, but the hours available are quite limited. But definitely a doable job and something positive to tell the job coach. My local McDonald's advertises now and then for a host role. It doesn't involve cooking etc, maybe some light cleaning of tables. The ones I've seen tend to be women around my ageish (I'm 48).

I also see job adverts for activity coordinators for care homes. I know you've said you would struggle with elderly care, but these roles are advertised for setting up and engaging in activities, rather than giving personal care etc.

I've done call centre work. I can't say I enjoyed it, but it was scripts and the computer system was easy to use, and I wasn't thrown straight in either.

Administrative Assistant | Transport for All https://share.google/DahNj7VvTpiL4KIPc

Maybe worth a look at that job?

School escort! Thank you, had no idea what this was actually called or who you’d contact about it, but thought it sounded like potentially quite a nice and not overly taxing sort of job, especially for someone who maybe has some health issues etc.

Op can you think about thins from a skills point of view rather than a jobs point of view?
so you might be able to say:
I can type (at x words per minute)
I can drive
I can talk to people in XYZ conditions (so maybe not over the phone but face to face)

from that list it might give you some ideas for potential jobs. Or if not, it gives you something to share with your work coach and maybe they can make something of it.

Not conveniently forgetting at all. These are mainly benefits claimed due to old age, by people who have worked and paid taxes and NI all through their working lives.
What worries me is the amount of benefits claimed now by young people who have not paid into the system yet or paid very little in.

Can you work at home on a computer?
Could you retrain as a bookkeeper/accountant, working remotely at home? Or data entry of some sort (you can type...)
Or proof reading at home.

If you are still reading, Op:
data entry, cyber security, archive work, record audiobooks, write ebooks - find a market (ie: historical romance) and write strictly to that market, get a good cover artist and put your books for sale on Amazon as an indie writer.

this sounds silly, but Amish romance is a hot ticket at the moment (mainly as it’s guaranteed no graphic language or sex, it sells well with the over-65 crowd.)

gothic revival. Horror. Space opera. Cozy mystery. Paranormal urban. Find a genre you love, and even if you follow a fairly straightforward formula for plot, these books sell well because people read one and immediately want another. They’re the delicious junk food of the book world.

you can do so many things.

start a business advising people who don’t know what they can do.
become a therapist.

work in a library (that’s what I wound up doing , and I spent years thinking I couldn’t do anything - because I struggle with many of the things you’ve listed here.)

yeah right - typical snobby and frankly stupid comment typical of the general public who have never worked in retail and do not have a frickin' clue.

I work in a supermarket, and it is a lot more physical and strenuous than you would think. On our main delivery day there are 18 cages to be unpacked by 2 people - full of heavy items. I've had to build muscle to work there. Plus being on your feet for 8 hours.

Go spout off elsewhere - as you're talking absolute rubbish.

I think op got a bit of a bashing because she came on saying she can't do this and can't do that rather than letting us know what she can do or is good at, even if it's a small part of a job.
if you focus on the negatives you're not going get far.
Op what do you enjoy or what are you good at even if not a specific job?

What is CAB? 🤔

I think the question that your work coach is looking at is why can you "not do" so many of these jobs and solutions for this/work that you can do... After all your work coach is there to help you find a job and if all you are doing is saying what you can't do, its not helpful.

Your op does come across like you have given up and don't want to work.

You say you "cant work with the elderly"...why not? There is a lot of varying care jobs (that also aren't all "working with elderly") that don't all involve heavy lifting/personal care type work.

You say you "can't work in an office"? Why? what about admin work? Thats not physically strenuous, shouldn't trigger your allergies?

You "wouldn't be comfortable phoning people" ...is anyone really comfortable with all aspects of their job from day one? Thats something that will come in time the more you get into the role and sometimes, when new to a job we all have to do things outside of our comfort zone.

Given what you have said, it does sound like admin/computer or call centre work will fit your bill...its non strenuous, doesn't involve animals, cleaning products, the elderly, delivering things.

Maybe you need to give it a go, especially since there is lots of call centre type jobs and many are people ringing you rather than the other way round.

Jobs you probably could do;

• copywriting, proof reading, transcribing etc
• mystery shopping
• AI trainer
• focus group work

List the skills you DO have.

Citizens' Advice Bureau

Have you looked in to treatment for carpal tunnelsyndrome - there are surgical and non surgical interventions that can make it a lot better.

I think we'll see this kind of problem more and more. The government will be really pushing to get people back into any kind of work but there just aren't appropriate jobs out there. I am in a job I can do currently but my fixed term contract ends next year and I'll likely be claiming JSA. I have bad knees, neck problems etc struggling to carry on each day currently, it's not easy.
I also work in this area of work and there are so many people in the same situation as op. Not sure when op last worked but many I come across have honestly not worked for 10-15 years and really are unemployable in today's job market.