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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

In not wanting my learning disabled daughter to have to travel 3 hours a day to a job?

59 replies

ElectricalBanana · 22/09/2013 09:52

We want DD to get a job! She has autism and is classed as a vulnerable adult. She is 21.

She has a work choice advisor and this lady has found her a part time job at pound land in a town nearly 30 miles away. It's bus ride of 90 mins there and 90 mins back. Dd has diabetes on top of her learning disabilities.
Dd was informed of the job by email so I emailed the advisor and questioned the suitability of this job, I highlighted her learning issues, the cost of the bus journey and the time taken to get there and back.

Advisor got back to me and said this would be a part time job and would be good for dd and give her good work experience. She would also get wtc to bolster her wages.
Also there was a fund for dd and this money would be removed on Tuesday if a job had not been found by that day - and that I feel is the driving force in this.

I really don't like the idea of her being so far away from home, I cannot get her quickly if she gets stuck etc.
am I being unreasonable not to be happy with this arrangement ?

OP posts:
WestieMamma · 22/09/2013 11:21

I agree with the others, contact your local branch of the NAS. They have been a great support to my nephew. If nothing else, they can feed back how awful the system is becoming for vulnerable adults.

mrsjay · 22/09/2013 11:24

that is shocking what is her careers adviser on to send a young woman with autism 90 minutes away it is madness can you ring them up and speak to them, I know your dd is an adult and you want her to have independence but I think it would be ok for you to speak on her behalf she is an autistic adult she needs an advocate iyswim sometimes they can lay on taxis to work for disabled people, I hope you get it worked out I would be freaking out if it was my dd

Ineedmorepatience · 22/09/2013 11:25

electrical I rarely post on here but I am mum to another autistic child who can hold it together providing everything runs smoothly but falls apart when things get stressful.

You have to fight this, your lovely Dd is being forced into a situation that is pretty much guaranteed to fail.

So often our children have to fail before their needs are recognised.

If you cant sort this, speak to your MP my local one is really good for standing up for real people.

I have everything crossed for you Sad

IneedAsockamnesty · 22/09/2013 11:28

If this offer is something to do with dwp I strongly advise you take a third party who knows what they are doing to your next appointment,

I have seen a huge trend in sanctions for learning disabled claimants especially ASD because of unreasonable expectations I'm not usually a cynic but one of my colleagues believes its because dwp staff are relying on the claimants having limited support or witness so the dwp gets away with it far more than with none disabled claimants,as this colleague is normally correct about everything dwp related.

lougle · 22/09/2013 11:28

Electrical Banana, have a look at the PIP criteria - you may find she qualifies more under PIP because the points are more balanced between care given and skills possessed. It may be worth asking for a reassessment under PIP. Assessment Criteria

If she qualifies for a higher rate of PIP, it will strengthen your case that she is not as able as she appears.

mrsjay · 22/09/2013 11:32

oh you have spoken to the careers person sorry i misread, can she apply for another disability benefit so she does not have to look for a job I know you want her to do something but this is obviously not working, and this careers person isn't understanding her needs

JoinYourPlayfellows · 22/09/2013 11:41

"I have seen a huge trend in sanctions for learning disabled claimants especially ASD because of unreasonable expectations I'm not usually a cynic but one of my colleagues believes its because dwp staff are relying on the claimants having limited support or witness so the dwp gets away with it far more than with none disabled claimants,as this colleague is normally correct about everything dwp related."

Shock

Oh my fucking god, that is horrific!

I'm sorry you find yourself in this situation, Electric :(

Your daughter sounds amazing and like she has brilliant support in you.

I don't think ANYONE should be forced to travel 3 hours a day for a part time job in poundland, but it makes my blood run cold that a vulnerable adult could be pushed into a situation like that.

What kind of country is this that does this to the people we are supposed to be looking out for?

ilovesooty · 22/09/2013 11:48

sockreturningpixie is right. Advisers have sanction targets and those with disabilities are especially vulnerable.
They are consequently able to use this to provide figures stating that the number ofpeople on benefits is falling

Alisvolatpropiis · 22/09/2013 11:59

Yanbu. Absolutely not.

Unfortunately the people who work in the job centre are thoughtless arseholes people who only care about the rate at which they are getting people into work.

I have a friend with a disability, she has been treated appallingly by the job centre. Out forward for jobs she quite clearly can't do, sanctioned when she doesn't take the job etc.

If they sanction your DD appeal immediately. It will affect her pension in years to come if there are large gaps during which she is not on record via paid work/jsa.

mrsjay · 22/09/2013 12:02

you know as a young disabled person i had this sort of rubbish to deal with when i was looking for work after leaving school the advisers were worse than useless and seemed to put people in the same brackets decades on I see things haven't really changed, Autism isn't the same as somebody who has a physical disability or a deaf every person has their own needs, and these careers advisers don't seem to realise this, they have no clue and these people are fully trained

mrsjay · 22/09/2013 12:03

or a deaf person* Blush

ilovesooty · 22/09/2013 12:19

To be fair to the actual advisers their targets are imposed on them and their failures put their jobs under threat.
However it doesn't alter the fact that some have seemingly little care about thehuman misery involved.

mrsjay · 22/09/2013 12:21

I understand they don't make the rules ilovesooty but as you said it is all so uncaring with zero understanding

hackmum · 22/09/2013 13:00

This is so sad. Might be worth trying CAB as well as the NAS, though I imagine they are snowed under at the moment.

ilovesooty · 22/09/2013 13:14

Actually I am fuming at the Job centre at the moment and wish I could say why butit iinvolves sensitive information so I can't.

However I hope a certain adviser who dealt with someone I work with finds something very, very nasty happening to her soon given the worry and misery she inflicted this week. It is a long time since I felt so angry.

candycoatedwaterdrops · 22/09/2013 13:43

ElectricalBanana This has made me so angry and sad for you and DD. Last week, I left a wonderful job where I was supporting disabled people to be included in the community - this included obtaining access to social services, charities and more often than not - work. The Work Choice programme is for disabled people who can work but need support in obtaining and maintaining employment. My experience is that this programme is implemented very poorly. All of my clients who wanted work had an advisor but very few had a disability employment advisor (DEA), so it is definitely worth finding out a.) if this current advisor is a DEA and b.) if there is one in the job centre who your DD could see. People with disabilities need specialist support from the jobcentre and unfortunately, you need to fight for it. I don't know how you feel about getting support from social services but it sounds like getting a community care assessment would be beneficial for her and for you. I am more than happy if you want to message me and I can give you some more advice. :)

Viviennemary · 22/09/2013 13:52

I don't know of course but it sounds to me as if this job advisor just wants to tick a box and say success she has found your DD a job however unsuitable. If you don't think it's right in the circumstances she shouldn't do it.

There is no point in venting against job centre staff (though it's understandable) as they are only following instructions which a lot of them don't even agree with. But that's besides the point.

Original poster
ElectricalBanana · 23/09/2013 12:31

UPDATE!! DD has been offered a 16 hour contract at a local card shop (in town 15 mins walk away) a temp contract to June 14.

She will still be supported by the workchoice advisor.

So this weekends meltdowns have ended and i have a happy DD!!

Thanks everyone for your support...even my OH has said you have all been fab and not the nest of vipers he had heard you were....Wink

OP posts:
IwishIwasmoreorganised · 23/09/2013 12:37

I've only just found this thread and was reading, mouth agog in utter horror at the job that your dd had been found.

I'm so pleased to read this update Electrical Grin

What a relief!

Mumsyblouse · 23/09/2013 12:40

I am so happy for you, your posts were heart-rending. But I feel very angry that you were put in this position of being so pressured to take such an unsuitable job. If you weren't the mum you are, she could have ended up losing benefits/or even worse.

Good luck to her though, she sounds like she'll be a brilliant employee (and you are a lovely mum).

MN216 · 23/09/2013 12:45

Really glad that things have worked out so well - good luck to your DD. Someone further up suggested looking at asking for her DLA to be reassessed under PIP - just want to say please don't do this without getting advice first (local CAB, NAS etc etc) since PIP criteria are in some respects stricter than DLA. It may be that the PIP criteria do "suit" her better but on the other hand they may not and you don't want to ask for an assessment only to find she ends up with no DLA or PIP.

Alisvolatpropiis · 23/09/2013 12:48

So glad all has been resolved op.

Good luck to your Dd in her new job!

lougle · 23/09/2013 12:50

Wonderful!

Tavv · 23/09/2013 13:19

So glad it worked out Smile Good luck to your DD.

candycoatedwaterdrops · 23/09/2013 13:28

Woooo, well done to EB's wonderful DD, I hope it all goes well for her. :)