AIBU in wanting to work despite disabilities? Help!

[ProfessorMoody]

I'm a teacher, but stopped working due to severe mental health problems and physical disabilities that meant I had to start using a wheelchair. I went back to work, but found I just couldn't do it - the limitations and panic attacks were too difficult to manage.

I'm now at home, claiming PIP and am not entitled to anything else due to my husband earning over a certain amount (he's not on much, about 20k, but too much to claim anything like tax credits, ESA etc.)

As a result, we are REALLY short of money. We're having to use food banks sometimes, struggling with debts and rent and general living costs.

I'm looking for some advice as to what I can feasibly do from home. I can't tutor, as I'm really not good with people facing at the moment and I need to be more flexible than tutoring is, due to my condition which regularly flares up.

I don't want to do matched betting as I think it will be beyond my comprehension at the moment.

I have good literacy skills, a first class degree, PGCE and before I was a teacher I owned and ran two companies.

I'm just at a loss as to what I can do from home. I've applied for various work from home roles but they all seem to be based in England and need me to travel for courses, which I can't do.

Any advice would be really gratefully received!! Thank you

Could you do exam marking?

With that background I seriously doubt matched betting would be too complicated. I spent too long listening to people say it was, and it really really isn't (especially as a lot of stuff uses custom calculators rather than doing sums from scratch yourself). And when you are first getting used to it you are basically just following instructions.

However, it's also not a long term solution or work that you can put on a CV.

(I started doing it when I had been feeling quite ill too, and I thought I could have managed it when I'd been worse than I was at the time. And I don't have A-level Maths!)

Yep if you were secondary you can mark your subject from home. Not if you were a primary obviously.

Could you teach TEFL online? It is a valid option these days but you need to be able to commit in advance to time slots and be able to do face to face via webcam (not that kind of webcam work!). Time slots can be antisocial because a lot of students are in Asia. It's effectively tutoring but without having to actually be in the same room. You need to be quite tech savvy because you also use a platform to share texts, write and view the learner's work etc.

Online tutoring/marking, teaching literacy to adults on a sessional basis and/or moderating courses for likes of ncfe. Writing teaching or training materials.

a primary *teacher, that should obviously say

Online tutoring

Non contact support teacher?

blueskies, OP already said I can't tutor, as I'm really not good with people facing at the moment and I need to be more flexible than tutoring is, due to my condition which regularly flares up.

I'm primary unfortunately.

I've looked at online marking etc but again a lot seem to be England based and I'm in Wales. It's very frustrating.

If you live in a university town or have contacts there can be proofreading work for students with English as a second language. The sites where you tender for that sort of work pay next to nothing for hours and hours of work, so it's only worth doing if you can get work directly.

What about proof reading? I'm a primary teacher too, also can't do the job at the moment due to mental/physical health problems.
I love grammar (I know I'm sad) and love proofreading- am considering trying to get some paid work.
If you're primary you must be good at grammar too!

penny I know, but online is different to having to go to students' houses or have your house ready for them, plus no behaviour issues to deal with. Not being up to face to face in person might not preclude via a Skype type portal.

You should be entitled to contribution based esa.

Proof reading sounds amazing actually! I'll have a Google, thanks.

You could offer Skype tutoring online

I run a virtual assistance agency, we do everything from transcription through to proof reading. I have disabled people on my team, there's definitely work available for you to do from home. =)

I know someone who does online TEFL tutoring to China and there is quite a lot of movement, chirpiness, being animated involved. It's well beyond a normal conversation. Things like being in pain or feeling physically weak can get in the way of that. And if making yourself presentable for the camera takes significant energy on its own, even tutoring for a higher level subject that doesn't involve fun rhymes etc etc can be too much. You need to be able to sit in a chair with reasonably professional looking surroundings, not in bed in a dressing gown because you can't manage both the washing and dressing and the lesson. It's also a whole hour of talking and needing to recall things spontaneously. Also incompatible with anything that might come on suddenly, e.g. having to rush to the loo unpredictably.

Home typing? A lot of businesses outsource their typing this way. For example: www.outsourcedictation.co.uk

Penny - that's exactly why I was thinking it wasn't for me. Thank you for understanding!

Annie - would you mind if I PM'd you for more information, please?

ProfessorMoody, I'm in a really similar position and could almost have written your post, but I'm secondary.

I've started proofreading for academics at universities who need papers proofreading before sending for publication. Mostly academics with EAL. Although the work is sporadic, it's something to do and brings in some money. I actually really enjoy it too as papers can be quite interesting.

It's because I've had to explain to others before why I couldn't do it, plus was adding a few other bits that may apply to different people. I could do tutoring in text form no problem most of the time, but video / spoken really not not reliably. And my typing speed isn't consistently fast enough for transcription. I don't have any good solutions for you unfortunately though!

Virtual assistants are in high demand. Or get skilled up at website building via a course - best if you work in a niche you know, like online courses or primary education resources.