Job centre suggesting a blind person applies for a car park attendant job, with driving licence as a criteria

[BlindCarparkWarden]

Have namechanged because I’ve plastered this all over social media and don’t want it linked to my usual username.

I was born blind. In my life I have worked in positions such as secretarial, customer service etc but I gave up work to be a SAHM when my DC were born. Once they were older I looked to go back to work but then I fell ill so work was out of the question for a while.

I am now much better and in a position to work so I have been looking hard, but also registered for universal credit so that I would fall under the job centre.

It is slightly harder to get work when you can’t see because positions such as checkout assistants for instance use tills which aren’t accessible, otherwise I’d be working in a supermarket by now, so I’ve been applying for admin/customer service roles but am also aware that in the current climate there is very little around.

So today I received an email to check my UC journal, and there was a message from my job coach, stating that I need to apply for a specific job. And the job is for:

A car park warden, with the criteria as “have to hold a driving licence or moped licence.

On one level I actually think it’s hilarious. After all it’s so stupid you couldn’t make it up.

But on the other hand, people are sanctioned for not applying for certain numbers of jobs, which means that many apply for roles they will never get. Added to which, employers have to then sift through hundreds of pointless CV’s so the whole thing wastes everyone’s time.

I have been talking to some others about this and some have told me of their own experience, being sent jobs as:

Forklift driver
Amazon delivery driver
Security guard.

How can people possibly be expected to get into work when this is the way the JC are behaving?

I would suggest that maybe she’d like to apply for the parking warden job and that would leave a job coach vacancy free for me to pursue.

If you’re completely blind OP you shouldn’t have to look for work.

I am also completely blind, and I know you’re minimising when you say it’s ‘slightly’ more difficult to get a job. It’s loads and loads more difficult, in fact I have found it near impossible.

People are bloody stupid. It’s like when I point out to people that blind means can’t see they say ‘oh, I didn’t thnk of that.’ What the bloody hell do they think it means then?

I walked into the council once with my guide dog. The woman, who was sat at a low table with a full view of me and dog, asked, ‘have you driven in?’ Yeah love, I’ve driven in, the dog drove.

The level of ignorance and utter stupidity displayed by some, actually many people, drives me mad. It’s hard not to be angry about it when every day you’re fighting stupid, and as every blind person knows, disability awareness doesn’t include blind people, and neither does accessibility. it’s like we’re not actually blind, we’re invisible.

Right, rant over.

Unbelievable! What a waste of your time and theirs. I hope you find a suitable role soon, OP - probably without the 'help' of the Job Centre.

Such a ridiculous system. Not as bad as yours, but I was told to apply for a sales role (I don’t work in sales), 80 miles away, with a language I don’t speak.

And having been on the opposite side, it's such a ball ache to send no thank you letters to the job centre applicants who can’t do the job, but have to apply to make up their numbers.
Such a waste of time all round.

it’s like we’re not actually blind, we’re invisible. You're like an ostrich-if you can't see, you can't be seen.

These jobswortns are just not fit for purpose are they,it's a tick box exercise they do everyday,so THEY fill the work criteria,& not get carpeted on Friday for not ticking the "have you ticked every box everyday" ?
Non of them are in the real world,as they seem to think that thousands of jobs are outside the room,sadly they are not,that's why they are in that hell hole safe from all. If jobs were there,you would not need them.
Work advisors,they are called,what advice do they actually impart? apart from being the most condescending bigots ever.
Your scenario would be laughed out of court, if you get sanctioned write to Mps & the ombudsman if one exists. Good luck

@ Whatisthisfuckery tbh I don’t want to not work. I’ve worked in the past, I am capable, it’s just finding the job that is the hard part. And yes you’re right its not just difficult, it’s almost impossible, but still I have worked before and many others do and I don’t want to have to get a dr’s certificate claiming that I’m incapable of work.

They all have a PhD in stupidity.

@ Redcrayons I was talking to someone earlier whose DS wanted a job in animal welfare and they sent him jobs working in McDonald’s. 😂

I think that it was a bit too late for animal welfare at that point.

You just couldn't make this shit up could you 😂

I'd forward that gem on to your MP and ask them what they think about this level of stupidity.

As an aside, have you heard of Access to Work? This fund can provide a PA to you or equipment to help you do aspects of the job that you may struggle wih. For instance my hearing impaired colleague has a BSL interpreter. You could apply for someone to drive you to and from work appointments for instance, if that was a required part of the job. Good luck in your search.

These work ‘coaches’ are absolute bellends.

It was not specific to you
A general one sent to 100s to see if interest

I received the same

Surely it's just an oversight?

What did they say when you poured out the obvious? If they still expect you to apply or lose money then of course, plaster it all over social media and rant about it, but a job that's not suited to you filtering through by accident?

@ jclm the criteria for a PA is that they can only perform 20% of the role you’re employed for, so this particular job would be a non starter.

ATW are also by no means perfect - I was offered a job in October 2019 by a government organisation as it happens, and they chose to go down the route of purchasing equipment/screenreader themselves but their software proved to be inaccessible. At that point they suggested getting ATW involved but ATW require a start date to begin the process you have to give a start date which the organisation weren’t prepared to give.

Consequently the job offer was withdrawn in April last year.

There was blame on both sides there, the company could have given a provisional start date which they wouldn’t, but equally the ATW process was too rigid in that sense.

I suspect the outcome may have been the same so it was just an annoyance.

I am now in discussion with the organisation as they shouldn’t be claiming to be disability confident when they would have to reject any visually impaired candidate from the outset.

Tell them you go for the interview as soon as you've finished your fighter pilot training. Actually, best not. They'll probably take it as gospel.

I am visually impaired and I regularly get job ads to be a delivery driver. I think it's absolutely hilarious. I'm currently being assessed for capability for work so I don't have any UC commitments at the moment, but they're still sending me the ads and I can't help but laugh.

The VI talk facebook group is a great place to post experiences like this.

Carpark warden - holding a drivers licence. You're only blind, what could possibly go wrong? 🙄🙄

Bloody idiots.

You're right when
You say they should apply fir that job & let you have theirs!

@Whatisthisfuckery

I walked into the council once with my guide dog. The woman, who was sat at a low table with a full view of me and dog, asked, ‘have you driven in?’ Yeah love, I’ve driven in, the dog drove

After the OP's witty posts, yours finished me off, I'm wheezing!

Your dog must have had advanced training!

@ Chewingle I have no doubt that it’s a part of an algorithm, but the point is that these jobs are A, being sent to candidates who cannot possibly apply for them and who in many instances will be afraid of being sanctioned for not doing so. That then has the knock-on effect of employers being inundated with applications from candidates who clearly aren’t capable of doing the job for whatever reason, which means that actual capable employees may miss out if e.g. an employer automatically discards a certain number which does happen if applications are high.

There needs to be a better process so that jobs are at the very least, not sent to candidates who it is blatantly obvious, cannot apply for them.

@ ThePerfectPintOfIceColdBeer oh I’ve already posted it there. Which means you likely now know who I am.

I know an older man ( through church) who has mental health issues and doesn't really look after himself well ( clothes unwashed etc) . He was sent for an interview for a job in another city on the train in a pandemic. Really, I don't mind him being on benefits, he does volunteering, no-one is going to give him a job until some things are sorted out, he's 60+, it's not going to happen. Why don't they use some common sense?

And another time I was recommended an ad to be a train driver😂😂

UC is a fucking disgrace. YANBU

And you'll know who I am in a minute when I go comment on it lol

@BlindCarparkWarden

Please, please write to the head office and mark it "Complaint"

Copy it to your MP

My friend was on disability benefits after she got ME and couldn't work.

They made her attend a mandatory job skills training session aimed at helping disabled people into the workplace. She spent three hours being taught how to write her own name and address.

My friend is a doctor and worked in a hospital until she got too sick to work.