To complain about how I was treated

[Sleepyevie9]

I’m on the Restart work programme to get back into work after a period of raising my daughter as a single parent and now I’m required to look for work.

I missed a few appointments due to my mental health which is awful at the moment. I suffer from depression and anxiety especially social anxiety which is diagnosed.

I’ve been trying my best. Applying for many jobs and had a few interviews recently.

ive also had a lot going on recently. Relative very unwell and has been told he only has a few weeks to live and I’m having to find somewhere new to live and threatened with homelessness due to landlord selling up.

Today I went in and was told I’m basically making excuses, my anxiety can’t be that bad and it’s only a valid reason if it’s crippling me which she says my anxiety clearly isn’t crippling me. She said other people with anxiety manage alright on the scheme. She said I’m not trying hard enough and basically dismissed everything I was saying.

She said other people come in several times an week and look for jobs on their computers and why can’t I. (I’ve never been asked to do this).

She asked me what was going on so I told her and she basically just raised her voice at me and basically just told me to suck it up and basically acted as if my issues weren’t real and I was faking it.

tbh I had already had an awful morning and was feeling rubbish so then I started getting quite upset because of how she was talking to me when I’m already feeling quite fragile and she didn’t offer me a tissue or anything, basically just laughed in my face and rolled her eyes at me.

The whole appointment she spoke to me like I was a child being told off and I felt undermined.

Aibu to complain?

I’ve got a long history of MH issues going back to 2017 and have all the evidence of it. It’s not just now that I am required to work

A fit note is the same as a sick note? If that's the case why are you doing face to face meetings or required to look for work while you're sick? I'm not sure I understand.

Maybe it’s just me, but I do not think that this is a reasonable question to be asking somebody who is unemployed.

Yes, there are lots of things that OP can do around sleep, diet and exercise but let us not pretend that the most successful interventions do not often require money or employment benefits. The NHS often does not manage to support people with diagnosed serious mental health problems and some GPs can be resistant to prescribe.

@janeit it means that I have reduced commitments and don’t have to attend the job centre as often but Restart is still mandatory

I see! Sorry I don't understand how it all works and can't offer any advice other than to report the person who made those remarks, but it seems ridiculous that with a sick note you're still required to attend these meetings and places which sound like unpleasant environments. It can't be helpful for your mental health.

A chap phoned me from Restart he had a girl with him and they both took the piss out of me on the phone I asked name they ended the call I was close to picking up a hammer and going up their office, recently one of my daughters was up there office and her coach took my daughters phone off her and looked through her emails, My daughter had to stop me from travelling there I would have killed one of these vermin predator bullies.

I am not saying you aren't genuine OP but the people who deal with this hear every excuse in the book and must get fed up with it.
However, she should not have been rude to you. I do wonder whether your anxiety makes you extra sensitive though, my DD has Anxiety and when its affecting her everything anyone says is "having a go" and a mild request is "shouting at her"

I've been to Restart to the scum agency called business to business, these vermin manipulating exploiting predators took the piss out of me on the phone, I was close to going to their rats den (office) with a hammer in my hand.

I think most people have no idea how sone job centre staff speak to people. I have never been unemployed but my dad had to go for appointments when he lost his job aged 60 plus. He told me they were very rude and treated him like scum basically. They know that the people they are often dealing with have no money and no power. It is hardly surprising that a single parent facing eviction has mental health issues.