For thinking there’s no hope for me

[temporaryusername01]

I’m currently unemployed. No skills I can think of and 43 years old.

I have one primary school aged child and one secondary school aged child.

Having no money is really depressing me, I’m on universal credit but it’s not stretching and I spend a lot of time walking to cheaper supermarkets, researching cheap clothes and essentials on Vinted or freecycle etc. Looking up food banks, applying for bursaries for kids activities.

I really want a job but I don’t know where to start, my last jobs were 15 years ago in basic admin and I can’t find the contacts to get references. I do have reasons for not being able to work until now (caring responsibilities) but now I’m desperately job searching and not having much luck.

I can’t study because I used up my student finance trying to study but never graduated. Highest qualification is GCSEs.

I really want to make a change but a big part of me feels like I’m too old now and I’ve wasted my life.

Am I being unreasonable to think i have no hope of having a career at this stage?

Thank you!

No I can’t drive, never got my licence.
I have GCSEs grade C in Maths and a C in English, B for English Lit.
Yes unfortunately limited to school hours.

I think this is where I’m going wrong, I’m applying for things in a scattering way and need to focus in more.

McDonald’s are a surprisingly good employer with brilliant opportunities to progress. They promote from within (most of their senior management started out working the fryers) and will even fund staff doing a degree as they work.

Have you been to your local job centre for help?

There are literally so many jobs you could walk into without experience. Supermarkets, retail, care work.

Hey all, to update I managed to get a cleaning job working self employed in local homes. I love the independent of it and that there isn’t much human interaction which is great for me, but don’t love the pay.

It’s £12.50 am hour and I need to pay own tax and NI from that. Then there’s universal credit reduction and my travel and kids breakfast club adds up!

So maybe £4 an hour extra. Still … I am working and feeling more positive now need to get something better paid.

Well done - and in the long term, a far more financially safe decision to work and earn your own money than be totally reliant on benefits. Really respect your determination.

a bit of an aside, but your post does also highlight the fundamental wrong in our system which means that working people can end up only marginally better off than not working. It’s crazy that with all the deductions you’re not a lot better off.

but thank goodness for people like you who look beyond that and are determined to forge ahead. I hope things continue to go well for you

Well done! Thete are so many benefits to having a job, including social and mental health benefits. The financial benefits may not sound much now, but they are accumulative the more you work; you will get access to better paid jobs in time and you are also building additional retirement income that future you will be very grateful of. You are also setting your kids a good example that will hopefully rub-off as a strong work ethic for their futures too.

You can be proud of yourself. Best of luck for the future.

I'd you can write an op like that, you can get an admin/call centre job.