Unemployed but not entitled to any benefits

[BinBandit]

I've struggled to find out any info online so wondered if anyone can help with this.

My DS has recently graduated and struggling to get any work (that's a whole other thread!). As he's never worked he isn't entitled to job Seekers. He has too much in savings to qualify for Universal Credit. We supported him through Uni but he did take the loans and saved them so this would give him a start when he graduated. He's a quiet lad so didn't spend much.

Anyway, he's expected to live of those which is fair enough. Benefits are there for those who need them and he has savings. The assumption is that we will continue to However, I can't seem to find out any info about whether he and/or how he can register as unemployed and get some help with looking for a job or whether he would get NI credits by registering somewhere.

We believe that he probably has ASD issues (Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder?) which we are now looking to get a private assessment for and this is obviously not helping with the job hunting so we think he may be looking for work for a while. We'd all like him to have more independence but whilst he has no income, he can't really commit to using his savings for that as originally intended, as what will happen when those run out?

"first class honours in Computer Science"

Get him to look into Web3. There are tonnes of hackathons that he can enter - he should be able to pick up enough in prizes that will provide a decent income in the meanwhile until someone begs him to take up a permanent position.

Good software engineers are worth their weight in gold.

It would make more sense to use the savings to repay student loan. Then his means will be low enough to qualify for UC.

Or, he just gets a low paid job, advertised everywhere right now.

I’ll be honest I have no idea what computer science entails but it sounds like it could lend itself well to working from home? Even if he has to pay for a little extra training (online) to give him some more specific skills.

And I believe you can get UC once under 16k, but a percentage is taken off depending on savings.

I am pretty out of date in this field but just had a quick Google. He could try Leonard Cheshire Change 100 which includes people who self identify with neurodivergent conditions. Otherwise, your local Princes Trust may be able to help or point him in the right direction.

Might be worth contacting the British Computer Society (BCS). They have a specialist group for the Neurodiverse, which might be able to give you some ideas about suitable jobs.

www.bcs.org/membership-and-registrations/member-communities/neurodiverseit-specialist-group/

Good Luck.

Who told him that it would be a good idea to take the student loans and then save them?

You do realise there is interest on those loans, right? I was on the old scheme and it took me years of paying it back to even pay back more than the interest.

The student loan money he has sitting in the bank now is probably already less than what he actually owes now. I would be telling him to pay that money back now and then he will be able to claim benefits.

It wasn’t fiscally responsible to take loans he didn’t need and now the pigeons have come home to roost. Find a temp agency, don’t be proud. When I graduated, with a top degree, I spent a summer working one job 8:30-4:30 and then 5-8 at a local care home cleaning and wiping arses. I was desperate to clear debt I’d accrued.

Is he getting interviews for CS type jobs?

Has he asked the uni careers office for help with cv , applications (they may have local links to employers), access to any future job fairs etc. Does he have a linkedin profile, Indeed and so on.

GP referred him for counselling and they said they couldn't help him. The problem is that as an adult now I can only go by what he shares so it's difficult to know what he is told.

So, despite his profound issues, he has not received any kind of treatment?

When you say 'they' couldn't help him, what do you mean? Who is they and what kind of help had you expected?

In your shoes I'd find him a counselor privately as a matter of urgency. Hopefully counselling sessions might help him address his issues.

He might be entitled to disability payments but finding a career should be plan A as it's not a great life on benefits

I don't OP for one minutel suggested she wants DC in a life of purely claiming benefits. And even if he was entitled to certain (benefits, ie PIP), it doesn't mean he can't be employed too.

He's obviously an intelligent lad OP and I understand your frustration of trying to get into employment straight from uni, particularly with possible ASD - it's not as easy to walk into a job as others are suggesting.

I do agree with maybe taking the volunteer route. Hours cab be flexible, it will give him some experience to put on CV when a suitable role comes along and will also give him invaluable experience just working in a environment outside uni and his bedroom, build up his confidence with colleagues, possible customers/clients etc. Maybe try do.it.org or any local charity he may be interested in. How would he feel about giving students private tuition in computers? There are loads of options until he gets himself set on his chosen career path. Good luck

Where are you based? The government & civil service often have graduate roles for computer services and support and understanding for diversity. GCHQ would be a good starting point if he's interested.

Could he be self employed offering IT support to home users or volunteer at library or community hubs to help train people in basic skills or with issues setting up devices?

Try cyber security data analyst graduate schemes. Vodafone/BAE/pwc have good ones. They are looking out for people just like your son.

or use some of his savings for a career coaching session? Penna used to be ok.

he can’t keep savings and claim, that’s not on. Also the repayment interest on grad loans is around 6% so not really a good saving scenario

Is he good at coding? Is he on LinkedIn? Lots of free micro credentials available on coding.

Can he ask his uni for help applying for jobs?

Civil service
www.faststream.gov.uk/summer-diversity-internship-programme/index.html

Ignore above link it’s outdated, but civil service as a whole.

I'm a software engineer. I don't have a computer science degree but it can be quite tricky to get your first job. I had to do multiple voluntary projects and then an internship.

Employers are going to be wondering why he did not do any internships, placements or part time jobs during his degree. He is going to have to make up for lost time.

Contributing to open source projects can help. He also needs to have an up to date portfolio of his work.

Sorry lots of posts to catch up with. GP referred him to a charity for counselling. They insisted that he make appointments by telephone. He cannot do that. I contacted them, told them this and made an initial appointment. He went, they said they couldn't really help him but invited him to call and make a further appointment, then covid hit. I'm not sure he can communicate well enough to achieve anything with counselling which is why we haven't done that already.

You'll have thought of this but try and work backwards and keep him occupied. Discuss what specialism/domain/area/languages of ICT he wants to work in (he'll know from his studies even if he wasn't trained in the domain itself while academically studying but for example in lay person's terms, applications development, testing, networking, information security and so on). If he doesn't have opinions and is genuinely bright then perhaps the lucrative areas like AI or quant in financial services. Get him to look at ISEB/BCS and identify the route to qualification or accreditation in that area if his personality makes an experience-based route difficult. Identify what job adverts in that specialism require. Find reputable providers of online training for those accredited credentials. He has funds so buy training that will give him confidence. In parallel, find large firms close to where you live that have in house IT functions and try and engage with the people who work in that domain. Happy to explain further. Good luck.

I'm not sure he can communicate well enough to achieve anything with counselling which is why we haven't done that already

But an experienced, qualified therapist will know how to deal with this! I'm really surprised that you have not tried this.

A lot of computer related jobs are working from home which sounds like would suit him. He needs to look at large IT companies. He can apply online and ask for remote interview due to social anxiety. A company want to know if he can do the job. A first class Hons degree would suggest he can. I am sure he will have a successful career. My son has an acquaintance who he has known for many years who does the graphics and animations on some of the Disney films. He is a recluse who barely comes out his room. Disney don't care. All they care about is the end product he produces. He communicates with others on the film's about his input by computer. He has had no problems.

I can only facilitate what he will engage with. He's an adult and even as a teenager, I can't make him do what he doesn't want to as frustrating as that is. I can talk to him and encourage him etc but I can't do everything for him without his agreement. He is seeing the benefit of a proper assessment and I'm waiting to hear back from a private assessment centre. I took complaints about the lack of support all the way and all that happened was that he kept getting older and options reduced or wait lists closed without anything happening.

Ime of cs recruitment they are very accommodating of the need to make adjustments and the majority still largely work from home. There are also a lot of contractors involved in their IT based projects who work remotely.