DH was involved in an accident in June which left him with permanent injuries – he lost his sight in one eye and nearly lost his left hand, although doctors managed to save that and he has partial mobility in that hand now after two surgeries. He was off work for some time due to the accident and while he was gone his work decided to make him redundant on capability grounds. He’s now been unemployed since October and is really struggling to find work and I don’t know how to support him.
He has previously worked at a senior level in ops and logistics but just doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere with applications for those kind of jobs. I know the normal advice is ‘take anything just to get back in work’ but honestly, he’s doing even less well applying for jobs below his normal level – at least he’s had a few interviews for the kind of work he used to do, as opposed to nothing at all for lower level jobs. I suspect the reality is that no one wants a visually impaired, mobility impaired 50 year old to stack shelves or do bar work. He is still smart and capable and absolutely able to work, with only a few adjustments, and as such is not eligible for benefits (he has a free bus pass due to the partial blindness) but no one apparently wants to know and it’s really getting him down.
Financially we can cope on my salary, but it’s tough and involves watching every penny, which I think is also something he’s struggling with – he keeps apologising to me like he’s let me down or failed in some way which he really hasn’t – the accident was not his fault at all, or something he could have avoided. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I just wish I knew what to do – what practical advice I can offer, or what I can do to show emotional support and make him feel better. I just feel totally lost.