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Is there any support available for aspies on JSA?

Bloodheart

I've been unemployed for three years, I told the job centre last August that I have asperger's and regretted it as the adviser decided this meant I was 'mentally incapable' of working so decided I wasn't following my job seekers agreement and so forced me off JSA and onto ESA. I was denied ESA, as it seems there's no criteria for ASD in the assessment nor do they consider how ASD can effect us doing certain jobs or in different ways, so I'm back on JSA now. 

I've had a disability adviser at the job centre, as of Janurary, but he is no help what-so-ever - he doesn't seem to understand what asperger's is or how it effects anything, he's not really discussed with me what I can/cannot do, and so all he does is perform a job search as the normal advisers do...which is no good! 

I used to work as an employability trainer, so I know how to write CV's, but things have changed in the jobs market and with asperger's it's all the more difficult to find work. I need help in figuring out what jobs I could do, career advice or advice on what I can do until I'm back in work, general job seeking advice (e.g. what to do when I have no references, how to deal with answering phone calls from employers, how to apply for certain types of jobs, etc.), help getting into work placements or voluntary jobs, and unbiased information about benefits. 

I've had Shaw Trust suggested to me but they only help people on ESA so not an option for me, and I can't ask at the job centre given their attitude with me at the moment. Surely there has to be some other support somewhere for people who are disabled but still on JSA - any suggestions? 

Parents

  • Hello Bloodheart - just wondering how things going as I now seem to be in a similar position. I too have telephobia with my Aspies - which it seems no-one is prepared to understand (or believe to be a genuine issue), & had my first JSA interview last week which was an unmittigated disaster. Have worked full time for 35 years & had to resign my last job of 15 years due to managerial bullying & harassment after declaring my more recent Aspies diagnosis which had become more apparent with the depression, & as a result was exacerbated by my treatment in the workplace. (I never had any complaints about the quality of my work - it was more a personal vendetta by management).

     Rather than working with me they chose to use the information as a tool to beat me with, making sure I was put in distressing positions whilst claiming they were supporting me!

    My ESA allowance expired at the end of June & I waited 3 months to see a disability advisor at the Jobcentre. He told me to apply for JSA & ask to be referred back to him, whilst making enquiries to Finchale College to get me some paper qualifications to accompany my work experience. In the meantime my JSA was processed & I was referred to the usual JSA advisor, who clearly has no listening skills whatsoever & talked over me & my partner continually, dissing any info the disability advisor had recommended & giving the impression my Aspies limitations were something I had a choice over, rather than being an actual disability. I left feeling I will be shoved into the next available job, however unsuitable (i.e. temp work) & the ramifications this uncertainty causes on my health (need stability) & that my improvement had regressed 6 months. Have been told I need to sign on tomorrow & to provide 3 diary entries already as to what I've been doing to support my job search - bearing in mind I feel I need to retrain & get the necessary paper qualifications first (& the disability advisor is currently on leave). I just know if I'm forced into the first job to accept me however unsuitable it will only serve to put me back into severe depression & the start of a cycle I would rather break.

     

Reply

  • Hello Bloodheart - just wondering how things going as I now seem to be in a similar position. I too have telephobia with my Aspies - which it seems no-one is prepared to understand (or believe to be a genuine issue), & had my first JSA interview last week which was an unmittigated disaster. Have worked full time for 35 years & had to resign my last job of 15 years due to managerial bullying & harassment after declaring my more recent Aspies diagnosis which had become more apparent with the depression, & as a result was exacerbated by my treatment in the workplace. (I never had any complaints about the quality of my work - it was more a personal vendetta by management).

     Rather than working with me they chose to use the information as a tool to beat me with, making sure I was put in distressing positions whilst claiming they were supporting me!

    My ESA allowance expired at the end of June & I waited 3 months to see a disability advisor at the Jobcentre. He told me to apply for JSA & ask to be referred back to him, whilst making enquiries to Finchale College to get me some paper qualifications to accompany my work experience. In the meantime my JSA was processed & I was referred to the usual JSA advisor, who clearly has no listening skills whatsoever & talked over me & my partner continually, dissing any info the disability advisor had recommended & giving the impression my Aspies limitations were something I had a choice over, rather than being an actual disability. I left feeling I will be shoved into the next available job, however unsuitable (i.e. temp work) & the ramifications this uncertainty causes on my health (need stability) & that my improvement had regressed 6 months. Have been told I need to sign on tomorrow & to provide 3 diary entries already as to what I've been doing to support my job search - bearing in mind I feel I need to retrain & get the necessary paper qualifications first (& the disability advisor is currently on leave). I just know if I'm forced into the first job to accept me however unsuitable it will only serve to put me back into severe depression & the start of a cycle I would rather break.

     

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