DWP - Disability Employment Advisor

I first saw a DEA 15 years ago but they didn't know how to help me, there probably wasn't many options then.  I saw one 10 years ago, but only to help with getting employment support with an autism charity.  I had to start claiming UC recently and a DEA is involved now, and they offered support so trying that.  Worth seeing what they could help with, including self-employment.  If you are set on self-employment then you could seek out other sources of advice/support, and maybe reach out to other autistic self-employed people via Twitter or Facebook.

yes thats my solution, which may not suit everyone 

I appreciate your concerns but not everyone has the capacity to do as you suggest. Had my wife been in such a position, I would not have posted the question that I did. Thanks anyway.

My advice is to run, run from teh DWP and thier sadistic torture as it will only grind you down and keep you in the gutter where the 'coaches' want you to be so they can continue in thier smug, superior role as the gatekeepers of survival.
Instead, go find 'a' job, anything, filling shelves, washing cars (that was my choice), delivering the mail, full time, part time, fixed term, long term, anything. Why?

So you can start to take control of your life, mould it into a life you can live with and never, ever find yourself at the mercy of some sick normal office drone in a primark blouse and nylon trousers.

Deleted user said:

The good news is that despite the silly job advertisements that people seem to churn out, not every job requires you to be a social butterfly with a sparkling wit. I used to cringe when I read some of the rubbish employers would write in person specifications. They read like popularity contests rather than job descriptions.

I love this paragraph because of what I was told by one employment advisor.  He said that getting a job is a popularity contest, it doesn't matter about your skills, experience or references, they have to like you in order to employ you.  Unfortunately I'm always bottom in any popularity contest.

You are so correct, my son wanted a summer job to get some money together for when he went to UNI. He was at a job interview and this woman asked him "so why do you want this job and where do you see yourself in five years time" Now had the job been for a CEO, or NASA Project manager you could have understood the question, it was for a job as a kitchen port. Some employers wallow in the importance of their position and think they are Allen Sugar. It don't make life any easier.

Hello Metal Micky

Hope you are well.

Sadly, the Work Capability Assessments were never designed for hidden disabilities. They were created solely for sensory and physical disabilities (and severe ones at that). In recent times, they've made some attempts to modernise them and make them more inclusive.  They never used to be terribly descriptive either. Their main aim was to give a black and white answer about whether someone has to look for work or not. And their goal was to prevent claimants from claiming disability benefits, not to explore work opportunities/adaptations.

The good news is that despite the silly job advertisements that people seem to churn out, not every job requires you to be a social butterfly with a sparkling wit. I used to cringe when I read some of the rubbish employers would write in person specifications. They read like popularity contests rather than job descriptions.

In some parts of the UK, DEA's were phased out around 2010/2011 and their duties were were assigned to the Work Coaches, who then became responsible for everything. About four years ago, however, they brought DEA's back.

That was a bad idea to have ever phased them out but good to see them back.  I've never even attempted to take Work Capability Assessments and fully believe I'm nowhere near 'completely incapable of work', just not able to 'sell myself' in interviews or certain aspects of roles like customer service. I have computer and numeracy skills so would be well suited to a 'back office' role with a lot of spreadsheet / database / finance work but ‘admin’ is such a broad job description and roles are combined with reception / telephone / customer / public elements that I did not do well at when I had tried in the past, for a long time having tried to muddle through employment without declaring Aspergers, but finding I would have to in future after being told to "improve at communication skills" in appraisals.

Hi, 

I was a Disability Employment Consultant for a national charity and used to work very closely with DEA's (Disability Employment Advisors) during the 1990's and 2000's and I was responsible for delivering the DWP's disability programs at that time: The Workstep Program, New Deal For Disabled People, and the DWP's six-week Work Preparation Program. In some parts of the UK, DEA's were phased out around 2010/2011 and their duties were were assigned to the Work Coaches, who then became responsible for everything.

About four years ago, however, they brought DEA's back. They now are responsible for claimants to Work Capability Assessments, organising Permitted Work hours and setting up in-work support for disabled employees through the Access to Work scheme.

You have to ask your DWP Work Coach for an appointment to see a DEA, who will almost certainly want to send you for a DWP Work Capability Assessment. The results of this assessment will determine whether you are obliged to look for work or not. The first step, however, is to speak to your Work Coach and ask to be assigned to a DEA with whom you can discuss your issues.

If, when you have the assessment, they deem that you are incapable of working (or looking for work), you will be assigned to a special category of claimants who have: Limited Capability for Work and Work-related activity. This will mean for a set amount of time there will be no expectation for you to apply for jobs or to undertake any training. Just one word of caution. The Work Capability Assessments are notoriously stressful and woefully inadequate in terms of catering for people with Autism or Mental Illness, and it is rare that they decide that someone is completely incapable of work. I would advise you to seek the support of an advocate during the assessment process.

You may also be offered the option of Permitted Work by a DEA. This allows you to work for a restricted number of hours and at no more than minimum wage whilst still claiming Universal Credit. It's for people who are capable fo some work, but not able to undertake full-time or part-time hours. It's a complicated process and one which your DEA is there to support you through.

The good news is that while you are waiting for a Work Capability Assessment (and a decision after the assessment) all of which can take many weeks, you will not be expected to look for work. This will give you some breathing space if you are currently unwell. Another word of caution, though, it used to be standard practice to reduce your Jobseekers Allowance or Universal Credit during the assessment process and they called it a holding benefit. I don't know if this is still the case.

LouLou said:

I was just wondering if anyone had any experience in dealing with the Department of Work and Pensions disability employment advisors

Hello and welcome to the forum.  I've been reading for a while and joined recently.  I used to see a disability employment advisor when out of work in 2008-09, he gave me an empathetic ear, and initially referred me to the scheme that was then called 'WorkStep' where I was meant to have a supported placement, however the provider actually put me on this other programme called 'Flexible Routeways' where there was a lot of group discussion and role play exercises that I didn't do well at and were really demoralising, like the one described on this post.  The training provider claimed these role play exercises were "to coach you confidence building", of course I'd felt it had made mine worse!  I appreciated it wasn't the DEA's fault but I did say I was dissatisfied when I next saw him, he could understand why I would find such exercises difficult.

The consensus on many threads is that DEAs in DWP and associated providers such as Shaw Trust have a lack of understanding of Asperger's e.g.

longman said:

Or do they still know very little especially about autism?

from this thread 7 years ago.  In the last post on that thread:

Deleted user said:

Work Choice was meant to help me obtain work trials rather than interviews but did not do so

sounding similar to what I hoped for from WorkStep.  I am guessing that might be the same deleted user as on this post suggesting that WorkChoice was through Shaw Trust.

That period of my unemployment finally ended when I was able to start my last long term job in 2011 as an agency temp when it was just a case of '(Employer XXX) need help with some data entry can you turn up and start next week', for a while it was rolling weekly temping but eventually I got a fixed-term contract and was later made permanent.  Was really good until upper management decided to 'Outsource' several departments and I was made redundant November 2019.

I was then referred to Shaw Trust in early 2020 for the current 'Work and Health Programme' again with the hope that I, like the poster in the linked thread, could have got onto work trials, but then Covid lockdown hit and all I got was phone calls, and phones are the means of communication I find most difficult.  Shaw Trust just kept suggesting "do online courses", "have some video-call coaching" which all feel futile as these do not get me in front of an employer and able to show what I can do.  The video-call coaching was with Genius Within, I found this difficult.  With my very hesitant speech, being put through Zoom calls and asked a lot of questions was difficult and I clammed up many times. I was often unable to fully think through answering one question before another would be asked.

It feels like being in such a deep abyss between being nowhere near impaired enough to be deemed an ESA/PIP case, yet too impaired to be employers' first choice and I think DEAs have little experience with those not impaired enough to be on ESA/PIP.

The dwp will always be trying to minimise any payments. Try and find an agency who will help you prepard

That's a good call I did have one to help me through the PIP process. Good luck with yours

Not been through that one, although I have just made a PIP claim. I'm hoping that might help me get some of the help I need, since the NHS is offering nothing.

Sounds like you need an advocate of some sorts. Along with my recent referral for an ASD assessment my GP referred to MIND adult autism services. Could an organisation of that kind help, I wonder?