I'm 25, jobless, and very depressed

That i the worst advice you can give. If they cant access a town they can't access their local vet independently or afford the vet bills for the dog

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I was in this position but worse. This is how i got out.

You can make a request for a needs assessment from your local authority however you will need some sort of evidence that you have mental health issues and autism. The evidence can be a doctors letter or a formal diagnosis.

When the need assessment is carried out they may offer you assistance to move out, Help getting on the housing register, Help setting up bills and help you with getting with crucial appliances mike washing machine and a cooker. Doing it this way makes you a priority and puts you at the top of the waiting list which is on average six year wait for those waiting. but you will be given prioty which from my experience can take a couple of months. 

During the needs assessment you need to explain the situation of being limited by lack of transportation and family relationship breakdown and how its affecting your physical and mental health. once you have be assisted to move out they'll then offer you assistance because a adult social worker will formulate health and care plan. that will give you access to early intervention and help which is a division of adult social services who recently have been creating employment teams to assist people with additional needs like autism, Adhd and mental health access employment. 

I highly would recommended that you avoid organisations like The Shaw trust as they do not help, they pressure you into unattainable short term employment. You will end up at square one financial worse of because the scheme/organization doesn't work. and if you sign up with them it prevents you from accessing other schemes like employment kickstart project.

Secondly i would go a contact organisations like citizens advice or equal lives to see if they can help you apply for additional benefits and to look if your on the right amount amount or right version of universal credit. If you struggle with working you may need to look into universal credit with the limited capability to work element which can double the amount you get from benefits and relieves you of pressures of looking for work 30 hours a week and go at your pace or forget about working for the time being and recover from mental health difficulties. You may also be entitled to PIP but it difficult without help. which shouldn't affect your other benefits but may require you to use it to pay for support worker or a cleaner.   

You will never be able to afford private rent as typical housing benefit will only pay up to £350 in rent a month and £100 in additional to the maintenance if you live in a block of flats. and that varies in different places across the UK.

If you have gotten to the stage of looking at flats with the council or housing association do not accept the a flat if you do not think you can't make it work. for example you notice damp, its on the top floor and you happen to have mobility problem and most importantly is too farm from a public transport to more than one location.Or the location has limited public transport that operates under a 10 hour window.  You'll ideally want bus route with access to a city and few towns if learning to drive is too expensive or not an option.  

I'm sorry you're having these issues. I cut my family off because they were toxic and breathing down my neck all the time. That was a decision that was right for me specifically, and I stand by it.

The rental market is tough at the moment - very few people I know actually own their own homes these days. The candidate criteria is starting to get strict as well - some of my colleagues had to prove their income was a minimum of three times the annual demand for rent.

Now, work wise. Not sure how you feel about these options, but you could look into roles that require a 24/7 "live-in" employee which negates the need to commute or rent:

1. Hotels or resorts such as Center Parcs, Butlins, Haven, etc. A friend of mine trained as a security guard and worked/lived at Butlins for years - loved it
2. On-call Support Worker in an assisted facility, hospice or care home 
3. Cruise liners (away from home for long periods of time, not great pay or conditions, but tax free earnings and opportunity to see the world)
4. Tour Operators - cabin crew work very hard but get to travel to some amazing destinations and for long-haul flights they can even stay in the destination country until the return flight (sometimes a week later, especially for Mexico via Virgin Holidays) or, an on-site Rep. Essentially a sales job, but paid bed and board in an amazing destination. The last rep I spoke to, had been staying at the hotel for at least 2-3 years and wasn't planning on going home anytime soon - he didn't have any foreign language skills.

That could potentially solve both the housing and job issue in one go, but as I say, those kinds of jobs aren't for everyone and this might not be right for you. Options 3 and 4 would get you out of the UK for most of the time.

Hello NAS77388,

I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling to find a job and are feeling depressed. Thank you for sharing this with the us.

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer direct support to people who are searching for work. However, here are some resources which may help: 

 Firstly, our ‘Finding Work’ handbook aims to support autistic job seekers to find work. This digital workbook is designed to help autistic adults prepare themselves for employment. Topics include understanding autism better, choosing a suitable role, applying for roles, preparing for and getting through interviews, finding work experience, working on communication and social skills, managing anxiety and preparing for the workplace. It can be downloaded for free here: https://www.autism.org.uk/shop/products/books-and-resources/finding-work-interactive-ebook 
 
We have also made available a free online learning module designed to help autistic job seekers entering the job market in understanding their strengths and what next steps they could take towards gaining meaningful employment or work: 
https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/professional-development/training-and-conferences/employment/finding-employment 

 Additionally, it could be worthwhile looking at the Evenbreak website for listed job vacancies (http://www.evenbreak.co.uk/). Even break matches disabled job seekers with employers looking to build a diverse workforce. 
 

The British Association of Supported Employment, who have a database of supported employment agencies, so you can search for one in your local area: www.base-uk.org 

Remploy, an organisation which supports people with disabilities and those experiencing complex barriers to work, into mainstream employment: www.remploy.co.uk 

I have also included a link to our job-page: 

https://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/work-for-us 

Finally, you can find more information about seeking a job, and about your rights in work here: 

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/employment 

If you feel that you might need some support with your mental health, you can find advice and information on how to go about seeking help, including links to other resources and details of helplines and listening support services, here: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/seeking-help. 

All the very best,

ChloeMod

I don't like where I live to be fair either it's a small cleeky village everybody's a nosey *** people are judgemental Christian conservative types might as well be in the states lining amoung a bunch of republican hillbillie or yanky fscist conservatives. I get judged for my autism as much as get judged for my tattoo and the clothes where. People act like there still in the 20th century where I live so can completely understand that 

Hello 77388. Mindset is key. Embrace the power of positive thinking. Embrace the projection of self - what would an alternative viewpoint suggest?

I was in that hamster wheel, before. However, it took the past eighteen years of growing up and realisation to see that it was a case of mindset.

From my estimation, conventional work isn't for us. They're trying to push forward an unwelcome agenda in the Workplace. Perhaps Podcasting would be a better outlet.

Anyway, the first step is to learn to drive. Whenever I was your age, I hadn't passed the driving test. Like yourself, I thought that the World was against me. But I taught myself how to drive; I passed the driving test, aged 28. Now, I'm handling the roads as well as possible.

Have you got a trusted relative who can supervise you; while you drive? You would save a fortune without driving instructors. Plus, it might build up your confidence better. Whenever I had instructors, to begin with, I was none the wiser.

Anyway, don't give up until the miracle happens.

Sounds like you have a lot going on. I hate people.. ever thought about getting a dog?