Hello everyone, I was diagnosed lately (I’m 39 years old) with level 1 autism and suspicion of ADHD as well ( going through diagnosis these days) . I had quite intense years, I moved from my home country to be with my husband (now ex) and turned into a mom when I was 35. Motherhood was a big shock for me physically and mentally and I felt that mingling between motherhood and work is impossible so I quit my job and the ex was the main provider. I wanted to dedicate my time to be a good mom for our child and didn’t want to send him to nurseries at young age.. I’m really happy with this decision and we spent the best time together and we have a really good bond (he’s 4 years old, currently at pre-school)..my world though took an extreme spin when my ex decided to have an affair 2 years ago and abused me while I was trying to deal with the heartbreak, the financial stress and turning into a single mom. We had to keep living together for another year while separated because of financial reasons and I had to report him for domestic abuse towards the end of his staying. He left our rented flat in June 2025 but he still lives nearby (7 minutes walk) so since he moved out I find myself struggling to to the usual things in my neighbourhood because I’m worried bumping into him.. I hate the idea of being perceived by him and judged And I don’t want to see him with his new gf.. because of it I’m struggling finding a local part time job and I’m receiving universal credit at the moment ..
my son started pre-school in September and it’s quite intense for him, I suspect he’s neurodivergent as well so he needs me to be there for him and support his mental difficulties. Receiving benefits is quite a stressful experience for me, it cause me a lot of anxiety on top of what I’m feeling In general.
i don’t have family around and I can’t go back to my home country because my ex won’t let his son move away. I’m trying to do the inner work to get better and I even received special exemption from universal credit from actively looking for work because I was a victim of domestic abuse.
soon though, I’ll have to go back to actively look for work and I’m pretty limited with my time and worried they will sanction me for not finding a job.. I didn’t tell them yet that I’m autistic but I will soon. I definitely can’t get Pip but I just want to know my rights as an autistic person and if there’s platforms that can help with finding appropriate job for my needs?
sorry for the long explanation, that’s very autistic of me haha. Thank you for the help
