Mental illness

thats like a TV sketch !

Let me elaborate on this insanity.

They were trying to get round the limitations of the computerized booking system.

I am on UC and I can only be booked into seeing a UC workcoach.

The person I was supposed to see on the moving forward scheme is NOT a UC workcoach.

So they booked me into seeing a UC workcoach and the moving forward scheme.

I arrived and was shown to the moving forward scheme, meanwhile, simultaneously a UC workcoach in a different part of the building was expecting an appointment with me.

Chaos and confusion.

thats doesnt surprise me at all.  they are all disconnected  and you are like a pawn. 

Dont let them get to you

once u have attended everything, they will have exhausted their options.

but keep your eyes open for genuine people who perhaps can get you work you would enjoy,,,,,, or be just good people to know and when something comes up they'll contact u.

You need to contact your local Autism Advocate and get them to assist you into making a formal complaint, because they should already of had autism related training as they are subcontracted by the government. I do have to admit that because i am now an autism advocate and have witnessed neurotypical training other neurotypicals about Autism extremely poorly they focus on the low functioning and children and they still educate using outdated and false information I have managed to get three people sacked who where educating doctors, support workers and government workers. their is a massive problem out their with this.

An update on this madness.

Last week's session with the Moving forward scheme at the job centre was cancelled at short notice and rearranged for this week.

So this week, my diary reads.

Monday, Maximus, Restart scheme at the deaf and blind centre.

Tuesday, Moving forward scheme at job centre.

Thursday, universal credit job search review at job centre.

Yesterday's moving forward scheme at the job centre was 'mad', I was there ten minutes, on job centre premises on the moving forward scheme.  when I received a phone call from the job centre asking where I was because I was missing my job centre appointment and my benefits would be affected.

It turned out that the individual running the moving forward scheme was not a universal credit work coach, and a universal credit client can only see universal credit work coaches, so my moving forward appointment was booked to see a different person, rather than the person I was actually seeing.   Confused?   It's how their computer system works.

That's what they are trying to do, get me into work.

Unfortunately when I find work I get fired very quickly because of my autism/body language/behaviour/other unspecified reasons.

As unfortunate as the phrasing is, I expect that this is nothing more than a faux pas. Remember that there are going to be certain generational and educational differences with people and that not everyone is up to date with the PC terms.

I expect that the woman you spoke with was probably taught in early life that it is an illness, or at least phrased as such, and probably doesn't understand the difference between illness and disorder. 

This might be a really good opportunity for you, to explain your autism to them and educate them for the future so that this doesn't happen again

Well I wish you all the best Robert 123 with all this,  they love to keep everyone doing hoops. They used to call it playing the game when I was still in the UK. But most places you end up playing the game in one way or another, alas. 

I couldn't stand being in a position where others had those forms of power over me,  and wish I had seen from the outset that unemployment was no place for me. But in the early 80's there was a lot of underground literature suggesting that paid employment itself was on the way out. Until Lord Young brought in the Restart scheme in the mid 80's.

I do wish anyone caught up in this kind of circus the best of luck. 

I would rather get a job, instead another thing like that, if I did not have a job

 I mean I would expect that from them

blimey what does DY do ?

I was also 'invited' by the Jobcentre to join an online DY ( Developing you) course.

maybe they think,

you need,

a Kickstart to Restart and get Moving Forward

Just an update.

This morning I was on my way to the latest scheme, run by the job centre and I got a phone call.  It's been postponed because they've had a positive COVID test and the offices are closed for a deep clean.

Currently I am on three similar schemes.

• Kickstart, run by Scope.
• Restart, run by Maximus.
• Moving forward, run by Jobcentre staff.

In update on my problems.

The job centre referred me to this company called Maximus.

I attended my appointment at Maximus and they put me down for three video conferencing job seeking courses over the next two weeks.

I've taken part in two of these video meetings, third one is later today.  So far so good.

Yesterday, I had a telephone meeting with my job centre work coach, he asked me to attend more courses, in person, elsewhere to help me with my job seeking.  This course clashes with today's Maximus video meeting.  I explained the clash to him and he reluctantly put me down for a later date.

Later, the job centre sent me details of yet a third scheme offering practical help and advice about job seeking etc.

All these multiple schemes are starting to drive me nuts.  They all overlap in what help and advice they are offering.  And they clash with each other.

The worst part is that if I don't attend one of them, then I breach my universal credit commitments and my benefits may be stopped leaving me penniless.

As for getting an actual paid job.  I've been told at interviews and by past employers that I'm unemployable due my unusual behaviour and body language.

Thank you for advice, I should probably add it to 'to do list' for next week's days off.

Though my stuborness wants to prove them wrong, that I can be independent, and being shy, does not help, when you need to ask for help. So i need to make a plan, how to approach it, I've been in Job Centre once 13 years ago, at the very begining, but I remember where it is :P

You're handling things very well, Mariusz, so well done for that.

But, have you ever considered contacting the DEA in your job centre and telling them how the constant work changes and uncertainty in hours are affecting your health? Autists react pretty badly to these kind of changes and that level of uncertainty. Another option would be to ask your work coach for a WCA (work-based capability assessment) so that they can formalise your individual support needs.

You might also consider applying for PIP (Personal Independence Payments) as a source of financial support to overcome your daily living challenges. 

Mariusz said:

I live alone renting studio flat because nobody wants me for a flatmate

I will treat this as an online blog of my adventures with Maximus.

My first appointment is at 10am 27 Sept.

ask Maximus "who is liable" for your well being every so often and they might drop u like a hot stone