Does anyone else think Pathways is a waste of time and money?

spora

...for some people at least?

I am due to go to my 4th appointment tomorrow. I have narcolepsy and have been told by my doctor and my neurologist that i should not work until my medication is sorted out. As this wasn't enough for the benefit people i then had to go to an independant medical examination which also concluded that i shouldnt be working.

Yet i am made to go to these pointless meetings. The guy i meet agrees with me that its a waste of time because i cant do anything until my meds are sorted. Not only does it waste time and money but the effort of getting there makes me absolutely exhusted for the rest of the day. He said another person he sees is 4 months pregnant, so by the time she has completed all of her meetings she will be 8 months pregnant and clearly she wont be able to work.

I know this is a new scheme but why are they sending people who they know cannot work to these meetings! I have no problem going when my neurologist says that im ok to start looking for work, but right now its out of the question.

I cant help but feel this time and money could be spent on something better- perhaps put more funding towards helping people who are actually looking for jobs maybe

sharon59

totally agree!I had to go and woman agreed with me but had to go thru motions-what a waste and really annoys me that they target genuinly sick people and the shirkers continue to get away with it!Better get off soapbox!

tenacioust123

The personal adviser can waive or defer attendance for an interview if they consider that it would ‘not be of assistance’ to you or ‘appropriate in the circumstances’. Once attendance has been waived you are treated as if you had taken part in the interview. If attendance has been deferred you will have to attend an interview at a later date.

jamespir

yes my gf keeps making appointments they cancel on her and say oh sorry its cause you only want to do 4 hrs a week (when shes never actually discussed how many hrs work she like to do

spora

oh i just go there have a little chat with the bloke about random things for about ten mins and then go. He said i have to turn up just so he doesnt get in trouble by saying i turned up when i didnt. Doesnt mean we have to talk about anything to do with jobs

Ames

I agree it's a waste of time. I've had two, the first one she asked about my qualifications then said they couldn't help because they only offer basic literacy and numeracy courses. The second time I just said I'd switched from uni to the OU and still wanted to teach/lecture and he said fine. It was done by phone and it was less than two minutes long.

paisley_lass

:mad:arggghhhh i just typed out a reply and lost it all so here is a shortened version.

i thought it was a good idea this time last year as i started condition management through pathways...being depressed and having anxiety and panic attacks over the years has made me agoraphobic so i thought it was great i was getting help...however for various reasons it turned out not to be...i felt they got my hopes up then dropped me on my a**e....did they think that after years of being agoraphobic going for a few walks and on a bus about 4 or 5 times was going to cure me and i could get a job and live a normal life.

now my view is rather different... i think they really need to look at what they are doing and offering people....many people may have illnesses where there is no more that can be done for them to get better...for others with the proper help they may get better and be able to get back to work but not with the quick fix schemes they are offering !

Horace

My chum is going through the same nonsense - she had ill-health retirement from work and cannot work due to her disability (she has a problem with her blood in that it is way too thick and she has huge clots on her lungs because of it). She has been told that she must attend Pathways to Work because "the government have said that she has to work" according to the eejit at our local jobcentre. She even has medical evidence and a statement from her consultant that her illness will not change (she could drop down dead at any time) and that she will never work again. Surely if she could work then she would have stayed in her job and not taken the ill-health retirement from her employer

chloecat_2

Hi Horace, i had to go to one and because of my personl circumstances i took a letter from my doc explaining why i wasn't working and that it wouldn't be changing any time soon.
My advisor was lovely and put on the computer that Pathways was of zero benefit to me and that was it.
However, it seems i was lucky with my advisor and many others get people with no understanding or interest of an individuals circumstances.
Best advice i can offer to your friend is to get a clear letter from her doc pointing out her problems, meds and prognosis and touch wood she will get a good advisor like i did.

Chloecat x

gardenia101

I had my 1st Work Focused Interview last week, so I'm going to reserve judgement on the whole Pathways to Work programme until I've had all 6 meetings. However, I'm not filled with hope...

The lady I saw was very pleasant (& I had coffee made for me) but she knew nothing about me or my disability. She usually deals with normal people (her words, not mine) which suprised me as I was given the impression that I'd be seen by someone who could offer support/advice more personal to me rather than just for generic job advice.

After telling her I was partially sighted & unable to read & do many things you need good close up (central) vision for, she showed me some job details that she'd printed off for me & was suprised when I couldn't read them :mad: The first was for a midday supervisor at a school (not good for me as I struggle to recognise people I don't know very well, which would be much harder when they're all dressed in the same uniform!) & the second for a kitchen assistant. This I declined as I can't read the best before dates, I'm a bit rubbish with knives & hot things (& showed her a few old burns just in case she thought I was making it up).

After a few heavy sighs, she told me that I'd never find a job if I kept putting these obstacles in my own way. I countered these with explaining the DLA care rate/preparation of a main meal "thingy" & asked her if she'd like a partially sighted person supervising her children - funnily enough she wouldn't.

She's asked me to do some "serious thinking" about my future & "expects me to have some answers" at my next meeting - all said in a pleasant manner, no threats, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I thought by its nature of being linked to those of us with a limited capability for work, there would be more tailored advice - have I got the wrong idea about it?

She finished it off by asking me where I'd parked my car....:D

ETA - I did manage to get the letter in large print - however it was only half the letter, so I had no idea of what I'd be expected to do at this meeting. Apparantly the system can't cope with a 2nd page (as normal print would be a single page letter) & this just disappears into the ether (along with all those large print bank statements & letters that companies etc. are obliged to send in large print, & which never appear)

MrsManda

I don't think it's a waste of time and if your advisor thinks it's a waste of time I'm surprised he hasn't suggested waiving the interviews.

I had my first interview over the phone because I didn't feel safe enough to travel and when I was called to see if I could make another appointment I asked about doing it over the phone again as I have been awarded mobility DLA and no one could take me.
The advisor asked whether I'd like my interviews waived or whether I thought they'd still be useful. I agreed to have them waived and received a letter a few days later to state that my interviews had been waived for 6mths but if I would like to speak to someone as a one off or reinstate the interviews I could call them at any time.
I found the staff polite and useful and as soon as I can I am hoping to speak to them to reinstate the interviews