ISA & Income support

mark6

I was a tyre fitter for a company and after speaking with an ENT specialist and been prescribed with hearing aid's again( I wore some when I was 6 and had event's happen that put me off them), was told I would have to wear ear-plugs and ear muffs at all times and to only work 5 day's a week, and to give my ear's a rest a weekend's, or the time could come in the next 5-10 years where I could have dead ear's, where no aid's would be of any help at all. This didn't work out as everyone around me relied on me for advice as I was like a foreman, and I was always having to take protection off to communicate when people were still working around me. Left job to be a mobile fitter for another company as it was easier to protect ear's then, did well and was offered managers job for sister company but struggled on the telephone, figures struggled and was put under pressure and couldn't carry on. After being demoted back into the depot was back to square one. Tried to get mobile job back and offered job, but told I couldn't have a van with a PTO(no noisy compressor,everything run's of engine). This was no good.

I've been looking at re-training. Also looks like if I do it has to be full-time as my audiologist says I would have to have a note taker and listening device's ,this would only be paid for on a full time course,not part-time. Not sure how much note taker would cost me if I did part time but I don't think it would be cost effective.Every single job seems to say 'Must have good communication skill's', I'm fine face to face, but put me on a phone and I struggle sometimes. Head of Audiology asked if i'd considered Audiology as since out of work have been reading up and took alot in but to qualify for course need qualifications I don't have, so would be 2 years studying just to get on the 4yr audiology course. Bit to long I think.

Sorry if I offended any genuine Disabled people, it's just been in the trade you get to know your customer's well. One funny thing was when one of our regular motability customers who went through alot of tyre's in his Zafira ,was spotted on police,camera,action. He was a drug dealer. We alway's wondered why he hadn't been in for a while. LOL

mark6

bestpud wrote: »

If your parents allowed you to live free so you could save this money for your future, then maybe a college course would make you, and them, feel it is still being used for something productive?

If you really can't go back into the same job then you will have to make another career for yourself; it's just daft to write yourself off because you have a hearing problem!

How about going to see a careers advisor for a chat about things you may like to do?

As you have money to support yourself, you could do voluntary work alongside a course, so you'd have a qualification and experience at the end too.

I guess I'm saying it may be better if you can shelve the resentment and focus on making a new life for yourself? It may not be the one you'd planned but that's life!

Have a look at this site to give you a starting point:

http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/

All of the above is currently been considered, I've mentioned it at the job centre about advice and they never really give me advice, it's alway's the same reply, 'I'm not sure, ask when you come back in 2 weeks time to sign'. I'll also admit i'm very low on confidence at the mo. I need to start taking control of the situation. I sometimes seem to blame other's for how I am and the circumstance's I have. I apologise to those.

TOBRUK

mark6, first of all even if part of the money that is in your name is your mum and dad's and they want it back - even though you state very firmly it was supposed to be for a mortgage on a house for you, WILL BE SEEN AS YOUR MONEY and there is nothing I can see that will convince DWP otherwise. Come to think of it if you had put it down as a deposit would your parents still want £9000 of it - if so how would you pay them?

The DWP will ask for your bank statements and any accounts you have - savings or current and all they will see is your name on ISA's and bank statements.

You are saying about all the jobs you have had and all were noisy environments although you have just mentioned that you had hearing problems from age of 6! You had many years of school to consider this in choosing employment. That aside, there are many people who are profoundly deaf working, why don't you ask to see a disablement officer at your job centre (you need to ask for an appointment with one) to see what options are available. You have to think along the lines of retraining for other work.

I would be very careful about going down the route of renting a place and buying furniture to get rid of your capital at this point - you may find that after spending they will not give you benefit because of what you've done.

You may feel it unfair that now you are out of work and can't keep what you have saved AND be given benefit. You want to keep your savings (your little nest egg) for what it was intended for and nothing else. Well I'm very sorry to tell you at the tender age of 37 but That's Life! It hardly ever goes to plan. On the plus side of things be grateful you are healthy and are fit to work and there are jobs out there for people with your problem such as supermarket jobs, driving, cleaning jobs etc. Also there are deaf symbols seen in most places of employment to help with those who have hearing difficulties.

Oldernotwiser

mark6 wrote: »

Head of Audiology asked if i'd considered Audiology as since out of work have been reading up and took alot in but to qualify for course need qualifications I don't have, so would be 2 years studying just to get on the 4yr audiology course. Bit to long I think.

You have more than 30 years of working life ahead of you; if you had to retrain for several years that would only be a fraction of the time available to you.

TOBRUK

mark, so that you don't think that I am just having a go at you I have been looking at the RNID site - are you a member? Well here is the link to the organisation and they also help those who have hearing difficulties get into employment.

http://www.rnid.org.uk/information_resources/employment/

Here is just a paragraph explaining what they do:

However, if you are deaf or hard of hearing you may need help getting a job, improving your career, or making sure that adjustments have been made in your workplace so you can do your job.
Our Employment Training and Skills Service provides a wide range of services for individuals and employers. We can give advice and information to help you get a job, and explain your rights in the workplace. We also provide deaf awareness training, sign language courses and audit businesses to improve their accessibility to deaf and hard of hearing staff and customers.

Fire_Fox

mark6 wrote: »

I've been looking at re-training. Also looks like if I do it has to be full-time as my audiologist says I would have to have a note taker and listening device's ,this would only be paid for on a full time course,not part-time. Not sure how much note taker would cost me if I did part time but I don't think it would be cost effective.Every single job seems to say 'Must have good communication skill's', I'm fine face to face, but put me on a phone and I struggle sometimes. Head of Audiology asked if i'd considered Audiology as since out of work have been reading up and took alot in but to qualify for course need qualifications I don't have, so would be 2 years studying just to get on the 4yr audiology course. Bit to long I think.

You are putting obstacles in your way, you have no experience outside one industry so you have no idea what other workplaces or centres of education are like!! Communication skills are about far more than answering a telephone. Why not take a course in sign language? Absolutely brilliant skill to put on your CV and I very much doubt you will need perfect hearing to attend the course. In many local colleges this sort of opportunity is free to the unemployed.

I have had numerous customer facing jobs - shops, pubs, gyms, universities - and most have not required me to answer the telephone. In my last two gyms I worked alongside the same young man who is deaf in one ear and partially sighted. Despite the music and hubbub he is a very capable personal trainer: so capable I poached him when I moved gyms!!

I've also attended a fair few workshops and courses over the years, and I can assure you many are taught in small groups with plenty of handouts. It is the college's responsibility to ensure no student is disadvantaged by their circumstances; my experience is many tutors will bend over backwards to support any student who demonstrates commitment to his studies. You probably wouldn't suit formal lectures in giant tiered theatres but these are not the norm in every subject nor in every university - this is the ONLY situation where i think you would need a note taker.

seven-day-weekend

dmg24 wrote: »

Agreed, agreed and agreed!

.....and agreed!

mark6

TOBRUK wrote: »

mark, so that you don't think that I am just having a go at you I have been looking at the RNID site - are you a member? Well here is the link to the organisation and they also help those who have hearing difficulties get into employment.

http://www.rnid.org.uk/information_resources/employment/

Here is just a paragraph explaining what they do:

I became aware of this just after I lost my job and I am a member now. I didn't get any help while I was at work even tho I did mention it to my area manager but he didn't want them to help. I suppose I should have put my foot down but I was more concerned about doing as he said. I did go out to buy some different phones and they did help me alot but still struggled. When I was a manager they put a bit of pressure on me and I was off for a week with anxiety and then did see a disability advisor about what was happening and she did say I had a case against them, but she actually said because it was a large firm it would be a battle and advised me against it as I would struggle to find other employment afterwards because of what I would have done to my previous employer.

Also all the disability employment advisor has done is give me some work trial leaflets to put with my C.V. this allows the employer to trial me for a month to see if I can do the job, I'n my eye's Ithink this put's employers off as it show's I have a disability.

TOBRUK

mark6 wrote: »

Also all the disability employment advisor has done is give me some work trial leaflets to put with my C.V. this allows the employer to trial me for a month to see if I can do the job, I'n my eye's Ithink this put's employers off as it show's I have a disability.

So what! I feel you tend to make excuses and don't want to try. The DEA can put you on a 'NEW DEAL' where because you have a disability you can go to work for an employer (for more than a month!) and during that time they will provide anything needed to overcome your disability - any equipment etc. After a time you may gain employment and I have to say that employers/companies now (they have for many years) are obliged to take on a percentage of the workforce who have disabilities.

On the RNID site I also read that they will help people get back into employment, they also have courses, they teach sign language as some people find it helpful. So what that you have a disability, so have I, Jan 1992 I had an accident I lost the use of my arm and could no longer do my job. I had to look at other employment and I went to college for 2 years to do a business admin course (a two year course done in 1 year) and a computer course. This enabled me to get employment in a totally new area for me. It can be done if you really want to but, I have a feeling that whatever someone here suggests to you, you will have some excuse or a negative view of it.

You have been quite happy to live with your parents, not paying for board and lodge (the money you say was for rent) as it was being saved for you in a savings account (in you name!) to buy a house with. I would really like to know how you would manage your finances, rent/mortgage, pay the bills etc if you moved out from your parents'.

sunnyone

mark6 wrote: »

I was a tyre fitter for a company and after speaking with an ENT specialist and been prescribed with hearing aid's again( I wore some when I was 6 and had event's happen that put me off them), was told I would have to wear ear-plugs and ear muffs at all times and to only work 5 day's a week, and to give my ear's a rest a weekend's, or the time could come in the next 5-10 years where I could have dead ear's, where no aid's would be of any help at all. This didn't work out as everyone around me relied on me for advice as I was like a foreman, and I was always having to take protection off to communicate when people were still working around me. Left job to be a mobile fitter for another company as it was easier to protect ear's then, did well and was offered managers job for sister company but struggled on the telephone, figures struggled and was put under pressure and couldn't carry on. After being demoted back into the depot was back to square one. Tried to get mobile job back and offered job, but told I couldn't have a van with a PTO(no noisy compressor,everything run's of engine). This was no good.

I've been looking at re-training. Also looks like if I do it has to be full-time as my audiologist says I would have to have a note taker and listening device's ,this would only be paid for on a full time course,not part-time. Not sure how much note taker would cost me if I did part time but I don't think it would be cost effective.Every single job seems to say 'Must have good communication skill's', I'm fine face to face, but put me on a phone and I struggle sometimes. Head of Audiology asked if i'd considered Audiology as since out of work have been reading up and took alot in but to qualify for course need qualifications I don't have, so would be 2 years studying just to get on the 4yr audiology course. Bit to long I think.

Sorry if I offended any genuine Disabled people, it's just been in the trade you get to know your customer's well. One funny thing was when one of our regular motability customers who went through alot of tyre's in his Zafira ,was spotted on police,camera,action. He was a drug dealer. We alway's wondered why he hadn't been in for a while. LOL

Kwick Fit know that you make things up and post them on the internet?