No longer entitled to income support as partner working 24 or more hours per week?

Loopy_Girl

wantsajob wrote: »

Employers are too stupid to be able to see beyond the disability that becomes obvious in the interview, and see it as shyness/social ineptness and something I need to magically overcome in order to appease them, rather than a disability.

Bit of an attitude problem there have we not? Maybe it's that coming across in interviews rather than your disability.

Maybe employers are ill informed as opposed to be 'stupid' - do you take a copy of a brief outline of your condition when you got for interview and invite the person to read before interviewing you?

Everyone gets shy/nervous/dry mouthed at interviews but unless the interviewer knows that you have a medical condition, which you have given info on, then how can you expect to come across well?

Sorry, but you are hiding behind your condition too much. You were/are on sickness benefits when there is nothing wrong with you.

However, in spite of your condition which means you can't get a job but have managed to start and sustain a relationship (always baffles me that), since moving in with her then these will stop and frankly it's the best thing. Maybe not having the securoty of benefits will make you re-think your job searching and interview techniques.

Frankly we all have to say and do things that we probably don't mean to get a job - !!!!!! happens, deal with it.

AnxiousMum

Wantsajob - try volunteer work - even a few hours a week, or maybe a couple of sessions of a few hours per week with different organisations. It will get you a reference from each volunteer organisation, it will show prospective employers that you WANT to contribute to society - to work on your social skills etc., and can only do you good. If it doesn't work out - you don't need to mention it I know that volunteer work has opened up many doors and opportunities for my two eldest boys - and has given the heads up over the rest in several situations!

JIL

Dear wants a job,
Did you know that in all Jobcentres there are advisers who are there specifically to help disabled people like yourself find work? if not straight away but can also advise on training and which employers will be best suited to your needs? They are also very good at giving benefit advice. Maybe these are the best people to speak to? The were known as Disability Employment Advisors (DEA) Try phoning your local jobcentre what have you got to lose?

dktreesea

dmg24 wrote: »

But why should a disabled person be employed over a more suitable applicant? I am disabled, but would never expect to get a position over someone better than me.
QUOTE]

But what does "better than" mean? Most jobs, when you get right down to it, are grunt jobs. Probably 95% of the applicants who apply for a job can do the job, and are recognised as such by the potential employer. The weeding out process may not have much to do with ability to do the job at all. Just because it is dressed up as something else, in nonsensical phrases like "not suitable" or "not the specific skills we're looking for" (my favourite is "too much experience") doesn't mean that discrimination doesn't happen.

OP, my suggestion, if you have no luck on the jobs market, is to try self employment instead. There's heaps of self employment opportunities out there: market trading, driving a private hire cab, buying and selling stuff on the internet on sites like Ebay, leaflet deliveries, being a mystery shopper. There's a guy down the road who walks dogs for a living. He is in the same position as you, i.e. can't get benefits because his partner works. He just set out to earn himself the equivalent of the JSA. It doesn't take much capital to start.

dmg24

dktreesea wrote: »

But what does "better than" mean? Most jobs, when you get right down to it, are grunt jobs. Probably 95% of the applicants who apply for a job can do the job, and are recognised as such by the potential employer. The weeding out process may not have much to do with ability to do the job at all. Just because it is dressed up as something else, in nonsensical phrases like "not suitable" or "not the specific skills we're looking for" (my favourite is "too much experience") doesn't mean that discrimination doesn't happen.

I do wish people would learn to use the Quote feature correctly.

By better than I mean meets the person specification more closely. If someone has five years more experience than me I expect them to be given the role, despite the fact that I may be missing those five years due to absence through disability.

I have no idea what a grunt job is.

OP, you are now coming across as if the world owes you a living. Many of us have disabilities, and whilst life is far from easy, we make the best of it that we can.

Indie_Kid

dmg24 wrote: »

By better than I mean meets the person specification more closely. If someone has five years more experience than me I expect them to be given the role, despite the fact that I may be missing those five years due to absence through disability.

Which is what I'ev been told several times by various companies.

KimYeovil

"I've got nothing against your right leg"...

Prinzessilein

I am Autistic. For me this includes a form of Asperger's and also severe Dyspraxia.

I have worked in the past. Although my qualifications are in Teaching/Education and Training, and in this area I ran my own succesful department, I have worked in a variety of different jobs - including cleaning; burger flipping; waitressing; book-keeping.

As my condition became more severe I needed to constantly reassess my work and what I could do. I was open about my condition, and still managed to get interviews - where the potential employer had a chance to see what I could do and could discover what adjustments needed to be made to the workplace/job role. (For example I am an elective mute - so don't use the phone.)

These days I cannot work. (And would give up every penny of my benefits if I could regain my health and rejoin the job market at any level).

OP - it doesn't sound as if you are incapable of any work - just that you haven't been able to find anything suitable yet. I would suggest you look at volunteering. This will help you gain skills and experience as well as boosting your self-confidence. Be open and honest about your Asperger's and be positive about what you can offer any workplace. (I can't use the phone, and talking face-to-face with customers was difficult....but I am a whizz with figures, and offered my skills to a charity - who jumped at my offer of help and taught me simple book-keeping - a really useful skill to add to my CV!)

debrag

dmg24 wrote: »

Again, where does she say that aspies cannot hold a conversation? Do you have any idea of what telesales involves?

....

I am capable of working. However, the problem is I have Asperger Syndrome. Whenever I go for interviews I have extreme difficulty communicating effectively hence the inability to get a job, there is always someone else who does better than me in a competitive job market where there are few jobs out there and employers can pick and choose. The incapacity assessment by a doctor decided that I need not get sick notes from my GP, I'm not sure why as I expected them to say I am able to work. If no-one will employ me because of my disability, am I therefore not "unable to work due to disability"?! The other difficulty I have is employers don't seem to be able to appreciate a condition like AS is a disability, and just see a socially awkward person and think all the negative connotations that come with that.

More about her not about AS in general.

debrag

kingfisherblue wrote: »

Some posters have suggested that the OP applies for DLA, but this is only paid if somebody has care and/or mobility needs. The OP has not mentioned either of these.

I know someone who gets DLA and doesn't need care or have mobility problems, has a whole in her heart though.