Should I attempt to apply for ESA again?

daveandjadea

I'm autistic (abbr. ASD), and have been unemployed for almost 4 years.
I'm currently claiming JSA but there are multiple problems with this;

- I'm forced to apply for unsuitable jobs. I can't use a phone, yet they forced me to apply for call centre jobs the first 2 years, and do a call centre work-trial. Currently I have to apply for retail jobs - not ideal when ASD, I have no experience in retail, and few retail jobs offer 35+ hours needed...so I struggle to keep to my job seekers agreement.

- I've been informed that to remain on JSA I must be able to use a telephone in order to phone employers, although they don't act upon this they have made this clear that this means that they can kick me off JSA whenever they want. Last year they actually DID kick me off JSA for this reason, I thus had to apply for ESA last year*.

* I applied for ESA but as medical assessments have no criteria for ASD or allowances for difficulties day-to-day I scored zero. As I thought ESA was just for those totally unable to work, and no one would give me advice on what to do, I didn't appeal and so re-applied for JSA.

- I get no support. I have a disability advisor who I rarely see and who barely seems to understand ASD himself. I need some sort of support to help me back into work, but there's none available on JSA.

- I constantly have to point-out my disability, but they don't take it seriously. On several occasions they've told me I have to phone other departments to resolve issues, refusing to provide other options, and tell me I just have to 'get over it' or that it's not their problem - this once meant a YEAR with serious payment problems, they could have resolved this on their PC's in 5 minutes...yet instead they seemed to take pleasure in telling me I had no choice but to use a phone.

In the past job centre staff have also told me that I'm 'obviously mentally incapable' - I'm high-functioning, live independently, and have held jobs. I've regressed considerably due to long-term unemployment, but I'm still certainly not 'mentally incapable', this was said out of ignorance and prejudice. Generally speaking the staff are not only rude but seem to go out of their way to make things more difficult for me, they are completely unwilling to make adjustments.

For around three days before and after my sign-on day at the job centre I become VERY stressed, anxious, emotional and depressed, this causes my autism symptoms to become far worse and so make day-to-day life more difficult for me. It's causing me to regress further and seriously causing problems health-wise and in terms of my disability.

MANY have told me I should be on ESA.
I do feel like ESA would be a better option for me (no constant fear of dealing with job centre staff or fear of losing my benefits, and potentially more support back into work), but it means going through a medical assessment...that ignores ASD, is too rigid, tries to trick you, and that is arguably prejudice. Point is it'd also cause some anxiety.

Really neither JSA or ESA are suitable.
I've been informed (by a national government-funded disability organisation) that given the problems with benefits and that as a result both JSA and ESA are unsuitable, that I should work on a 'cycle' - apply for ESA, appeal after the medical assessment, and when the appeal is rejected go back onto JSA until I can re-apply for ESA again. This doesn't resolve the problem, and it makes me feel uncomfortable to do this, however this seems to be the only workaround.

eskimo26

Someone can correct me if i'm wrong but this should be discussed with the JSA adviser when the agreement is signed and the necessary amendments made to the agreement to include jobs that are unsuitable because of your disability.

Can you provide proof you are unable to use the phone because of your disability? Is a health care professional seeing you able to provide this for you?

tomjonesrules

eskimo26 wrote: »

Someone can correct me if i'm wrong but this should be discussed with the JSA adviser when the agreement is signed and the necessary amendments made to the agreement to include jobs that are unsuitable because of your disability.

Can you provide proof you are unable to use the phone because of your disability? Is a health care professional seeing you able to provide this for you?

I agree, if you have documented proof of being unable to use the phone this should be noted on your JS Agreement.

Are you not able to use it at all, or is it more that you have difficulty using it? Have you spoken to your GP or someone else involved in your care about getting some help with that?

Unless you can elaborate more on why retail work is unsuitable, I doubt you would have that removed from your JSAg.

I appreciate that you get little support from the JCP, but have you thought about ways in which you could help yourself more? Are there things you could do to improve your employability, such as voluntary work or Open University?

The ESA cycle that has been suggested to you will soon be stopped, the DWP have caught onto the fact that people are doing it.

What jobs have you done in the past?

daveandjadea

This SHOULD be discussed - but it is not, I have the option to sign my job seekers agreement as they type it, or I simply don't stay on JSA - also as stated using a telephone is according to them a necessity of being on job seekers agreement. Telephone use is completely out of the question, there is no way to 'help' this, I can elaborate on why retail work is unsuitable (not enough hours offered, no previous experience, and I'm autistic), but that doesn't change the fact that the job centre will not change this and do not take my disability into consideration.

No voluntary work as yet - never hear anything back when I apply. Open University is obviously out given as I'm unemployed so cannot pay.


Can anyone answer my question please?

GlasweJen

Why is autism a barrier to retail work? If you're in a stock room theres little interaction, no need to use a phone nd the day is fairly structured.

What did you do prior to claiming JSA?

If you google the ESA criteria you'll see the descriptors, do you score 15 in them? If so reapply, if not its a pointless waste of time.

SingleSue

Open university is not out of the question, grants are available for low income people to pay the course fees (although it would depend on the family income)

I rely on benefits but am also an OU student.

Richie-from-the-Boro

.Q. - are you in fact recognised as disabled, who said you were disabled, yes I know you have a disability advisor, is it a self diagnosis ?

- who diagnosed you [ abbr. ASD] and when ?

MattLFC

Can you actually not use a telephone or do you just prefer not to/don't like it?