ESA work programme has no opt out

eskimo26

I'm sure many people with chronic conditions will be in this situation.

My adviser 'doesn't know what to do with me' so he is going to consult with the job centre and his manager.

Personally i feel i may be able to find part time work but my predicament is that if i voluntarily opt in to job seeking while on the work programme i cannot then opt out at a later date.

So what's the problem? Basically my condition is insanely swingy. This week i am feeling ok [i use that in the loosest sense as i'm still very ill] but before that i had several months of being absolutely terrible, bed bound or house bound, fatigue and pain levels through the roof etc.

The most likely scenario is i opt in during a period of lesser symptoms then get sick again but can't opt out. My failing health leads me to be unable to maintain the requirements for job hunting which leads to sanctions and loss of benefit which will all end in a massive relapse in my condition.

Can't help feeling this policy makes it inadvertently harder for the many people in my position to go ahead and use the help of their advisers to job seek.

I'm now in a position where i will look myself and i will refuse to sign the providers papers if i find a job because i cannot abide by the idea they will receive a massive payout of public money for essentially doing nothing.

Anyone in the same bind? What are peoples thoughts?

PippaGirl_2

I am a bit confused by what you mean by opt in and opt out, opt in to what and out of what?

Do you mean by that ending your ESA claim and instead claiming JSA? If so it is more than possible to find yourself too ill to seek work at a later stage and you can then end your JSA claim and again apply for ESA.

I do understand how the nature of flucuating conditions though affects your ability to seek and maintain work and the worry associated with that difficulty increases the chances of poorer mental health. I think most people decide to remain in the ESA group but to look themselves for work that they feel able to manage, they don't have the assistance of a JSA advisor but if you are in the wrag you have an advisor there sometimes or if not, most people seek work through their own means.

eskimo26

PippaGirl wrote: »

I am a bit confused by what you mean by opt in and opt out, opt in to what and out of what?

Do you mean by that ending your ESA claim and instead claiming JSA? If so it is more than possible to find yourself too ill to seek work at a later stage and you can then end your JSA claim and again apply for ESA.

I do understand how the nature of flucuating conditions though affects your ability to seek and maintain work and the worry associated with that difficulty increases the chances of poorer mental health. I think most people decide to remain in the ESA group but to look themselves for work that they feel able to manage, they don't have the assistance of a JSA advisor but if you are in the wrag you have an advisor there sometimes or if not, most people seek work through their own means.

I'm talking about volunteering to do job seeking on ESA when your only required to do work focussed activity.

Once you volunteer you can't then pull out and you have to do everything they require to seek work. My worry is i wouldn't be able to maintain their expectations resulting in a huge relapse.

My point is i would like to have the help of my advisor but i can't, and if i find work off my own back they still get a massive payout of public money simply because i've gone from the work programme into work even if they did nothing towards that.

Just wondering if people agreed it is badly implemented i find it frustrating as does my advisor ironically.

Cpt.Scarlet

You are not required to seek work whilst entitled to ESA, even if forwarded to the Work Programme.

nannytone_2

once you are on the work programme, you are 'on it' for 2 years, and cant take time away from it if needed.

my advisor has suggested it to me, but because i would be 'tied in' i have avoided it ... for now

eskimo26

Cpt.Scarlet wrote: »

You are not required to seek work whilst entitled to ESA, even if forwarded to the Work Programme.

Indeed that is true but you can volunteer. My point is there is then no way to 'unvolunteer' and you will be required to seek work for the duration.

My point being it discourages people on ESA who may feel they are ready to take this step and job seek officially with the help of their WP provider. In my situation specifically it is variable health that would make me wary of volunteering for something i can't get out of.

Maybe i'm not explaining it clearly.

nannytone wrote: »

once you are on the work programme, you are 'on it' for 2 years, and cant take time away from it if needed.

my advisor has suggested it to me, but because i would be 'tied in' i have avoided it ... for now

I believe it's compulsory in the last 3 months of your claim. The irony is my job centre advisor knew exactly what she was doing with a decent very but gradual amount of work focussed activity.

Current advisor on the work programme is completely bamboozled, he put me on a single course and now his out of ideas. I get the feeling it may be a unique case as he sees things in black and white [he told me once he has autism]. Having said that i've met and spoken to his colleagues and they are just as bad, they haven't been trained to deal with ESA, it took them 3 interviews before we finally established that they can't make me seek work.

This then led to a few more interviews in which they asked me what they are suppose to be doing! I told them the JC had told me work focused activity and beyond that i dont know as i'm not the professional in the field. I even gave them examples of all the possibilities of what activities could be involved!

nannytone_2

how can they say when the last 3 months of your claim are?

i was told that its at the diecretion of your advisor as to whether they put you forward to the work programme or not

my advisor doesnt know what to do with me either ... i think its a lot more common than you realise

Cpt.Scarlet

Eskimo

If you choose to seek work while receiving ESA, whether on the Work Programme or not, that is your decision, but you are not required to seek work, even if you have volunteered for the WP.

Ellejmorgan

The work programme isn't well thought out, I was going to be referred for it 3 weeks after having my baby by C-Section, they were going to send me for an interview a week before delivery

sniggings

TBH if you get that unwell I don't know how you could hold down any job, if you are worried you can not stick to the ESA rules then keeping a job would surely be harder.