Benefits issue

Puppetmaster79

Hi I'm new here, basically my 61 year old father (62 in September) is having severe problems with the Job centre as he is on JSA. However I believe this is the incorrect benefit for him.

The reasons why is that he has a mild learning difficulty and has difficulty reading, writing and doing basic maths. He also has type 2 diabetes and on occasion it can affect his mobility as he gets sores on his feet.

I am just wondering if there is another benefit he can claim instead of JSA? As the job centre are absolutely hopeless and don't give him any help at all and leave him to find work. They even threatened to stop his benefit until I wrote a letter to them and then it was reinstated.

They also tried to put him on courses that are about as much help to him as a chocolate fireguard.

He is entitled to pension credits next March but he needs to survive until then.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

tomtontom

What work has he done up to now, and is there a reason why he cannot do the same type of work?

Puppetmaster79

He hasn't worked since 2002, but he has done factory work and cleaning jobs in the past though. He brought up my half sister on his own for some of the time though.

There just isn't any vacancies like that around his area - a lot of employers need people to work shifts with early starts and late finishes. And some are inaccessable as he can't drive.

I have thought about ESA for him but I would need to look into it further for him.

tomtontom

Puppetmaster79 wrote: »

He hasn't worked since 2002, but he has done factory work and cleaning jobs in the past though. He brought up my half sister on his own for some of the time though.

There just isn't any vacancies like that around his area - a lot of employers need people to work shifts with early starts and late finishes. And some are inaccessable as he can't drive.

I have thought about ESA for him but I would need to look into it further for him.

What has he lived on since 2002? His eligibility for ESA largely depends on the severity of his difficulties, and hence whether he meets the descriptors.

rogerblack

Puppetmaster79 wrote: »

Hi I'm new here, basically my 61 year old father (62 in September) is having severe problems with the Job centre as he is on JSA. However I believe this is the incorrect benefit for him.

The reasons why is that he has a mild learning difficulty and has difficulty reading, writing and doing basic maths. He also has type 2 diabetes and on occasion it can affect his mobility as he gets sores on his feet.

ESA is not granted because you can't manage JSA.
ESA is granted because you meet one or more of the descriptors for ESA, or if your health would be put at serious risk if you are found not to be entitled.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esa214-a-guide-to-employment-and-support-allowance-the-work-capability-assessment

See the descriptors for 'limited capacity for work' - later in this document to get an idea of what would be needed to be entitled.
'on occasion' getting sores, and a mild learning disability would not - at first glance - satisfy them.

If he is not being treated as disabled - it's worth contacting the disability employment officer at the jobcentre in question.
These people are meant to help with people with difficulties due to JSA for health reasons.

Cyberman60

He can clearly do some work so personally in the current climate I don't see how he would qualify for ESA. Exercise is beneficial to diabetes and light physical work would seem to be what he needs to find due to his other difficulties.

rogerblack

Cyberman60 wrote: »

He can clearly do some work so personally in the current climate I don't see how he would qualify for ESA. Exercise is beneficial to diabetes and light physical work would seem to be what he needs to find due to his other difficulties.

ESA is not granted because you can't do some work.

For example, someone with a sports injury who can't reach into a an upper shirt pocket with any hand, but is otherwise fit, is entitled to the support group.

Puppetmaster79

rogerblack wrote: »

ESA is not granted because you can't manage JSA.
ESA is granted because you meet one or more of the descriptors for ESA, or if your health would be put at serious risk if you are found not to be entitled.

See the descriptors for 'limited capacity for work' - later in this document to get an idea of what would be needed to be entitled.
'on occasion' getting sores, and a mild learning disability would not - at first glance - satisfy them.

If he is not being treated as disabled - it's worth contacting the disability employment officer at the jobcentre in question.
These people are meant to help with people with difficulties due to JSA for health reasons.

Well the job centre are not helping him as they stated "Its not their job to help as I had a meeting with them and my father."

Basically the advisors are absolutely useless. As stated before he can not read or write so has difficulty applying for jobs and I asked them to help him with that and they just said they couldn't.

tomtontom

Do you have a Remploy office nearby, or the Shaw Trust?

What has he been living on for the past 10+ years?

Puppetmaster79

Cyberman60 wrote: »

He can clearly do some work so personally in the current climate I don't see how he would qualify for ESA. Exercise is beneficial to diabetes and light physical work would seem to be what he needs to find due to his other difficulties.

Well he would if there was plenty of jobs around which are accessable to him...

Unfortunately there aren't many around and a lot of employers take on youngsters to train them as they know that they're more likely to advance their career. Even though employers aren't supposed to do that they find other reasons for taking younger people on. I even walked into supermarkets with him like the co-op and tesco asking if they had vacancies and they had nothing in his area.

I was temporarily unemployed and struggled to get back into full time work (eventually I did) and I have 15 years experience in my field!

Puppetmaster79

tomtontom wrote: »

Do you have a Remploy office nearby, or the Shaw Trust?

What has he been living on for the past 10+ years?

No nearest ones of both are miles away as he lives in Essex (Norwich, London and Milton Keynes).

But thanks for that that does give me a few ideas. Just JSA and income support while my half sister was living there from 2002 - 2008...