Help with studying costs whilst not working

Ojivar1975

Hi all

My situation is this: I was fired from my last job about 2.5 years ago because my mental health was such I simply couldn't cope with it anymore.
I was put straight into ESA support group and there I stayed for 2 years until the dreaded reassessment deemed me "fit for work".
My partner is in the ESA work group but is in no way yet ready for work.

I would like to go back to work but due to my mental health issues I cannot cope with dealing with people again (I was in retail) and I would much rather a job working with animals.
Plenty of jobs around that I am interested in but I have no work or study experience in the field.

There are courses available priced between £300 and £1000 to complete, we simply cannot afford that. We already owe both sets of parents money for basic living costs.

If I was on jobseekers they would probably help me with the cost of some courses, they may also help if I was on ESA but technically I am not on either of those, nor am I allowed to be as I am named on my partners claim.

Does anyone know if there is any support our there for unemployed but not on jobseekers?

Many thanks.

SkimmySim

Hi,

I completed a level 3 course whilst working under 16 hrs. I wasn't entitled to jsa because i was earning more than i would get on jsa... If you're over 24 you will be entitled to a 24+loan which pats for your course tgen automatically gets deducted from your wages once you start earning over £21,000.

Try getting a cleaing job just to help bring in some money whilst studying.

Good Luck!!

Undervalued

Assuming your doctor is still willing to issue a fit (i.e. sick) note can you not start a new ESA claim? I appreciate you may "fail" their medical assessment but that will take at least three months and during that time you will be eligible for some money and other support.

Have you tried contacting one of the charitable organisations who help people with similar issues find work such as the Richmond Fellowship?

Tabbytabbitha

Jobs with animals are very hard to come by and badly paid if they exist so doing a course wouldn't be a worthwhile investment, I'm afraid.

FBaby

Tabbytabbitha wrote: »

Jobs with animals are very hard to come by and badly paid if they exist so doing a course wouldn't be a worthwhile investment, I'm afraid.

Totally agree with this. A course is only going to be any worth if it is to enhanced already acquired skills, not the other way around. Your best bet is to start volunteering.

My DD started to volunteer in September, twice a week, in another field, but same principle. She has given it 100% with dedication, flexibility and enthusiasm to learn. After a couple of month, the manager has started to give her more coaching time, and during that time, she developed her skills and grew more confident. As a result, she's just been told that she will now start to be paid for what she was doing, which indeed, was starting to border on working rather than volunteering, but she stuck to it and it paid off.

You might have to start doing things that falls under what others don't want to do, but accept to be patient before it leads to more opportunities.

Ojivar1975

Undervalued wrote: »

Assuming your doctor is still willing to issue a fit (i.e. sick) note can you not start a new ESA claim? I appreciate you may "fail" their medical assessment but that will take at least three months and during that time you will be eligible for some money and other support.

Have you tried contacting one of the charitable organisations who help people with similar issues find work such as the Richmond Fellowship?

As my partner is on ESA I cannot make an additional claim as it is one per couple.
So realistically I could just sit around and do nothing :rotfl: but I am trying to get back into working life.

Ojivar1975

FBaby wrote: »

Totally agree with this. A course is only going to be any worth if it is to enhanced already acquired skills, not the other way around. Your best bet is to start volunteering.

My DD started to volunteer in September, twice a week, in another field, but same principle. She has given it 100% with dedication, flexibility and enthusiasm to learn. After a couple of month, the manager has started to give her more coaching time, and during that time, she developed her skills and grew more confident. As a result, she's just been told that she will now start to be paid for what she was doing, which indeed, was starting to border on working rather than volunteering, but she stuck to it and it paid off.

You might have to start doing things that falls under what others don't want to do, but accept to be patient before it leads to more opportunities.

I think volunteering is the next step for sure.
Currently I am awaiting for specialists to confirm I can drive again which will open up my choices a lot more as I live in the middle of nowhere.

Caroline_a

Tabbytabbitha wrote: »

Jobs with animals are very hard to come by and badly paid if they exist so doing a course wouldn't be a worthwhile investment, I'm afraid.

Additionally, working with animals involves working with people! Animals have owners (or potential owners in rescue centres and pet shops) and you will have to interact with colleagues and managers too.

So many people think that working with animals is an easy option - it isn't! Most of the jobs involve a fair amount of (ahem) shovelling and dealing with mess in general, animals can't clean up after themselves. It's physically hard work, notoriously badly paid, and the animals need to be cared for 52 weeks a year, so expect to have to take turns to work Bank Holidays, Christmas, etc etc.

w06

what sort of working with animals?

For courses that you'd pay that sort of money you may find the same available for nothing online, have a look around Coursera and the like, they're theory courses but there are quite a few out there.

As above depending what sort of work you're talkign about, 'working with animals' doesn't mean not working with people, quite contrary often.

Ojivar1975

I do appreciate working with animals will also entail working with people, I am thinking more along the line of animal technician jobs which to start with seem to be cleaning out cages, feeding, walking etc... so in theory only interaction with your colleagues and not the general public.

I know the money is bad but I also know that I am never going to get a well paid job with my anxiety and stress levels being what they are.

My biggest problem is phones, I cannot answer a phone to anyone I don't know. Likewise it takes me hours and sometimes days to build up courage to make a phone call to anyone.
Finding a job that doesn't involve phones is not easy!

Tabbytabbitha

Ojivar1975 wrote: »

I do appreciate working with animals will also entail working with people, I am thinking more along the line of animal technician jobs which to start with seem to be cleaning out cages, feeding, walking etc... so in theory only interaction with your colleagues and not the general public.

I know the money is bad but I also know that I am never going to get a well paid job with my anxiety and stress levels being what they are.

My biggest problem is phones, I cannot answer a phone to anyone I don't know. Likewise it takes me hours and sometimes days to build up courage to make a phone call to anyone.
Finding a job that doesn't involve phones is not easy!

Unfortunately there are masses of young people who want to work with animals and are able to work for a pittance (far less than the adult NMW) because they still live at home with their families.

Someone earlier mentioned cleaning which can pay considerably more than NMW and virtually never involves using the phone or dealing with anybody other than the home owner.