A relative has asked for advice on finding work - asking for some advice on their behalf

Rollswiththepunches

Hello. I have an adult nephew who has never actually been employed. He is currently 26, and will be 27 soon. I don't know his complete medical or mental health history, but he was diagnosed with Aspergers' syndrome at 19. He lives with his mother. He has asked for my advice about finding work. He has GCSEs, but no specific work-related qualifications or experience. I am assuming he also has no references, as he has never worked. He's not an invalid, but has difficulties relating to social interaction (meeting new people, making friends, etc). He rarely leaves the house and has no friends. He has said he feels stuck in a rut. My first thought is that he needs to be claiming a benefit, which in his case would presumably be UC or JSA. This would at least ensure he is officially recognised as being out of work and seeking employment, instead of being off the grid which he currently appears to be.

I've never been on benefits myself, so my knowledge of the system is quite limited. I'm fortunate enough to have been in continuous employment for over 30 years. I was wondering if anyone here has had experience of situations where themselves or a relative have either never worked, or have been out of a work for a significant period of time, but have subsequently found work. 

Savvy_Sue

It could be worth contacting https://www.autism.org.uk/ which I believe has some information on supporting adults into work. Another possibility is the Shaw Trust. And some employers are better than others at offering opportunities.

I'm wondering if he has any particular interests or skills - does he have any idea what he would LIKE to do? Would he like to do further study? As a mature student he might be able to do an Access course before going to University rather than the traditional A levels.

The advice I'd generally give to anyone who has no recent employment experience is volunteering, BUT the opportunities for that are more limited at the moment, and clearly he might need additional support to find and cope with what is available.

Just wondering if his mother supports him in his desire to work?

Brynsam

Rollswiththepunches said:

Hello. I have an adult nephew who has never actually been employed. He is currently 26, and will be 27 soon. I don't know his complete medical or mental health history, but he was diagnosed with Aspergers' syndrome at 19. He lives with his mother. He has asked for my advice about finding work. He has GCSEs, but no specific work-related qualifications or experience. I am assuming he also has no references, as he has never worked. He's not an invalid, but has difficulties relating to social interaction (meeting new people, making friends, etc). He rarely leaves the house and has no friends. He has said he feels stuck in a rut. My first thought is that he needs to be claiming a benefit, which in his case would presumably be UC or JSA. This would at least ensure he is officially recognised as being out of work and seeking employment, instead of being off the grid which he currently appears to be.

I've never been on benefits myself, so my knowledge of the system is quite limited. I'm fortunate enough to have been in continuous employment for over 30 years. I was wondering if anyone here has had experience of situations where themselves or a relative have either never worked, or have been out of a work for a significant period of time, but have subsequently found work. 

The problem is that he doesn't just feel stuck in a rut, he IS stuck in a rut - and unless something changes (often particularly difficult for Aspies), that won't change.

Signing on would be no bad idea, not least to ensure he is getting NI credits and, as you say, getting 'on the grid'.

Many local charity shops are still welcoming volunteers because their regular helpers are often in the vulnerable category and so having to shield. He may find it overwhelming to deal with the public, so possibly a role behind the scenes, helping to sort donations, might be a more realistic approach.

Does he have any skills which might be of use - could he, for example, write an article about living with Aspergers which would be publishable? How is he with animals (?dog walking) or plants (?basic weeding/gardening)?

elsien

What makes you so sure he isn't receiving benefits of some sort - I think you need to check that first, whether he is claiming or his mother is claiming on his behalf. 
What are his interests and does he have any thoughts about the sort of job he  might like? It doesn't have to be particularly realistic at this point, but may help him to identify some of the steps to take to make it happen.
What's the reason he stopped education at 16 - not interested, couldn't cope, didn't know where to start? What does he do when he's at home to occupy his time? 
Does he consider himself to have a disability?
https://www.remploy.co.uk/individuals/finding-work-and-support-work

i_want_to_believe

https://www.gov.uk/work-health-programme

Rollswiththepunches

Thanks to those who have responded. I will address your questions. Nephew's mum works, and he has told me he isn't currently on any benefits. He has said his mum also isn't claiming anything. His mum is supporting him financially. I've enquired about what happened when he was 16, and he has stated that he didn't want to go to sixth form. I am not sure what happened after that exactly. He has said he would like to do a job where he isn't constantly being approached by members of the public (or having to approach them himself). I suppose that would rule out most retail or customer-facing roles, or anything that involves knocking on people's doors. I've not asked him about dog-walking or gardening but I'll mention those suggestions to him.

Another poster asked if his mum is supporting him in his desire to work. My own impression is that she could be doing more. She is a nice person, but perhaps not the sharpest tool in the box.