"Available for work"

harissa

Currently parenting is my full-time job and don't I know it! From October, our situation will change when we are affected by the new rules. I am dreading the stigma and logistics of having to sign on, even though I have been actively engaged in trying to get paid employment (for more than 16 hours p/w) for several years now.

Today has been disastrous. My son's school phoned up at 8.40am to demand I take him home and keep him home for a week as he was involved in a bullying incident. My son was definitely in the wrong, so I'm bracing myself to being under house arrest for the next week. I can't just leave him and go out to the job centre or buy the shopping, etc. The only consolation is that I do not have to take emergency time off work as I don't have a job!

So, come October, would this sort of scenario would mean I am effectively "unavailable for work" and would therefore lose all our income??

To be honest I am also struggling healthwise at the moment and it is not helped by the stress. My thyroid is erratic and my medication doesn't seem to be working so well - hopefully this will be resolved at my next GP appointment. While the underactive thyroid itself doesn't count as a disability, the unpredictable reappearance of symptoms is very disabling. Only last January tests showed I had the mental capacity of someone with early-onset Alzheimers, or with brain damage. At least the medication has totally reversed this and I'm back to functioning at University graduate level again :o)

My hearing loss does count as a disability and gets worse when my thyroid symptoms worsen. It limits the sort of jobs I can apply for, and buildings I can stay in for any length of time and yet is easier to compensate for than the thyroid symptoms.

Every job centre lone-parent adviser I've had has advised me to apply for disability BUT when I attended the follow-up interview with their disability specialist, I'm told I don't qualify. Even when I was so ill I couldn't walk without assistance for 6 months and went completely deaf during that time, I was told it wasn't a permanent disabilty so didn't count. Certainly my issues don't conform to any of the questions on the forms which seem based around a person's ability to care for themself in their own home. That is the ONE place where I CAN cope because I have altered my environment!

So, come October, will my family be made to suffer because of this? I really had thought I would have had a paid job by then but, given the current economic climate, it looks doubtful.

Posted on: February 24, 2009 - 11:22am

Anna

Parenting specialist

Hi harissa

You are going through an awful lot at the moment, our lives seem to go in waves doesn't it!

Have you looked on our Advice Finder on the homepage http://advicefinder.onespace.org.uk/, put benefits in the subject box and then the area that you live in, you might find an organisation who can give you more advice and information on your benefit situation. I would be really interested to hear if this is of any help to you.

You could also visit the following link from Citizens Advice Bureau that has some help pages. http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/life/benefits/help_for_people_on_a_low_income_-_income_support.htm

Let me know how you get on :)

Posted on: February 24, 2009 - 12:38pm

sparklinglime

Hi harrisa

I agree with you - and although I have legs that don't always work as I'd like, I still feel I need to be at home with my children. It certainly is a full-time job, being a parent. With the economic climate as it is, I would have thought that it is an easier option having lone parents at home. We are such easy targets though, as everyone thinks we're all 16 and have never worked, and that we get free housing, free electricity, free water rates and probably a massive christmas bonus. I challenge any of them to live like this (between us, when I had my youngest our income was pretty good). It's certainly not a life style I would choose.
On one hand, as I have DLA for my 13 year old son, and have been told I'm a carer and so the rules won't necessarily apply to me, I still get called in for work focused interviews (I used to work there, so have a good chat with the girls while I'm in there).

When I was married I ran a plumbing business from home, and although it could be anything up to 70 hours a week, being home it worked (no fun doing VAT at 2am though), then when the stress got too much, I handed it over to one of the men and went to work nights in Tesco. I had to leave when I split up with ex.

To be honest, the amount of work the children do create, I do think it's time that pressure wasn't put on lone-parents to return to work. My oldest boy is doing GCSEs, and he seems to need me so much at the moment (which I never anticipated). With holidays and teacher training days, how are you meant to earn a living and cope with child care? I have no family either (I've lost my parents) to help with childrecare.

Sorry, that's me moaning ;) You really do have so much to deal with as it is.

I do believe that if you can show you're training for a job that this is considred as looking for work. I know you are a graduate, but maybe you could work towards another degree? (I'm doing OU).

I'm hoping to train to be a driving instructor - couple of blips at the mo (failed my first test, and am now saving for the £80 to re-take it, hopefully in March, and - oh yes, a pretty major blip - my driving instructor has gone awol! Seems I need to find another). With a driving school I hope I can fit this around my children, and if there is one or two home I can chuck them in the back of the car, bribe them to shut up and not charge the student for the lesson! Just need to pass...

I figure it's one of these bridges that need to be crossed when it happens.

With regards to disability. Have you spoken to your GP regarding this? You can complete the form - perhaps with the help of the practice nurse, and send it off and see what happens then. You need to base it on your bad days.

I do have this for my 13 year old son who has Aspurger's syndrome. I really don't see how the Jobcentre's disability specialist should be able to decide when you clearly do have health problems at the moment.

Best wishes

PS Sorry for 'talking' too much. I have an essay to elaborate on - which means I'm in avoidance mode...

Posted on: February 24, 2009 - 1:25pm

harissa

"I do believe that if you can show you're training for a job that this is considred as looking for work. I know you are a graduate, but maybe you could work towards another degree? (I'm doing OU)."

Thats what I thought Sparkinglime and I specifically asked the lone parent adviser that very question in the last fortnight. I mentioned the research studentship at the OU which I'd hoped to apply for, especially as I live 1 hours cycle ride away and have the exact qualifications and experience they wanted. It had even been advertised in the Job Centre.

But, BIG BUT, the new rule changes FORBID single parents like me from engaging in further study EVEN if it improves your career prospects because .... wait for it... it means you are unavailable for work!!! The adviser explained that people who are already on courses will not be affected, only people who haven't yet started. One friend has had to withdraw her degree application because of this. It stinks to high heaven!

Posted on: February 24, 2009 - 2:00pm

sparklinglime

Oh heck...

Good to know that though.

Posted on: February 24, 2009 - 3:22pm

Louise

Parenting specialist

Harissa that is really shocking :o

When you talk about disability benefits, Disability Living Allowance is not paid unless the incapacity is "expected" to last more than 6 months. What I am wondering is if, come October, you would be entitled to the the new Employment Support Allowance? This replaces Incapacity Benefit and is the same amount as adult Income Support and Job Seeker's Allowance (£60.50 a week) but there is SUPPOSED to be extra support put in place to help people with health difficulties who are on ESA back into work. It remains to be seen how this works out :?

best wishes

Louise

Posted on: February 24, 2009 - 7:25pm