With disability benefits and other benefits claimants in the news, how do I find a job?

JasonRA

First off a rant - Sick of Daily Mail/Telegraph articles coming up on my MSN feed bashing everyone on benefits, even the sick as "lazy scroungers" like the cast from say Shameless. That is what upsets me the most, people make sweeping generalisations, they look for a new pinata to take a baseball bat to and it's always usually the most vulnerable in society, why pick on a lion when you could pick on a cat? (Figuratively) 

Apparently it's popular to pick on the disabled tarring them as "workshy" who "plays the system" in Britain, surely this isn't the case and is a perception of reality created by the likes of the Daily Mail and the Telegraph, placating to their readership who think we're living in the 1980s with Thatcher's ghost as Prime Minster.

I have Complex PTSD, depression been on anti-depressants since 2007, anxiety, kind of fell out of society around 2019, I was always adept at typing, making music, making music via a computer, graphic designing, always better working on my lonesome. I knew from my previous conversations with my work coach that jobs within Music in Cornwall are non-existent. I held a job down for 6 years until 2012 when I studied music at University, got a degree in music but it hasn't opened avenues. 

When I can get to the root of my issues and try to fix them with the help given I want to work, I'm starting to receive more counselling, liaising with my GP and the Jobcentre despite being completely signed off, hopefully working from home if possible is my best avenue into work but I genuinely fear I will be placed into a situation where the DWP says "if you can walk and talk you're fit for work.....if you don't want to then you won't have a penny to rub together", apparently they're going after people on benefits threatening to cut it all off if they don't bother to look for work.


My mother who looks after me said, we're nearing an election if the Tories are talking tough on benefits. Only now I realised the political ramifications of being disabled on benefits, that the more Conservative type would say "Workshy", "Lazy" or "Man up" which really upsets me.

Hannah_Alumni

Hello @JasonRA

I am so sorry it upsets you and I agree that it is getting ridiculous that those on benefits are almost a scapegoat for the failings of their political party. Then we get all the bashing as you said. 

If you do ever need support with work, Scope has an excellent Employment Support Services if you live in England or Wales. I hope the community can continue to be a place of support and friendship for you. Please keep us updated with the counselling, I really hope it helps you  

charlie72

I feel terrified at the prospect of being forced into work when I know I'm still unfit to do so, I suffer from anxiety, depression, C-PTSD, panic disorder, and awaiting a diagnosis for ADHD. How can it be legal to make someone with a disabilty look for employment when unfit to do so, then threaten them with either sanctions or stripping them of their benefits entirely?

The government don't seem to want to listen to charity organisations warnings over making people on sickness benefits work, and it could lead to them being made more poorly, suicidal, and eventually more long term sick and traumatised.
Certain elements of the media don't help either, even agreeing with the government and how they vilify us as work shy, lazy, and scroungers, a burden on society and the tax payer!!

How they get away with it used to baffle me, not anymore, as i've come to the conclusion that people now believe this false rhetoric about the disabled and so refuse to speak out against what the government says and is planning on doing in the autumn statement.

These new measures that are planned have caused me great distress, more anxiety, lack of sleep, constant worry day and night about losing my benefits, being forced into work or work related programs, knowing it's going to make my condition worse and feeling like I can do nothing about it. It's like living in some awful nightmare or distopian society run by disability dictators full of disdain and hatred for those who are suffering through no fault of their own. Where has all the empathy and kindness gone in certain elements of politcs for those who are less fortunate and need help in life, not forcing them into situations to make them worse in the longrun?

Rosie_Scope

Hi @charlie72, welcome to the community. You're definitely not alone in worrying about these changes, and we'll be here to support everyone through whatever happens next. The way this is being talked about in the news is very heavy and it's understandable that it's having an affect on you. If it ever gets too much to cope with, please do reach out for some help