Job centre/work coach weirdness
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Hi, I am in receipt of LCWRA but I do work. Currently only 12 hours WFH but I am keen to move forward and increase those hours - not in my current role (UC helpline) which is so very challenging for my PTSD due to claimants being so angry and difficult. I do see both sides of course. I wondered if anyone is in a similar situation in that they work but still receive LCWRA?
I wonder if we will be the first for any WCA reassessment. It's a worrying time. I want to progress back to fulltime employment but I know for me it will need be slow due to MH issues (PTSD due to extreme violence/SA).
Best wishes to all.
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Cool story @Santosha12, never been in corporate before, it’s the only way I could go to a game now. Same to you, relaxation is a full time job for our types 😆😆😆
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@Porterhouse it wasn't a Box though but was sat near the front, near the goal area so good view for someone interested 🫣. Was wasted on me tbh. I was lucky really as my boss told me to book c 100 tickets for the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, think that was 2002 and i could go to whatever I wanted. I just went to the Opening and Closing ceremonies and the Boxing which to me was disappointing a bit /face shields when I was used to watching it years ago with my dad (only on tv) but 'proper' heavy/middleweight etc. in the 70s and early 80s so I couldn't get too excited with the face guards but not diminishing their talent though.
I can only daydream about those days now, seem to daydream most days, I'd say that's my hobby 🤣.
Goodnight 🙏 I'll go now. My sister used to say (in the days when she was talking to me), why use 20 words when you can use a 100; she had a point 🤔
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Thanks for that valuable insight @justsaying2025.
I’m sure everyone here will share my admiration for you being able to work while in the LCWRA group. Using a military analogy it must be a bit like working behind enemy lines 😆😆😆
I rang the UC phone-line a few times last week and it felt different to before. One agent wouldn’t discuss my claim at all, and the other two did but the message was very much speak to your job coach, although he was the source of my rapidly worsening mental health.
I don’t know the answer to your question, not sure anyone does really. I’d guess new claims will take precedence and I think a lot of it will depend on the size of the back bench rebellion on these Green Paper cuts, you are right it is a very worrying time. Undiagnosed PTSD signing in, that’s my problem, all my extra mental health stuff is undiagnosed. All the best. Andrew.0 -
I'm sorry I can't answer as such as I just honestly don't know but I wish you all the very best, with protecting your mental health and in your job search.
I am on LCWRA and do not work; I was diagnosed with CPTSD in 2016 but it's physical health problems why I lost my job 2 years ago (c 22 sickness absences in 2/3 yrs). It's good you can WFH but what a difficult job. I worked voluntarily for years for a well known helpline but could not do that now as I get derealisation/depersonalization and i just wouldnt feel safe in myself.
Wherever your job search takes you, I can only say my mental health took a huge battering both whilst losing my job (2 dismissals actually since getting Covid in Nov 2020) and subsequently, to the point it is often much too fragile and is too precious to lose. Please do everything you can to protect that - like the need to progress to full time slowly that you said.
Take very good care 🙏
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I get you totally. I am a big boxing fan myself, 80’s baby so the stand outs for me was the middleweights you mentioned. Don’t think there will ever be as exciting a British era as Eubank, Benn et al.
I daydream a lot myself being severely physically compromised, remembering when I could excel at team sports helps me keep going.
Right back at you. I’m similar in that I talk a lot especially when I’m hyper anxious or hypomanic/manic, also I am not close to my brother.
You are also right that we all need a few hours break at least from the thread because as positive as it is, it’s also extremely draining 🤣🤣🤣
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@Porterhouse I was born early '60s but watched from a young age, Larry Holmes, Marvin Hagler, Muhammed Ali. Loved Ali, saw him not that long ago on a 'Parkinson' repeat. Benn, Eubank were exciting fights though. I have photos of my 'heroes' in my hallway all black and white photos framed, Ali's up their! Goodnight.
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You play drums?
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That’s awesome @Santosha12 We are getting old but we witnessed some all time classics. Sky sports regularly shows the Hagler vs Thomas Hearns fight, all time classic. Goodnight back at you.
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@Porterhouse "plays drums" Minus 12 points🤷
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Thank you. I find the job very difficult. Sometimes I wonder if it's a good thing as It's meant it triggers me constantly. I've tried to increase my hours but it makes me ill. I'll find a way forward but it's a hard corridor isn't it.
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Hi Andrew, I'm sorry you've had a poor experience. I will say this. If you are unhappy with your WC my advice would be to very nicely send a JM requesting a different one.
Rapport is key to any relationship so you can and should ask for someone else.
Hope this helps. x
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Good advice there thank you. What made the experience worse was that in person he seems like a decent guy so it was a real shock to have the commitments plucked out of thin air, with such an inappropriate amount and not advised to check them and agree. If I hadn’t checked my email account for a week my claim probably would have been closed. This could have easily happened as haven’t had a UC email for ages and for me this was extremely passive aggressive and a terrible way to treat a vulnerable claimant. Can I ask is “health journey” a new term because I don’t recall hearing it previously and was told we had discussed this multiple times. Personally I find that term a bit distasteful.
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Insert Fry Not Sure If serious gif
Welcome to the thread. I haven’t played drums for years but I haven’t forgotten how to.
Very hard to infer the intention of your second message.
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The 'health journey' isn't a new term no. I know what you mean, perhaps why I rarely use it.
In terms of the commitments, they are automatically generated when there is a COC (change).
I think the WC is meant to check them but with approx.1500 claimants per WC.. what can I say.
The one thing I will say is that if you do not accept your commitments within the timescale your claim WILL be closed by UC. It is the claimants responsibility to regularly check your online claim for any to-do's and action them. This bit IS crucial to understand as your claim will be closed if you miss the 'accept commitments'. I should say, at least 2 JM's get sent beforehand but nonetheless - regularly log-on to your claim and check stuff.
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It is and I really empathise with you. I'm guessing you don't have the opportunity to debrief/offload in any structured way, not just because of WFH but I can imagine that's just not offered to staff in UC/DWP.
When I was really struggling (sickness absences etc) I did consider at one point should I look at different career from nursing (plus background 20 yrs HR/Operations management) and was considering seeing a private careers coach/mentor or life coach. Unfortunately for me my health issues all went on a very steep downward trajectory so my only priority now is to protect what's left. I did have consultations with Occupational Health too (NHS) but they were unable to help me keep my job, or move.
I do hope that you find a solution that works well for you in all ways (personally/healthwise, financially and professionally). With the imminent changes, I would imagine that work environment to be daunting and I'd need to be grounding myself frequently. Take very good care of yourself.
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So you play drums now?
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