What can i be forced into doing on lcw ?

LeighMo58027858

Rite so basically about a year ago i was awarded lcw, i should of appealed it but i simpy cannot cope with all the stress, im litterally willing to take less money to be left the **** alone but no, ive got them ringing me up every couple of months, i know id need to be on lcwwra or what ever its called, but thats either here nor there.

 its ridiculous nothing changes so then ringing causes me nothing but stress and aggro and makes things worse not better.  At the start he was great, all like, just focus on getting better, now its been a while,  its like hes trying to pressure me into doing things im not interested in or comfortable doing, when my situation hasn't improved,  tbf he has been good and not a jobsworth like he probably could be, its just theres not a time limit on getting better, thats simply not how it works, oh yeah, focus on getting better but if not better by there time then time to start forcing u to do this and do that.  Tbf hes only suggested courses and stuff so far. His words, im not pressuring you or anything, which kinda made me feel better until i realised he CAN FORCE ME TOO, rite ? But rite now my focus is staying clean and this doesnt help.

Been clean for about 8 months.  But thinking about all this,  constant phone calls, thankfully its about every 3 months,  so could be worse ? I  actually feel everyone should just be entitled to the starvation payment that is universal credit standard,  300 quid a month, i get 1 takeaway when i get paid then its back to beans on toast and all that. Which is fine, just think everyone should get it no questions asked,  think all the money theyd save not paying work coaches and these pointless common sense type courses that are completely worthless btw. Nothing im interested in at all. Opposite of stuff id realistically do.

Not really sure what to do, its actually not too bad and definitely could be worse, i just feel like, its coming ya know, the **** is coming, the lets just force you to do things youre to ill to do just for the sake of it. Is coming.  The niceties can only last so long. If u cant be forced into being better by there timeline that suits them.  

Sorry just venting. Anyone else on lcw, hows it been, or going for you, id love to hear from people in same or similar circumstances. 

Biblioklept

There seems to be a big range in what people get asked to do when on LCW. Do you get lots of notice of your appointments? 

What sort of courses have they made you do? 

Well done for getting clean and staying that way

LeighMo58027858

Thx. So far none, but hes just started mentioning them, but its like, i feel like saying , if i want or needed to do any courses id ask wouldn't i, its like the people at national careers service, the bloke who helped me with my cv, he was a really nice guy, but then i realised this guy is working with people he knows full well are litterally being held at gunpoint to work with him, what sort of person wants to work with people who are being forced  ? I just find that sickening.  But what ever.

I agreed to do the cv just to shut him up. Didnt want to even think about a atupid cv rite now ffs,  My work coach i mean. Not career service guy,  But yeah, hes just mentioned them and gave me a link, in my journel, i said ill have a look just to get rid of him. 

Tbf the ones he suggested, he said there online and u can pick it up and if youre not feeling good u can put it down, so i thought that doesnt sound bad, i also like that he considered my situation, but even so, id be doing it purely to shut them up and get them to leave me alone, so its doing it just for the sake of doing it,  im just allways like, on the defensive with them, because its like, i dont want to keep agreeing to more and more **** they can keep adding to the list. But then im worried if im tottally resistent, hes gonna take it personal and turn into a jobsworth. 

By lots if notice of appointments what do u mean ? Reminders ? I get text message like the day before or near. Its by phone thankfully as i cannot handle going to thise cesspits they call jobcentres,  a place where the staff need bodyguards, security guards, yeah great place, really want to go there. 

Absolutely hated being forced to go to jobcentres.

Id even go as far as saying they sent me into a downward spiral into deep depression,  they were forcing me to come into the jobcentre EVERYDAY to sign on, its humiliating, degrading, and absolutely made me feel worthless. Thats when i was like rite enoughs enough, youve made me so **** depressed im going to doctors to get a sick note, cant handle this **** no more, that was while having a heroine, injecting,  crack addiction, self medicating. 

LeighMo58027858

Think im just gonna say, look im just trying to concentrate on staying clean rite now. Best thing to say i think . The truth.

wendy41

I've seen people get clean and then relapse. You need to tell your coach to back off and you could relapse but you are fighting to staying clean. Just be blunt about it. As you are doing good so far in staying clean. You don't need the added pressure. I say this as someone I knew who got clean; then relapsed and then took their own life. So you need to be 'blunt' about telling your coach basically what you've said here. It's mounting pressure. There is no 'timeline' to getting better; it just takes time and patience healing can't be rushed and your coach needs to understand that. 

LeighMo58027858

wendy41 said:

I've seen people get clean and then relapse. You need to tell your coach to back off and you could relapse but you are fighting to staying clean. Just be blunt about it. As you are doing good so far in staying clean. You don't need the added pressure. I say this as someone I knew who got clean; then relapsed and then took their own life. So you need to be 'blunt' about telling your coach basically what you've said here. It's mounting pressure. There is no 'timeline' to getting better; it just takes time and patience healing can't be rushed and your coach needs to understand that. 

Thanks for the kind words,  totally agree, its that very thing that makes u relapse, any kind of stress and stuff like that, triggers i think they call it.  Yeah thats exactly what I'm gonna do. Ill just do it in an as polite way as possible. 

LeighMo58027858

Do u think i should write it in my journel or wait for his  phone call ? Next appointment which thankfully isnt untlill September 28th ?

poppy123456

As you're only having appointments through telephone every few months, i think your work coach is being very fair. Your next appointment isn't until just over 3 months time.

If your appointments were weekly then it would be different.

Ross_Alumni

Hello @LeighMo58027858

Thanks for making this post, and I'm sorry to hear about the impact all of this is having on you. 

Firstly, I wanted to say well done for being eight months clean, that's a great achievement. It's a shame that the pressure you are feeling under throughout the UC process is causing your well-being to suffer. I think it's a good idea as mentioned above to be honest with them about staying clean being your main focus right now, perhaps it will help them to get a clearer picture of your situation.

Do you have any support in place for your mental health? Always remember you can call Samaritans any time on 116 123 if you ever want to have a chat with anybody, and your GP is an option too if you ever feel as though you need support for your mental health or anything else. 

LeighMo58027858

poppy123456 said:

As you're only having appointments through telephone every few months, i think your work coach is being very fair. Your next appointment isn't until just over 3 months time.

If your appointments were weekly then it would be different.

Yeah thats what i thought, it vould be worse rite, and like i said he only brought them up and said, no pressure just letting u know, so im probably being to defensive. He didn't say, rite im putting u on this course and its mandatory or anything.  The guy has been pretty good tbh. So ill just chill for moment and let him know nect time politely im not quite ready for any of that yet. 

I just feel he thinks theres a time limit. Thats the impression i get. When as far as im concerned there isnt at all.

LeighMo58027858

poppy123456 said:

As you're only having appointments through telephone every few months, i think your work coach is being very fair. Your next appointment isn't until just over 3 months time.

If your appointments were weekly then it would be Ross_Scope said:

Hello @LeighMo58027858

Thanks for making this post, and I'm sorry to hear about the impact all of this is having on you. 

Firstly, I wanted to say well done for being eight months clean, that's a great achievement. It's a shame that the pressure you are feeling under throughout the UC process is causing your well-being to suffer. I think it's a good idea as mentioned above to be honest with them about staying clean being your main focus right now, perhaps it will help them to get a clearer picture of your situation.

Do you have any support in place for your mental health? Always remember you can call Samaritans any time on 116 123 if you ever want to have a chat with anybody, and your GP is an option too if you ever feel as though you need support for your mental health or anything else. 

Thanks for the kind words and support , thankfully its not to bad YET, yeah pretty sure i told him about the drug dependence , if he had asked, has youre situation improved, begore blabbering on about what the jobcentre wants, and this course and that course. 

Ross_Alumni

Hi @LeighMo58027858

I just wanted to drop in here to check in with you, how are you getting on?