Tell Scope about attending a remote benefit assessment or looking for work during lockdown — Scope | Disability forum
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Tell Scope about attending a remote benefit assessment or looking for work during lockdown

Tori_Scope
Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,488 Disability Gamechanger

We would like to hear from disabled people who have had a remote benefit assessment, or who have been looking for work during the coronavirus lockdown.

In March, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) suspended face-to-face benefits assessments in response to the lockdown. Since then, the DWP has carried out remote assessments, including over the phone.

We particularly want to understand disabled people’s experiences of telephone-based assessments.

We also want to understand disabled people’s experiences of looking for work during the pandemic.

If either of these apply to you, and you would like to share your experience with Scope, you can do so by completing this survey

Please note, you do not need to have attended a remote benefit assessment and looked for work during lockdown to complete the survey. Questions will be different depending on which situation applies to you.

We will use this survey to help inform Scope’s influencing and campaigning on benefits and employment over the autumn.

Survey responses are anonymous. You do not need to share your personal details unless you wish to do so.

National Campaigns Officer, she/her

Join our call for an equal future.
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Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,651 Connected
    edited October 2020
    Meh, 3 weeks last Friday ago I had an interview at the Co Op in Firth Park, Sheffield, I didn't get the job because the Manager said I didn't score high enough on team building etc! What a crock, they just don't want disabled people in Supermarkets!

    Also, on Tuesday I had a telephone interview for a job as a Fulfillment Associate at an Amazon Depot in Doncaster, the "interview" lasted 30 seconds because they told me they couldn't employ me because I have back problems due to disability! I was literally like ****?! Surely that's illegal under the Equality Act 2010?!

    I've also applied yesterday to Hamley's Toy Shoip in Meadowhall and B&Q in Sheffield, possibly the local one at the Hillsborough end of Peinstone Road, would be handy because my Dad goes there a lot.



  • nazie95
    nazie95 Community member Posts: 1 Listener
    I have been looking for work during the pandemic, I have been getting rejections, I need help in looking for work. I hate being at home all the time, I need to get out of the house. I have bipolar, I have been well for quite some time. If you have any advice in looking for work, I am open to listen to your ideas.
  • Tori_Scope
    Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,488 Disability Gamechanger
    edited October 2020
    I'm sorry to hear you haven't had much luck with job interviews recently @MrAllen1976.

    I can't say I know much about employment law, but from reading the gov.uk page on disability rights and employment law, it looks like maybe an employer is allowed to ask about any impairments you might have if it would impact on your ability to carry out a task that's an 'essential part of the work'? 

    I also had a look on Citizens Advice, and found this, similar, information:

    Employers can treat disabled people less favourably only if they have a sufficiently justifiable reason for doing so, and only if the problem cannot be overcome by making 'reasonable adjustments'. For example, an employer would be justified in rejecting someone with severe back pain for a job as a carpet fitter, as they cannot carry out the essential requirements of the job.
    It looks like the Fulfilment Associate job involves 'offloading stock deliveries, processing work orders, locating merchandise, and packaging orders for shipment', so it might have been their view that they couldn't have put a reasonable adjustment in place for you as the job appears to involve a lot of packing and lifting. I'd encourage you to have a look into it yourself though.

    Very best of luck with the latest job applications! If you're still struggling to get a job in this challenging climate, I'd recommend you check out Scope's Support to Work service. Once you're in work, you might like to also keep the government's Access to Work scheme in mind.
    National Campaigns Officer, she/her

    Join our call for an equal future.
  • Tori_Scope
    Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,488 Disability Gamechanger
    I'm sorry to hear that @nazie95. It's definitely a really difficult time to be looking for work, but I'm glad you feel well enough to take that step.

    Have you heard of Scope's Support to Work service? They're a lovely team, and they can support adults over the age of 16 living in England or Wales who are looking to enter employment.

    In the meantime, have you considered volunteering? It's a great way to boost your CV, get out of the house, and meet new people. Do-it.org is the national database of volunteering opportunities in the UK. You can sign up here to find the right opportunity for you if that's something you might interested in. 
    National Campaigns Officer, she/her

    Join our call for an equal future.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,651 Connected
    I'm sorry to hear that @nazie95. It's definitely a really difficult time to be looking for work, but I'm glad you feel well enough to take that step.

    Have you heard of Scope's Support to Work service? They're a lovely team, and they can support adults over the age of 16 living in England or Wales who are looking to enter employment.

    In the meantime, have you considered volunteering? It's a great way to boost your CV, get out of the house, and meet new people. Do-it.org is the national database of volunteering opportunities in the UK. You can sign up here to find the right opportunity for you if that's something you might interested in. 
    Thing is though, I know work is work, even voluntary, but I've been doing volunteering since the year Dot, this time I wanna work and get some loot for it.

    Seriously I've worked in almost every Charity shop this side of Sheffield including most of the Oxfam shops, I applied to the one on West St again last year, only reason I didn't persue it was the 2 reasons I left in the first place in May 2016, the shop itself got Burgled, and on the same day, I was attacked by some Hoodie wearing scrote outside the shop, and by the time the social worker reported it to the local Plod, the ****ing CCTV was out of date so they couldn't catch the guy.


  • Tori_Scope
    Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,488 Disability Gamechanger
    That's understandable @MrAllen1976. Have you looked at the Support to Work link I sent you? All of that retail volunteering experience sounds great, and will definitely strengthen your CV.

    I'm sorry that happened :( Do you know when you might hear back about the two applications you made recently? 
    National Campaigns Officer, she/her

    Join our call for an equal future.

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