Employment and hidden disabilities — Scope | Disability forum
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Employment and hidden disabilities

tess1
tess1 Community member Posts: 7 Listener
edited August 2018 in Work and employment
Hello. 
New here.  I have hidden disabilities ..
Vertigo /Labrinthitis (waiting on mri because medication and exercises don't work) 
M.s/fibromyalgia. (waiting on mri and diagnosis) 
Chronic fatigue syndrome 
Sciatica 
Anxiety 
Plantier fasctitis 
I don't work because I can't walk very good,  and always tired. I use a stroller with a seat on, crutches and a small scooter as I can't afford a big one. 
I do really need to work because my husband pays for everything,  and is struggling,  we can't get benefits because he earns more than twenty five thousand a year, and we have 2adult lads working and a 26 year old going to college . I only get living rate pip at two hundred and something a month.  I did email the local council for advice on hidden disabilities and employment , they just said no one would employ someone who can't work and who would probably be calling in ill most of the time.  I can't even get jsa because I haven't worked for about 4 years, and hobbies wages with my adult lads are too much for me to claim the income based esa.  I struggle buying my prescriptions, I need an eye test, (but can't afford one) and I need a dentist (which I have,  but again can't afford to go)  I can't ask my husband or lads to pay for it all.  This makes me feel useless, hopeless and hopeless.  I really could do with a job of about 2-3 hours a day, just to keep me independent.  But I know myself I couldn't even possibly cope with that. 

Comments

  • tess1
    tess1 Community member Posts: 7 Listener
    Sorry,  meant 16 year old going to college.  
  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @tess1, and a warm welcome to the community! 

    Thank you for sharing this with us- I'm so sorry to hear that things are tough at the moment, and I'm particularly sorry to hear the advice the council gave you about employment. I'm chronically ill myself and work part-time and from home, as do many others- it definitely can be done in a safe and productive way, so don't lose hope!

    You may like to check out Scope's Support to Work programme to help you progress further in your job searching. In the meantime, you may be interested in this list of extra money and help PIP entitles you to, and also NHS HC2 forms for free prescriptions. Hope this helps!
  • tess1
    tess1 Community member Posts: 7 Listener
    Hello pippa,  and thank you for the information.  I have tried Google to look for employment working from home , but it all seems to be Avon etc... I don't know enough people to make anything like this work,  I have two good friends and that's about it. I wouldn't make anything doing it.  I will have a look through the support to work you have linked, thank you.  I have been on the government website and had a look at what is available for me, but there's nothing,  I have used the calculator they put on. So this means I really need to try and work.  I don't know how to do office work,  useless with computers , I am only really good at cleaning,  and shop work, bar work, kitchen and playground in schools,  a little waitresses. I' m not trained for much else. So I am trying to find an employer who will employ me even though I use a Walker or crutches to walk with . Thank you for your help.  
  • Geoark
    Geoark Community member Posts: 1,463 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @tess1 here are some suggestions, if you are not aware of them they could help you out a great deal.

    Prepaid prescriptions, if you are spending more than £29.10 per 3 months it could save you a lot of money. https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/prescription-prepayment-certificates

    Marriage Allowance,  you can transfer £1,190 of your personal allowance to your husband. https://www.gov.uk/marriage-allowance

    Does your husband's employer provide a benefits package? These are benefits with an external company and usually involves sacrificing part of your salary. Many include health packages which you could be added to, including items like dentistry. If not you could consider taking out dental insurance - Marriage Allowance would put extra money into your husbands pay and should more than cover roughly £10 per month for NHS cover - see https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/dental-insurance/

    Eye inspection - if you have a specsaver near you visit the local shop website - you can find a full list at https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/full-store-list - there are usually vouchers you can download either for free eye test, or reduced eye test. Currently this is a £5 voucher in my local store. For glasses I use SelectSpecs - https://www.selectspecs.com/cheap-glasses/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkKab4piT3QIVCLXtCh1SlA81EAAYASAAEgKY4PD_BwE with single focus lens as cheap as £6 and I have seen them cheaper in sales. They do have better frames for more money, but to be honest I have found the £6 frames acceptable. You should receive your prescription from the opticians which you, or someone can enter for you and if you already have glasses you can get the arm length from them. They are UK based and the help line offers a lot of support. The site has information on all these sort of things. I have been absolutely delighted with them.

    Working with computers - you have already shown you have the basic skills to  get a computer based job. Many are basic data inputting and you will be shown what to do. However there are usually free training courses to help you get more familiar with using computers.

    You could also consider doing some voluntary work to see how it works out and gain some experience. Scope has some good opportunities in their charity shops as well as offering free opportunity to do an NVQ in retail. Many of the bigger stores are really good at employing and supporting staff with disabilities. But other vounteering opportunities give similar opportunities.

    Hope this helps

    As an individual I stood alone.
    As a member of a group I did things.
    As part of a community I helped to create change!

  • tess1
    tess1 Community member Posts: 7 Listener
    Hello geoark.  
    I already did the marriage tax thing last year,  my knowledge of computers is turning them on if o am lucky.  Lol I am on here on my phone,  I don't know spread sheets or anything , I would really mess up.  
    I already have knowledge of working in shops and customer care. I don't really learn by reading etc... I find it difficult. I'm a "hands on" learner. I learn quicker by doing . Voluntary work is good,  but I do really need to find a paid job.  I look on indeed, cv library and Reed nearly every day.  The pre-payment prescription wouldn't benefit me as I only have one lot of medication at the moment.  Thank you for your help . 
  • tess1
    tess1 Community member Posts: 7 Listener
    Sorry. Forgot. My husbands employer don't do benefit packages, I have already asked him,  as my last employer paid for medical treatments if I need hospital and operations etc... So I thought my husbands employment might have done something similar.  
  • debbiedo49
    debbiedo49 Community member Posts: 2,904 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @tess1. I would suggest if you would like to try working again that you start by building working patterns into your day and take it a step at a time. You wont know how you are going to cope until you try. I get support from various agencies in and out of my life like local council who have adult education and employability advisors. They can point you in the right direction of free or funded coursesxor activities in your area. To be attractive to an employer when you have been out of work and have health issues I believe that you have to account for gaps in your c v and show what you can do now on your c v. In my case I accessed free adult education courses and used individual learning funding to access online courses in subjects relevent to future employment. I also accessed volunteering opportunities on the web and tried a couple tonfind what I enjoyed within my limitations. I could only do about 1-2 hours outside the home at a push. So once I started doing different things and following a routine and adding this experience to my c v, I believe that gave me the boost to get the job I wanted. Its small steps to small goals and thats what works for me. It may not work for you. But there should be help out there. When I was interviewed for my job I told them I have disabilities and I was sent to o h and they passed me fit for part time work with me controlling my symptoms well. So that was a boost for me. I dont know long term if they will keep me on as its a temporary job, but its a start. I wish you well. Everyone has something to contribute.

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