A complete waste of time

The phone rang. It’s the Jobcentre. The dreaded work-focused interview took place.

It wasn’t as bad as I feared. As she had a record of the fact I had an appeal in for my ESA as well as a second application form under consideration, she wasn’t unduly pushy.

Instead she asked about my qualifications, previous jobs, any volunteer work etc. She also asked about my medical condition & the effect it has on my ability to work.

I think at the end of the day I persuaded her I was not against the idea of work. I have kept myself mentally alert as much as possible, but that doesn’t solve my physical problems or the causes of my mental ill-health.

In all honesty I get the impression she didn’t really think I was fit to work, given the level of medication I am on, as well as my physical & mental difficulties. Indeed she praised me for having done as much as I can & my flexibility on work type. Her only suggestion is a website where there is a possibility of finding some unpaid voluntary work which could be done on the computer from home in my home time. But she wasn’t pushy even on that.

She is going to send some written sheets on the sort of help the Jobcentre can offer that may be useful if my health were to improve. She will give me another ring some time in the future but it will probably be months down the line, when the decisions have been made on my applications for ESA. She does not expect me to actually apply for any jobs, training etc, instead just try to get out a bit more. Everything else she could suggest she seems to reckon I’m doing anyhow.

A complete waste of time in other words. If I seriously thought I could realistically do any work of any type, I would be seeking it. It’s just I am not fit to work now & am highly unlikely to get better in the future. As things are now, & since my condition is only deteriorating, are likely to be in the future, I should be in the Support group & not expected to work, and she should  not to be expected to try to help me back into the world of work. I told her that much last week when I got the interview changed to being by phone rather than in person. As I say a complete waste of her time as well as mine!