[Pandoren]

As far as I'm concerned, I'd be better on ESA but since I've been unsuccessful at that, I'm having another look at JSA...

One thing that has always concerned me though is that I'd never be able to apply for enough jobs to satisfy them and I don't believe myself nearly ready for full time employment so any jobs would likely be part time.

The website says that everyone must go and sign on every two weeks (or when asked) in order to prove you've been doing something in two weeks. Does anyone have any experience of how much is expected of you during those two weeks and if any allowance, in either amount of applications or number of weeks to account for, might be given for having something like Asperger's?

Also, does anyone know if the eligibility of "working less than 16 hours" also applies to voluntary work?

I'm planning on sending my local jobcentre a letter about this to see how flexible they might be willing to be before I start going through the fuss of applying.

Thanks.

[rosska]

I think it largely varies on where you stay and the job centre you visit. My friend was on JSA after giving birth because she had to leave her last job. They kept complaining that applying for between 4 and 6 jobs a week was 'not doing enough' (even though she was doing that whilst looking after her newborn baby)... Yet I've seen other people say they only need to put 1 or 2 down and they were happy with that.

The allowance to work 16 hours or less does apply to volunteer work too, though I think they can sometimes be a bit selective in what sort of volunteer work they class as being acceptable.

My honest opinion, would be to try and get back on ESA. I really do understand that it's a really hard thing having to jump through so many hoops just to prove you're not trying to get something you're not entitled to, but perhaps you could find some form of support service in your area which could help you with it?

I've been on ESA for a few years now, every time they've put me in the work focused group even though I didn't think that was where I should be but I just went to the appointments and kept telling them I hadn't looked for work yet and why. This time however, I was told that if I don't return to work in 6 months (now around 4 and a half) then my benefits will be reduced. I contacted the AS support service in my area and they have taken a look at all the paper work and the 'justifications' the DWP gave for not putting me in the support group. According to them they can pretty much guarantee that I'll be moved to the support group with an appeal which they are currently helping me to put together.

To get into the support group of ESA you have to meet certain key points, a few of these which guarantee you entry are things like;
"inability to deal with small changes, without causing severe stress/anxiety in day to day life",
"inability to engage in social contact due to difficulty relating to others, or to their own significant distress, due to cognitive impairment or mental disorder",
"cognitive impairment leading to daily episodes of aggressive or dis-inhibited behaviour, which are uncontrollable and would be unreasonable in the workplace"

I don't know about yourself, but I match all three of those. Perhaps not every day, but most, and frankly with these things you always tell them about your worst possible day because they are looking for reasons not to give you it instead of looking for reasons to give you it. You know, because the 1.2 billion pound welfare bill is too much, but the 120 billion pound in tax evasion every year is totally fine.

[Pandoren]

I was rejected for ESA the first time because they said I didn't meet the criteria (although that was before my Asperger's diagnosis), the second time they told me I hadn't filled in a completed claim form and then refused to elaborate (and they were lying!), and this time my GP apparently won't support my claim because I've got radio silence from him. It irks me that I apparently need GP support because he has nothing to do with my care anyway!

[rosska]

God that doesn't sound very good at all. Where did you go for your Asperger's diagnosis? I'm curious if you could perhaps ask them for a letter to go in with any future claim forms? I know that when I asked my GP for a letter to accompany my form, it wasn't really a very helpful letter. In fact, she kind of implied in the letter that perhaps I could be ok in several weeks time which is utter bull and I know she doesn't think that herself because every time I see her she keeps telling me to stop stressing about it and not to expect a speedy recovery, that "these things take as long as they need to take"... Clearly her writing skills lack the same expressive abilities she has for conversations.

[Pandoren]

I did send a letter from the diagnosing psychiatrist in the second application. Oh, and to top things off, I found out about an hour ago that my GP is going to be off sick for a MONTH.

Also, does anyone know of anything my parents might qualify for, since they are struggling to look after me.

[rosska]

Originally Posted by Pandoren

I did send a letter from the diagnosing psychiatrist in the second application. Oh, and to top things off, I found out about an hour ago that my GP is going to be off sick for a MONTH.

Also, does anyone know of anything my parents might qualify for, since they are struggling to look after me.

You can ask the DWP to provide a written explanation of why you were refused ESA. If nothing else, it may give you an insight to what they think and if it differs from your view of your own abilities then you have a good basis for an appeal.

Have your parents looked into the 'carers allowance' at all?

[Pandoren]

I actually DID ask them to explain and I got no reply whatsoever. I didn't appeal either time because being rejected puts me into a deep despondency that I don't get out of until after the appeal time is up.

They haven't... they actually don't know I've been diagnosed. Looking it up though, they can only get it if I'm on one of a list of disability benefits that I'm not on