Work Focussed Interview as Full Time Carer?

[phaedra]

Having been through the horrors of being switched from IS for my own disabilities onto ESA WRA and eventually being put back onto IS as a full time sole carer for my Autistic son I've now been advised I have to attend a work focussed interview next Tuesday.

I've had to ring (number on the letter doesn't work!) and re-arrange it as I'm in hospital this afternoon for an op on my bottom end and not sure when I will be up and around fully, also have my left shoulder now strapped up after physio and the interview is upstairs!, also asked them about a toilet due to chronic IBS, they can't let me use theirs but I can go to the library next door and ask to use theirs!.

I stil have to arrange getting someone to come and be here with my son while I'm out (if I can get out) as we had to let his PA go as they wanted him to pay £58 a week towards her payments out of his £113 a week!.

So, any idea what they will be asking me to do or what they will be expecting me to do?

[Duncan]

Having been through the horrors of being switched from IS for my own disabilities onto ESA WRA and eventually being put back onto IS as a full time sole carer for my Autistic son I've now been advised I have to attend a work focussed interview next Tuesday.

I've had to ring (number on the letter doesn't work!) and re-arrange it as I'm in hospital this afternoon for an op on my bottom end and not sure when I will be up and around fully, also have my left shoulder now strapped up after physio and the interview is upstairs!, also asked them about a toilet due to chronic IBS, they can't let me use theirs but I can go to the library next door and ask to use theirs!.

I stil have to arrange getting someone to come and be here with my son while I'm out (if I can get out) as we had to let his PA go as they wanted him to pay £58 a week towards her payments out of his £113 a week!.

So, any idea what they will be asking me to do or what they will be expecting me to do?

You will be interviewed about the care you provid to your child and whether you can also work. The Job Centre would tell you what help they can give you to get into work. You would be given suggestions by the Job Centre as to steps you can take to get into work, but you dio not have to actualy do anything. The main thing is to attend the interview.

[phaedra]

Well that was a fun interview

After a bad night worrying about it and setting my IBS into overdrive I ended up taking 6 Immodium between 7am and 10am this morning, still had to make 4 trips to the loo to get out the door at 11:15.

Meeting was up two flights of stairs which was painful but manageable, the chap I was supposed to see wasn't there but they found someone else to do it. He asked me why I'd applied for ESA then changed my mind and applied for IS as a carer, I nicely explained that I was shoved onto ESA without a medical or being asked if I wanted to stay on IS as a carer and that it had taken 3 months to get it sorted as no-one had any idea how to move me back.

After very quickly noting a few bits about my own health problems (didn't really seem interested in them) and when I last worked (signed off as totally useless by GP in 2002) he then asked very little about what type of care my son needs. After going over what benefits/rent/council tax etc. we receive he did a quick calculation and asked if I knew that if I worked 16 hours a week I'd be £50 a week better off, I'd be able to work up to 16 hours as it wouldn't affect claiming carers allowance.

I asked him if he realised that I actually had very little chance of getting out of the house on a regular basis due to the IBS let alone my physical mobiity problems, and even less chance of being able to find a job that would suit and employ a 56yr old disabled, incontinent and mobility impaired adult for 16 hours a week. Also that if I did manage all of that I'd actually be £78 a week worse off as I'd have to pay someone to be with my son for the 16 hours I wasn't there, his P.A. was on £8 an hour so that's £128 a week going out less £50 a week coming in

He asked if I'd heard of the carers service etc. that ended up with me telling him about the two formal complaints and complete lack of any support for my sons or my own needs over the last 6 years, I think at this point he wished he hadn't asked.

At the end of it all he wished me well and told me I could come back and ask for advice at any time. I managed to get down the first flight of stairs before some idiot chav almost had me down the second by walking straight into me.

[Duncan]

After very quickly noting a few bits about my own health problems (didn't really seem interested in them) and when I last worked (signed off as totally useless by GP in 2002) he then asked very little about what type of care my son needs. After going over what benefits/rent/council tax etc. we receive he did a quick calculation and asked if I knew that if I worked 16 hours a week I'd be £50 a week better off, I'd be able to work up to 16 hours as it wouldn't affect claiming carers allowance.

It's not the hours of work you do that affect your carers allowance, it's how much you earn. As long as your earnings are under £100 a week take home, you still get carers allowance.

Where you get income support as a carer, you can earn and keep the first £20 a week working under 16 hours a week. Any earnings over £20 a week are taken off the income support.

[phaedra]

Thanks for clarifying that Duncan

Realistically there's not a chance of me getting a job, had a look online this morning and I couldn't find a single thing I would be suitable for. Yesterdays 6 Immodium had worn off by 5pm last night and it's back to the usual routine

Hopefully my recent tests will give me some answers and point towards a solution. My son has to be out Sunday and as there's nobody else that can take him it'll be another dose of Immoodium Sunday morning and no doubt the usual dive into the bushes on the way there and back

[Duncan]

Thanks for clarifying that Duncan

Realistically there's not a chance of me getting a job, had a look online this morning and I couldn't find a single thing I would be suitable for. Yesterdays 6 Immodium had worn off by 5pm last night and it's back to the usual routine

Hopefully my recent tests will give me some answers and point towards a solution. My son has to be out Sunday and as there's nobody else that can take him it'll be another dose of Immoodium Sunday morning and no doubt the usual dive into the bushes on the way there and back

There's this campaign group trying to get improved public toilets. Might be of use.

http://www.britloos.co.uk/

And there's this site where you can find your nearest public loo with an app you can download to your mobile phone so you can find one where you are.

http://www.findatoilet.co.uk/

[phaedra]

Excellent stuff

I'm almost getting this into a fine art, on the way to/from my sons clay pigeon shoot (50 mile round trip) I know where I can stop if I have to.

I've also made a note of where all the local hospitals/walk in centres are and which public buildings are open weekends as they all have nice clean accessible toilets