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UK Government review of Autistic employment prospects

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KitLily
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08 Apr 2023, 3:13 pm

Kaioken wrote:
KitLily wrote:
It doesn't surprise me about the bonuses for pushing UC claimants into work. They are already starting that. Did you know about 'work coaches' being put into doctors' surgeries to 'encourage' unwell people to go back to work. I think they mean long term sick, not people with flu etc. I think they want to get people to 'manage' their illnesses by going back to work.


Wow, no I had no idea about the work coaches in doctors’ surgeries. That is shocking, even by DWP standards. But thank you for mentioning it - I will be ready for it.

A few years ago, I was on DLA (Disability Living Allowance). After PIP (Personal Independence Payment) was introduced, I received a letter saying that I needed to apply for PIP. I thought it would be a straightforward thing. It turned out to be one of the most traumatic things I’ve been through, and I was totally unprepared.


I am trying to find an article to give the full details on the work coaches but they are all behind pay walls! I'll keep looking.

My daughter was on DLA, she had to apply for PIP aged 16, it is indeed very difficult and convoluted.


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KitLily
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08 Apr 2023, 3:20 pm

Kaioken wrote:
I belong in this category. People say I come across as “normal.” That is because I have learned to mask. However, I have many, many debilitating symptoms.

One of the new reforms the government has announced is that Job Centre work coaches will judge if people of are okay to work (rather than relying on the Work Capability Assessment). I agree with what carlos55 says about hf invisible autistic people. I believe that ill-qualified work coaches, on commission for slashing benefits, will attempt to send supposedly high functioning, invisible Autistics into work. And these work coaches will either be ignorant (because they are ill-qualified) or dismissive (because of their commission) of the very real risks of doing so


Same here, I come across as 'normal' for a while anyway. Then people see something 'weird' about me and everything goes wrong, especially in high pressure jobs and/or with lots of office politics and 'schmoozing.'

Yes that's scary that the work coaches will be the judges isn't it. I agree, I can just imagine the coaches thinking they know everything about everything and getting it all totally wrong.

Employers will not be happy at all. I just hope they blame the work coaches rather than the autists...


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carlos55
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08 Apr 2023, 3:34 pm

KitLily wrote:
Kaioken wrote:
I belong in this category. People say I come across as “normal.” That is because I have learned to mask. However, I have many, many debilitating symptoms.

One of the new reforms the government has announced is that Job Centre work coaches will judge if people of are okay to work (rather than relying on the Work Capability Assessment). I agree with what carlos55 says about hf invisible autistic people. I believe that ill-qualified work coaches, on commission for slashing benefits, will attempt to send supposedly high functioning, invisible Autistics into work. And these work coaches will either be ignorant (because they are ill-qualified) or dismissive (because of their commission) of the very real risks of doing so


Same here, I come across as 'normal' for a while anyway. Then people see something 'weird' about me and everything goes wrong, especially in high pressure jobs and/or with lots of office politics and 'schmoozing.'

Yes that's scary that the work coaches will be the judges isn't it. I agree, I can just imagine the coaches thinking they know everything about everything and getting it all totally wrong.

Employers will not be happy at all. I just hope they blame the work coaches rather than the autists...


I can just visualise bullying narcissistic "work coaches" making autistic people`s lives miserable because they can.

These people are not going to be trained psychologists or medical professionals, they are just ordinary bureaucrats with targets to reach and bosses of their own pushing them to hit those targets.

They will likely know next to nothing about autism, worse they probably bought into all the ND BS about superpowers that can do things if we`re pushed enough.

This will be another scandal like the UK Disability assessors wrongfully decreeing severely impaired people fit to work all again

https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news ... sabled-mum

Quote:
DWP apologises to autistic man after work coach threatens to stick pins in his eyes


https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/d ... -his-eyes/


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MrsPeel
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08 Apr 2023, 7:41 pm

Yikes.
When I read the OP I thought the review sounded like a "good thing", until I read the responses.
I'm obviously out of touch with how bad things have got in the UK.



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09 Apr 2023, 3:39 am

KitLily wrote:
However now I work for myself as a freelance editor. Editing is a very, very good job for autists btw!! ! It allows us to perfect things, work with defined rules, limit time with people, work quietly alone etc...


Can I PM you on this subject KitLily? Don't want to derail the thread, but I have questions. I can start a new thread somewhere if you're uncomfortable with PMs.


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KitLily
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09 Apr 2023, 5:16 am

carlos55 wrote:
I can just visualise bullying narcissistic "work coaches" making autistic people`s lives miserable because they can.

These people are not going to be trained psychologists or medical professionals, they are just ordinary bureaucrats with targets to reach and bosses of their own pushing them to hit those targets.

They will likely know next to nothing about autism, worse they probably bought into all the ND BS about superpowers that can do things if we`re pushed enough.

This will be another scandal like the UK Disability assessors wrongfully decreeing severely impaired people fit to work all again

https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news ... sabled-mum

Quote:
DWP apologises to autistic man after work coach threatens to stick pins in his eyes


https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/d ... -his-eyes/


I completely agree with all your comments. They will have 'targets' to meet, like salespeople do. They won't care about people's needs.

Those linked articles are horrific. I have a vision of some government official somewhere with a list ticking it off: 'one less person to give benefits to' (because they have been sent to hospital or have killed themselves)

The one with the biro and pins is freaky. It just shows a loose cannon work coach who could do something crazy, which could be all of them. The one with the disabled man killing himself is like structural ableism, a failure of everyone who was supposed to help him.


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KitLily
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09 Apr 2023, 5:17 am

DuckHairback wrote:
KitLily wrote:
However now I work for myself as a freelance editor. Editing is a very, very good job for autists btw!! ! It allows us to perfect things, work with defined rules, limit time with people, work quietly alone etc...


Can I PM you on this subject KitLily? Don't want to derail the thread, but I have questions. I can start a new thread somewhere if you're uncomfortable with PMs.


Can you start a new thread? I don't have my PMs open. Every time I consider it, some other abuse comes to light and I keep them shut. (on every site I use, not just WP)


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KitLily
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09 Apr 2023, 5:24 am

MrsPeel wrote:
Yikes.
When I read the OP I thought the review sounded like a "good thing", until I read the responses.
I'm obviously out of touch with how bad things have got in the UK.


Yes. It's really bad here. Every disabled person has to have a review of their disability every year to 'earn' their benefits. I don't like calling them benefits because they are necessities. But anyway, it's rare that the applications for benefits go through straightforwardly, there are always, always hold ups and people have to appeal in court.

For example, my friend is in a wheelchair, he has cerebral palsy. He needs assistance with everything and has a speaking device for when he wants to talk. Every year he is assessed for his suitability to work and has to appeal against the decision saying he can work full time. FFS.

If he gets a partner and lives with her, one (or even both?) of them will lose their benefits because of government rules. So he's never had a romantic relationship because he can't afford to financially. He is in his 30s. What sort of life is that for people? Not allowed to fall in love because it's financially too dangerous.

:x :x :x


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DuckHairback
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09 Apr 2023, 5:39 am

KitLily wrote:
DuckHairback wrote:
KitLily wrote:
However now I work for myself as a freelance editor. Editing is a very, very good job for autists btw!! ! It allows us to perfect things, work with defined rules, limit time with people, work quietly alone etc...


Can I PM you on this subject KitLily? Don't want to derail the thread, but I have questions. I can start a new thread somewhere if you're uncomfortable with PMs.


Can you start a new thread? I don't have my PMs open. Every time I consider it, some other abuse comes to light and I keep them shut. (on every site I use, not just WP)


No worries, I'll do so in Work and finding a job later.


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KitLily
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09 Apr 2023, 6:28 am

Can you let me know here and post a link? Because I'll never find it otherwise. :P


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DuckHairback
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10 Apr 2023, 6:22 am

KitLily wrote:
Can you let me know here and post a link? Because I'll never find it otherwise. :P


Yes. Thread is here.


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Kaioken
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10 Apr 2023, 6:25 am

MrsPeel wrote:
Yikes.
When I read the OP I thought the review sounded like a "good thing", until I read the responses.
I'm obviously out of touch with how bad things have got in the UK.


Yeah, things have got pretty bad here.

It seems that when there is a crisis, the government’s solution is to target disabled people. So when the David Cameron government came into power following the Financial Crisis, they set out to cut benefits. And now, after the Brexit and Coronavirus crises, the same is happening again.



KitLily
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10 Apr 2023, 12:19 pm

Kaioken wrote:
MrsPeel wrote:
Yikes.
When I read the OP I thought the review sounded like a "good thing", until I read the responses.
I'm obviously out of touch with how bad things have got in the UK.


Yeah, things have got pretty bad here.

It seems that when there is a crisis, the government’s solution is to target disabled people. So when the David Cameron government came into power following the Financial Crisis, they set out to cut benefits. And now, after the Brexit and Coronavirus crises, the same is happening again.


You hit the nail on the head Kaioken. They always blame the most vulnerable people who can't fight back, turn the rest of us against them (or try to) so we don't complain about it or do anything.


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KitLily
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11 Apr 2023, 5:45 am

This is what I was saying earlier in the thread. Someone has started a petition to send to the PM and the Chancellor about their plans to make long term sick people go to work instead of being signed off work. So it must be a real situation.

To: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt
Don’t force sick people back to work
Drop any plans to pressure GPs into writing fewer sick notes for people who struggle with long term sickness.

Why is this important?
Decisions over how to manage health and any long-term sickness should be between a patient and their GP. It's horrifying to think the Government could pressure GPs into sending people who are sick back into work.

They say it's to help boost the economy, but targeting sick people instead of corporations like BP and Shell that have made billions in profit, is cruel and short-sighted.

The Government must not include these terrible plans in its Spring budget.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ ... ck-to-work


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11 Apr 2023, 2:24 pm

KitLily wrote:
This is what I was saying earlier in the thread. Someone has started a petition to send to the PM and the Chancellor about their plans to make long term sick people go to work instead of being signed off work. So it must be a real situation.

To: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt
Don’t force sick people back to work
Drop any plans to pressure GPs into writing fewer sick notes for people who struggle with long term sickness.

Why is this important?
Decisions over how to manage health and any long-term sickness should be between a patient and their GP. It's horrifying to think the Government could pressure GPs into sending people who are sick back into work.

They say it's to help boost the economy, but targeting sick people instead of corporations like BP and Shell that have made billions in profit, is cruel and short-sighted.

The Government must not include these terrible plans in its Spring budget.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ ... ck-to-work


Good luck with the petition, however i think you`ll find its in the media where the power lays, both the news and popular tv shows.

They put pressure on the government and form the narratives and cliches like work shy scroungers or disabled fakers that stick in people`s minds.

There's also a sinister relationship between the two where the gov will use their friends who control those that create these things to form public opinion (like in fake disabled man in very popular UK tv comedy link)

Fortunately we now have alternative media, hardly anyone under 40 buys a physical newspaper anymore and the rest don't really subscribe to pay to read the online versions so its dying.

There`s also a wealth of tv channels too so the days of millions watching something on tv because theres only 4 channels and nothing else to watch are over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NamkLstWOrw


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KitLily
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11 Apr 2023, 3:14 pm

Yes I just sign petitions, I don't start them. Hopefully they have some effect, but it's better than sitting back complaining. I also write to my MP a lot, I bet she's sick of the sight of my name now but hard cheese.


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