UC meeting on Monday.

I am trying to get some information for my daughters friend who is a single Mum and struggling with UC and her anxiety.

She has been asked to go into the job centre on Monday. And asked her to complete a work profile; how she can get to work, cv, qualifications, jobs had in the past etc. Which she feels can only mean they are trying to push her into more work, due to her not meeting the AET of 18 hours / £892 a month or whatever it’s called and will be trying to force her into finding more work. She is only contacted 7,5 hrs a week but does more with overtime.

She has no idea what to do, she doesn’t want to help them by doing the work profile (I doesn’t think it’s part of her commitments rn) but imagines the appointment will be very similar to last time- trying to push in the direction of a new job / forcing her to start applying for jobs within the 18 hours shes not “working” which is so frustrating because she works at her young children’s school, to fit in with school hours and terms, and where it is, she can’t drive. She works all the overtime they can give her.

We believe she has c-PTSD, but has no official diagnosis, but we think this may help subside them a bit, but know it’s it will take a time getting tested. Sheila is going to try to get a gp appointment, but we know this will take time.

She has found a job she can finally do without feeling over anxiety or looking over my shoulder due to an abusive situation with her ex. Due to the complications with her ex she hasn’t told UC about it. UC have discussed the free child care too but she has declined because doesn’t think her children need strangers looking after them after having so much upheaval earlier on in life, due to her ex who is there father.

She has been having counselling from clean slate for three years and it’s her councillor that says she believes she has ptsd, but as she’s not a medical councillor she can’t diagnose her sadly.

Any advice would be really appreciated on how to get UC to back off and stop causing her more anxiety, especially as she is due to meet with them on Monday.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

David,

Thank you so much for this.

As the appointment is on Monday and she will not get a gp appointment for sometime, is the best way forward for me to try to get her to tell them about her situation and state she is trying, (or maybe by Monday she will have) to get an gp appointment date to get a fit note?

Up until now she has never told UC about everything, and she is worried as she has been dealing with all this for three years, they will not believe her, she is such a private person.

I assume this will not stop them telling her she needs to find more hours until the fit note has been issued and UC have proof?

I am not on UC so don’t totally understand it sadly, but I do know you have a journal to fill in. Should she write anything on this before Monday? If so where on the journal and what does she need to state?

Thank you for your time,

She is so worried about this appointment and her anxiety is flaring, I am trying to give her the tools to help, she is a lovely young Mum who wants to work, but she needs to feel safe at work, which she has now found, and work around her children.

Dear Lorraine, your daughter's friend is blessed to have you helping her.
There is no reason I know of, if she would like this, why you cannot go to her meeting with her.
She can tell the member of staff that she is anxious and has brought you for support. I went to the Jobcentre to support a friend's husband who is waiting for his autism diagnosis, and we were both treated very well, to be fair. The original lady passed us on to a colleague who had knowledge of autism and who went as far as to say she could see the signs of it for herself in the client. He has had his work requirement for UC reduced to the two shifts a week [often 15 hours total] he has in a local shop, as he has never been able to cope with a full time post. I hope you are able to achieve a similar outcome for this deserving young Mum.
Best, Denby

Update….
Given her your advice and had a long chat. She has made an gp appointment for Tuesday and has put her medical information in her UC account. I am so proud of her.
She did say that she had told her work coach a few times about her anxiety but never gone into detail, and not once have they told her about fit notes or written things about this in her account. It’s so wrong, people should be given all the tools and information to get the help and entitlement they deserve.
Thank you so much, I will update when she has seen the GP and had her meeting on Monday, as I hope this will have others.