Clave
Senior Master Sergeant
This is not a *quite* a crisis but it will be very shortly.
I have been self-employed for over a year and had getting good contracts from my former employer, but that has stopped - only 2 jobs since April, and a a few tiny jobs for others. So basically my savings have been drifting down, and from a high of 16,000, they have hit under 2,000 and will be gone by December.
Now the 'falling through the cracks' part:
I have diabetes, which is not critical in itself, but the side-effects are causing a problem - nerve damage to hands and feet mean that my work potential is limited. To give you an example: I can open the plastic lid on an aspirin bottle but only if I wear a glove or pad my fingers in some way, otherwise it is too painful to put that much pressure on. I can walk about, but not long distances, type, but not a huge amount (it is hurting now btw)
So, I applied for Employment Support Allowance, and as part of that went to see a doctor about getting a certificate, but no dice.
The next try was Jobseekers Allowance - so after a few calls I got through and they said "Are you available for full-time work?" I said "Not really, I can do some things, but not everything" and so they didn't want to know.
So, basically I don't fit into a category of 'someone who can be helped' and this is hanging over my head, and it's pretty much all I can think about...
I am happy to work, and even happier to work at home, god knows I have never taken a penny off the government in my working life (1974 on) but now? Well I need something or Christmas and the new year are going to suck, badly...
(Sorry to whinge on, but I kind of wanted explain why I'm not around half the time)
I have been self-employed for over a year and had getting good contracts from my former employer, but that has stopped - only 2 jobs since April, and a a few tiny jobs for others. So basically my savings have been drifting down, and from a high of 16,000, they have hit under 2,000 and will be gone by December.
Now the 'falling through the cracks' part:
I have diabetes, which is not critical in itself, but the side-effects are causing a problem - nerve damage to hands and feet mean that my work potential is limited. To give you an example: I can open the plastic lid on an aspirin bottle but only if I wear a glove or pad my fingers in some way, otherwise it is too painful to put that much pressure on. I can walk about, but not long distances, type, but not a huge amount (it is hurting now btw)
So, I applied for Employment Support Allowance, and as part of that went to see a doctor about getting a certificate, but no dice.
The next try was Jobseekers Allowance - so after a few calls I got through and they said "Are you available for full-time work?" I said "Not really, I can do some things, but not everything" and so they didn't want to know.
So, basically I don't fit into a category of 'someone who can be helped' and this is hanging over my head, and it's pretty much all I can think about...
I am happy to work, and even happier to work at home, god knows I have never taken a penny off the government in my working life (1974 on) but now? Well I need something or Christmas and the new year are going to suck, badly...
(Sorry to whinge on, but I kind of wanted explain why I'm not around half the time)
