Pathways to Work Experience

Hi Everyone

I just had my first Pathways to Work interview today. The woman from Jobcentreplus who interviewed me was very nice, very pleasant, very sympathetic about my health problems, and had a very short memory.

For the first ten minutes she put me at ease by letting me talk about my health problems, in an open office, with a colleague observing her (don’t know whether she was a supervisor or a trainee learning the craft, with me as the guinea pig). She said her colleague was only observing herself and not me, so I was quite happy to discuss my health problems in front of her colleague. Then she got down to business.

She quickly forgot everything I said about my health problems, and probably the fact that I have a health problem at all, and started talking about getting back to work. She felt that because I worked as a computer programmer in 1988, I must have good I.T. skills and that I must be good at organizing, prioritising, switching tasks (these words sound very similar to Activity 16), and that lots of companies would be interested in taking me on. I had to remind her that 1988 was 22 years ago and that things have changed since then. Both with my health, and in the computer industry, and that very few companies would want to take on somebody who hasn’t worked for 22 years and has mental health problems. Maybe she was just trying to boost my confidence, to make be feel ready for work.

She said I might be interested in a self-employment course. I told her I don’t feel up to it at the moment. She said that it helps to be prepared, and I can do the course in preparation for when I feel ready for self-employment. She didn’t realise that I was referring to the course itself rather than self-employment.

She told me that very few people are incapable of working at least 16 hours a week. That was certainly news to me, and I’m sure every B&W member will be enlightened by that information. Or was she just trying to make me feel special? Perhaps she was suggesting that very few people claim ESA. Or perhaps she was suggesting that very few people who apply for ESA really couldn’t work.

She informed me of the appeal process (I gathered from another post that this is routine) and at one stage she accidentally said ‘result of the appeal’ when she meant ‘result of the medical’. Although I haven’t had my medical yet, I have already read the Appeal Guide in preparation for an appeal. I would have thought if anyone got medicals and appeals mixed up, it would have been me.

The good news she gave me is that I don’t have to attend my second interview until after I have a medical and receive the results. But just in case I enjoyed the experience so much and couldn’t wait for my next interview, I was given the option of volunteering for an earlier one, which will be with a private sector company.

At the end of the interview I did say to her that seeing a counsellor would be helpful and probably the most suitable next step, and asked if it could be arranged. She said that I would have to go to my second interview with the private sector company, and they may be able to provide support. I decided to pass on that generous offer and await the results of the medical.

I get the overwhelming impression that ESA is more about getting back to work and managing your health problems until you get sacked, than dealing with your health problems so you can be ready for work.

Hi Derek

Of course it is. What ever made you think otherwise. Instead of tackling those that need tackling, the government and its operatives will always go for the easy hit time after time.

I'll certainly look forward to my own interviews as and when they come...just what I always wanted to be interviewed by a 12 year old who really could not give a damn one way or the other.

Listen??? What ever made you think they would listen? Clearly there is always quality within a department such as JCP, but I have yet to bump into it.

good luck Derek.

BTD