I'm on ESA and my work advisor as part of the work programme made me and a few others on ESA and JSA do a group interview with him, and will do so once a week, because he thinks we're more than ready to go into work and is going to make us do job applications and the like.
The thing is, I'm doing a voluntary job one day a week and am looking to start a full-time voluntary job to see how I would cope, I'm still struggling with depression and I feel I've worsened, I'm struggling with even the easiest tasks and have really neglected myself, I just don't have it in me to even shower (sorry but it's the truth). I've started a new med so I feel even worse on those at the moment, which he knows about. He keeps telling me I've come on leaps and bounds but I know he's just saying that, all he sees is me sitting next to him and nodding without saying anything for 5 minutes a week, most of the time looking rough... He used the fact that I did a confidence course as a reason for me coming on leaps and bounds. It was one hour a week for 4 weeks, sitting in a room with this woman and 2 other people at the place I have to go to answering her questions. It was senseless, even a staff member agreed! I only went because it was mandatory.
Anyway, are group sessions even allowed with ESA claimants? I didn't like it. He asked us to fill out a form about our strengths, weaknesses and why we think we're out of work etc... Obviously mental health is the reason for mine and he wanted us to read them out, I had to tell him no. I don't want to keep doing that and I'd rather my business was kept between me and him.
He also mentioned something about making sure we get into work in March because something about Housing Benefit is changing in April? Didn't quite get what he said but does anyone know what that might be?
Thanks in advance.
(I feel so bad for not getting out of this depression yet, but I don't know what else to do, I'm on my third dose of medication, have had 2 counsellors, I eat healthier and my sleeping pattern is a lot better, I force myself to keep busy and force myself to talk to people, and I have the voluntary job to help me as well, but I just want to hide under my bed covers all the time the minute I'm home, the smallest thing exhausts me and when I'm out in public I just feel really dazed and nervous... I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm so close to losing ESA because my advisor thinks I'm getting better as well...)
The thing is, I'm doing a voluntary job one day a week and am looking to start a full-time voluntary job to see how I would cope, I'm still struggling with depression and I feel I've worsened, I'm struggling with even the easiest tasks and have really neglected myself, I just don't have it in me to even shower (sorry but it's the truth). I've started a new med so I feel even worse on those at the moment, which he knows about. He keeps telling me I've come on leaps and bounds but I know he's just saying that, all he sees is me sitting next to him and nodding without saying anything for 5 minutes a week, most of the time looking rough... He used the fact that I did a confidence course as a reason for me coming on leaps and bounds. It was one hour a week for 4 weeks, sitting in a room with this woman and 2 other people at the place I have to go to answering her questions. It was senseless, even a staff member agreed! I only went because it was mandatory.
Anyway, are group sessions even allowed with ESA claimants? I didn't like it. He asked us to fill out a form about our strengths, weaknesses and why we think we're out of work etc... Obviously mental health is the reason for mine and he wanted us to read them out, I had to tell him no. I don't want to keep doing that and I'd rather my business was kept between me and him.
He also mentioned something about making sure we get into work in March because something about Housing Benefit is changing in April? Didn't quite get what he said but does anyone know what that might be?
Thanks in advance.
(I feel so bad for not getting out of this depression yet, but I don't know what else to do, I'm on my third dose of medication, have had 2 counsellors, I eat healthier and my sleeping pattern is a lot better, I force myself to keep busy and force myself to talk to people, and I have the voluntary job to help me as well, but I just want to hide under my bed covers all the time the minute I'm home, the smallest thing exhausts me and when I'm out in public I just feel really dazed and nervous... I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm so close to losing ESA because my advisor thinks I'm getting better as well...)