Jobs for the chronically ill

[Guest]

DWP advised I need to apply for PIP and I will do it but I do want to stay active and work as much as I can for my mental and physical health.

I am looking for jobs that can be done working from home and / or  in well ventilated (no air con) large office spaces, without tight deadlines or hectic interactions and for a limited numbers of hours per week (up to 12 hours max per week).  

Ideally I am the perfect accurate and convenient candidate for jobs like:

- editing, reviewing, checking contents for publishers and websites

- assisting website maintenance, backups and other data operations in my own time

- merging, parsing, redacting documents

- organising folders and archives 

- uploading, downloading and organising files and data using specific software or platforms

- checking, editing, compiling, creating indexes with or without software

- testing software features and usability walkthrough 

- running search and retrieving data 

- identifying sources

- data input 

- checking automatic translations or summarisations 

- checking keywords, tags, codes . 

I have long term health conditions that do not allow me to do other jobs that are frequently offered here.

For instance, I cannot drive cars or vans because occasionally I suffer from double vision and while this implies a low risk walking or riding a bicycle can be a huge problem on a busy road where I cannot stop promptly.

I cannot clean domestic or business premises because allergies and infections.

I cannot have caring or communication responsibilities or jobs that require reliable presence and performance without interruptions because these are incompatible with my health conditions (I suffer of sudden IBS attacks and neuropathies,  hoarseness of voice and sore throat, coughing and shortness of breath or vision issues so that I need to stop whatever and rest or do something else in a different environment). 

I may be able to stand for long hours one day but becoming easily breathless and with tachicardia the next day just after 20 minutes standing.

Thank you very much if you can offer any suitable job.  

[Guest]

No luck so far.  It is true is August but if you can think about few things you would like to have sorted in your busy office or work from home context I am sure something could come out. I can also help with shopping / accounts management / correspondence / errands / bills / computers / phones. Thank you. 

Edited August 13, 2023 by Guest

[yorksgirl]

Hi Stalent

Hope you do get some response.  I was reading your post and thinking, why does central and local government not help people with long term illness, by identifying types of work / tasks they could take on, and prioritise those people for that work?  For example - not something you mention, but there is loads of minute-taking to be done in government and associated third sector organisations. Something people with mobility issues / older people could do, joining by Teams or Zoom. 

Also going to be plenty of editing work and other types of work which you do mention.

Seems to me this would be so doable for government to get to grips with.   Instead they are exhorting the over 50s to take on fast food-type delivery by bike.  When I heard that I suspected it would be more about reducing the over 50 population through being mown down by trucks or having heart failure while trying to make manic schedules designed for 20 year old males.

Have sent you an idea by PM, may not be appropriate but just a thought.

Best of luck in your search.

 

 

[Pugwash]

Does it have to be paid work? There are plenty of organisations around (many registered charities) who need help with computers/IT  compiling/editing files etc. 

[Guest]

Thank you yorksgirl,  I agree with everything you said and thank you for your suggestions.  Any idea is welcome. I have 40 years of experience to offer, I have worked with people from all walks of life in several industries and yet this is the 4th month in a row without any earnings coming in.... So any suitable job would be happily considered.

Today I have heard the radio saying there are 2,5 milion people in the UK economically inactive or claiming benefits because chronically ill. There are also medical recommendations (EULAR 2021, https://ard.bmj.com/content/82/1/48) to keep people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases into work: as far as I can see these will become more and more relevant in the coming years because people live longer and unfortunately one in ten people in the UK at present has an autoimmune disease that limits the range of activities or number of hours we can work.  

It would not be waste of public money if any job center had at least one person actively calling HR managers  within large organisations and recruiters and ask to  commission some hours of work / work packages to people like me.

I am struggling to just get by with a Universal Credit standard allowance of  £368.74 per month. My self-care management  requires not less than 15 hours per week as a minimum,  I volunteer about 3 to 6h per week to share my knowledge and give advice to help other people with autoimmune diseases and when there are no jobs I keep on researching writing and updating my skills.  So it must be paid work Pugwash, I cannot work for free.   

 

[Pugwash]

Job Centres have little regard to those unable to work or are limited in which jobs they can  undertake, due to health problems. My husband was medically retired at age of 56 due to a long term health condition and was advised by his hospital that he should only apply/undertake part time work. He signed on at the job centre and produced a medical letter confirming that he should only work part time but was informed that he must look for full time work. He was not (and still is) not able to use IT and asked the job centre to put him on a computer training course to increase his chances of employment. They refused.

He went for several interviews but was turned down due to his health. He was taken off job seekers allowance as he had failed to find employment. Fortunately I was working full time so with cutting back, we managed to scrape through with a mortgage to pay for.

 

[Guest]

So sorry to hear you have such bad experience with DWP Pugwash.  If there is anything I can help you with - including benefits applications,  nutritional counselling, finding legal and medical experts and other specialists that can support you etc etc  -  please do  contact me privately. If it is something I can sort out in less than 15 minutes I would not charge you.  I charge only the minimum wage to assist  people that are on benefits or on the process of claiming  some benefits and I am still quite fast and very efficient with documents, paperwork, computers and the like in spite of troubled eyes!  

Of course  matters of policies, incentives and disability benefits are important.   As you may have heard in the last 48 hours, the issue has now become hot! 

[Sue]

On 16/08/2023 at 18:25, Pugwash said:

Job Centres have little regard to those unable to work or are limited in which jobs they can  undertake, due to health problems. My husband was medically retired at age of 56 due to a long term health condition and was advised by his hospital that he should only apply/undertake part time work. He signed on at the job centre and produced a medical letter confirming that he should only work part time but was informed that he must look for full time work. He was not (and still is) not able to use IT and asked the job centre to put him on a computer training course to increase his chances of employment. They refused.

He went for several interviews but was turned down due to his health. He was taken off job seekers allowance as he had failed to find employment. Fortunately I was working full time so with cutting back, we managed to scrape through with a mortgage to pay for.

 

This is appalling behaviour by the job centre, though sadly I am not surprised.

Could he not appeal? Alternatively, could his MP help? 

I once won an appeal against a job centre decision, so it is possible!

 

Edited August 18, 2023 by Sue
Typo

[Guest]

I mentioned PIP and DWP  in my post and then replying to yorkgirl to make clear that I am  looking for work as a freelance with  limitations and adjustments due to a health condition. 

I think  comments about welfare benefits for the long term sick and discussions on related policies  - that I myself find very intriguing, perhaps I should do paid work for a think-tank or MP on this matters   -  should go in  another section of the forum, if that is alright.

 

[Pugwash]

Many thanks for all your support. Hubby threw himself into voluntary work (St Christopher's) who have been very supportive over the years when his condition is such that he spends weeks in bed. He has been officially retired with state pension and occupational pension for over 6 years and I took retirement in 2016. Fortunately, neither of us have been big spenders and our family will say that we are a bit 'mean' or rather frugal with money, so with careful housekeeping we get by. My previous employment included assisting others in gaining benefits and also dealing with various legal /financial affairs for others.

[Guest]

Good for you. Still nothing  coming up for me in terms of work - only positive thing is that I  have to care only for myself and it is enough!  A husband would be ... an additional cost of living.