Ollie U

To be honest, I didn’t feel fully understood by my work coach at the Job Centre. As a full-time carer for my 3 children (one of them with high level of special needs), I came with unique challenges, but it felt like the system wasn’t built to listen to that. I was expected to meet the same job-search requirements as someone with no caring responsibilities, and explaining my situation didn’t always lead to understanding, just more pressure.

There were times I felt like I was being set up to fail—not because I didn’t want to work, but because no one was willing to adapt expectations to the reality of my life. Sanctions felt like a looming threat, and I lived in constant fear of saying or doing the wrong thing, even though I was doing my best.

If work coaches were truly trained to listen, with empathy and if the system allowed more flexibility, I think a lot of stress, harm, and unnecessary sanctions could be avoided. We don’t need tougher rules, we need a fairer, kinder system that sees the full picture.