I have not had much experience with work coaches. But back in 2015 to 2019, I was on carers allowance due to my son going through chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation x 2. My son was on high rate care and mobility, and every six months I would be asked in for a work focused interview. I phoned the job centre, who then voided this interview and they said not to worry as it was a standard thing that was sent out and due to my circumstances it didn't apply to us.

I’ve written about this before and currently have no interaction with the work coaches, although I know this will change once my youngest child is 13.

When my child reaches 13 next year, I will have to find more working hours. At the moment I’m working 28 hours a week to fit around my children. I will possibly be subjected to job centre visits and once again talking to the work coaches who treat me like a number - a part of the job they must finish, it’s a tick box exercise . Most will not help me to find more work. I just hope I will find a full time job by then.

“Summer’s Here, So’s the Fear”

A poem about free school meals vanishing over summer.

Ah, summer—the season of sun,

Of ice creams and barbecues,

For families with money, it’s fun—

For us? It’s budgeting voodoo.

The bell rings its final term-time chime,

Kids cheer like it’s Christmas Day.

But for us, it’s hunger o’clock time—

Three meals, seven days? Okay.

During term, there’s magic—school food:

A hot meal, no charge, no shame.

Now it’s back on us—ain’t that good?

Oh look, poverty’s a game!

Let’s pack up a picnic of air and hope,

With a side of whatever’s on sale.

We’re gourmet chefs with no damn rope,

Crafting “snacks” from what’s least stale.

“Make it fun!” the leaflets say—

Turn lunch into a ‘learning goal.’

Sure, just teach my toddler to filet

A tin of beans with a broken soul.

The fridge hums low, a pale, cold ghost,

Cupboards hold their silent dreams.

One child longs for crisps the most,

The other weeps in quiet streams.

Tesco’s till says £42.90,

My purse says, “You’re joking, right?”

I put things back with hands all clammy—

Just rice tonight… with candlelight?

But hey, let’s not be bitter—

The government says, “It builds grit!”

They think hunger makes us fitter—

Character, forged while we eat… jack shit.

So cheers to the summer, raise your toast

(If you’ve still got bread to burn).

To struggling parents coast to coast—

May school meals soon return.

And when they do, we breathe, then brace—

A fragile calm in a brutal race.

For summer comes with quiet dread,

As empty bowls return instead.

Hope everyone is doing okay

Having high fever is really bad can't even open my eyes and u need to take the kids to the park is bad

I haven't had a huge amount of experience with work coaches because I have had high rate PIP and previously DLA for a long time but when I have had to go in and see them it's been an utterly terrifying experience. I've been humiliated and asked really intimate questions in a packed public environment where I haven't felt comfortable to answer like why I have a PTSD diagnosis. The abuse of power has been tremendous and I have panic attacks just trying to call the DWP now.

Keir Starmer’s Labour government has finally published its #WelfareBill ....A vote will take place in the next few weeks..

The facts:

🔴 3 million households will face cuts. (DWP)

🔴 One in five families (20%) living with a person with a disability will lose financial support. (Big Issue)

🔴 An estimated 800,000 current and future PIP recipients will lose an average of £4,500 a year (DWP)

🔴 Of the 2.69 million people claiming PIP, 510,000 are working.

Under the government’s plans, 281,000 – more than half – will lose their PIP. (DWP)

🔴 The government will freeze the health element of Universal Credit, claimed by more than two million people, at £97 a week during this parliament, and cut the rate to £50 for new claimants.

🔴 An extra 250,000 people will be pushed into poverty - including 50,000 children (DWP)

Tell your MP to

#StopTheCuts ⤵️

https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons

#KeirStarmer #RachelReeves

#LizKendall #Labour

#Greedflation 📈💰 #LabourCostOfLivingCrisis

#WelfareCuts #PIP ✂️♿️😢

#LabourAusterity ✂️♿️

#TakingThePIP ⬅️

#EnoughlsEnough ⬅️

#DisabilityRebellion ❤️

#EndAusterity ⛔️

#StopTheCuts ⛔️

#WelfareNotWarfare ✅️

#TaxTheRich ⬅️

#StarmerOut ✅️

My regards,

I have little or low experience with Universal credit since I'm not entitled to one. I'm still on Asylum process.

Thanks

I often felt like the system was set up for those who already understand it, not for people like me who were just trying to survive and make sense of everything. Sometimes, I was unsure of what was expected of me, and even when I explained that I had appointments related to my asylum claim or health issues, the requirements didn’t really change or adapt to accommodate that.

In my opinion the work coach doesn't understand the circumstances of disabled people and impose their decision which affects disabled people's mental health as well. So, it is essential to appoint third party consultation firm to assess disabled people's physical status plus situation to get right benefits rather than lose out money.

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.

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.

I have been going to the Jobcentre for nearly 4 years. I am not any near getting work in fact I am in worse position now. I never felt supported. confident. I was getting the help I needed to get into work going to the Jobcentre. In fact the situation has only got bad. But more people are need to speak up about their experience in terms of what service they have gained going to the jobcentre because the work coaches just say they are doing their job and doing it right. But I believe work coaches should be able to get us into the right jobs for us within the first 6 months and if not should be sacked. It needs to be the right hours wage, contract, organisation and job. And if you want to do a course you should be supported to do and after doing a course for example if you have done a degree in law and want to be become a lawyer afterwards that's what you should be able to become with the help of the job centre and universities should be ensuring this as well.