Dear Sirs,
This morning I received your letter from the government agency called nextstep. The first two sentences and I quote, “ We know that having to take a break in your working life because of illness can be a worrying and unsettling experience. However it does give you time to plan for the day when you are able to return to work.” are the most patronising crap I have read for a long time.
I understand that you want me to meet with a skills coach to help me to see what skills I already possess. Forgive me, but I already know that. I was a Production Manager, I am a Science Graduate and had to give up the chance of an MSc and possibly a PhD because government rules at the time would not allow me enough money to rent a bedsit to live in, in addition to paying my course fees. I would have had to sell my house.
Thank you but I do know how to write and update a CV after all I used to be the one hiring and firing, neither do I need a relaxed environment to help me focus on future goals. I have that already in my stress-free darkened room.
What I would like however is for you lot in your ivory towers to stop spending money on sending the likes of me fancy leaflets and reply paid postcards offering me services I do not need, not only for the reasons stated above but also because I don’t think I will ever be going back into paid work.
It pains me to write this but who is going to employ me at the age of 50, unsteady on my feet and not knowing whether I will be able to work today, tomorrow or even next week? Who will employ me when I am speaking all the wrong words and outsiders think I am drunk? Who will employ me on the day my hands won’t work, the days my balance goes and the days my vision is blurred, that is presuming I am sufficiently pain free to be able to get out of bed in the first place.
What I would really like is for your agency to take a whole box of your leaflets and go and see Prof Simon Wessely and to give them to him in a manner in which he understands that he is in full, painful receipt of the whole box. Along with his cronies, he is the reason I have inadequate treatment for my illness and the cause of my present predicament. If you could undertake that small service I am sure I could arrange to be there.
This morning I received your letter from the government agency called nextstep. The first two sentences and I quote, “ We know that having to take a break in your working life because of illness can be a worrying and unsettling experience. However it does give you time to plan for the day when you are able to return to work.” are the most patronising crap I have read for a long time.
I understand that you want me to meet with a skills coach to help me to see what skills I already possess. Forgive me, but I already know that. I was a Production Manager, I am a Science Graduate and had to give up the chance of an MSc and possibly a PhD because government rules at the time would not allow me enough money to rent a bedsit to live in, in addition to paying my course fees. I would have had to sell my house.
Thank you but I do know how to write and update a CV after all I used to be the one hiring and firing, neither do I need a relaxed environment to help me focus on future goals. I have that already in my stress-free darkened room.
What I would like however is for you lot in your ivory towers to stop spending money on sending the likes of me fancy leaflets and reply paid postcards offering me services I do not need, not only for the reasons stated above but also because I don’t think I will ever be going back into paid work.
It pains me to write this but who is going to employ me at the age of 50, unsteady on my feet and not knowing whether I will be able to work today, tomorrow or even next week? Who will employ me when I am speaking all the wrong words and outsiders think I am drunk? Who will employ me on the day my hands won’t work, the days my balance goes and the days my vision is blurred, that is presuming I am sufficiently pain free to be able to get out of bed in the first place.
What I would really like is for your agency to take a whole box of your leaflets and go and see Prof Simon Wessely and to give them to him in a manner in which he understands that he is in full, painful receipt of the whole box. Along with his cronies, he is the reason I have inadequate treatment for my illness and the cause of my present predicament. If you could undertake that small service I am sure I could arrange to be there.
Yours faithfully,
An ME sufferer.
3 comments:
I think I got a similar in the US. I had to fill out a yes/no questionnaire that stated I am being reviewed to determine if I can go back to work. It was very frustrating as many of the questions weren't simple yes/no questions.
The worst part is that I could tell that some of the answers set off a red flag for further review, and I set off some red flags.
I haven't been out of work nearly as long as you, and I'm a couple of years younger than you, but I don't see how anybody is going to want to hire me. I will lose all of my income and health insurance if they decide I am no longer considered disabled.
This has been keeping me awake at nights, and I know you aren't supposed to worry about things you don't have control of, but I do.
They're all at it Carol unfortunately. They just think all the time about 'malingerers' they don't think about us truly sick people and the effect it is having on us.
It's hard not to worry really.
I'm with you Jas. I'm glad you've told them about your professional experience.
I would also get very "uppity" if they dared to suggest retraining etc. for me. I would hand them my CV with all my qualifications and experience.
Maybe we should retrain to be check out operators?
Vicki x
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