I need a massive rant, please!
Good People of Reddit,
My situation just makes me want to SCREAM
I was in a professional career for 25 years. I was good at what I did. I never had any issues at work for decades.
However, over the last few years Life came along and gave me a good kicking. Close family members became very unwell and died, there was financial trouble, I became increasingly anxious and felt times of total panic and burnout where it seems like my brain had just simply stopped working.
What I didn’t realise at the time was that on top of all of that stress, I was also dealing with decades of undiagnosed inattentive ADHD.
I was targeted by one specific senior manager at work who wanted me out. I was subjected to a systematic bullying campaign by that manager and it was made clear that if I didn’t resign I was going to get fired eventually. So I resigned in 2025. By the time I got the ADHD diagnosis and treatment and was feeling better, it was too late to take my former employers to a tribunal.
I was in a trade union at the time and the union reps were practically pleading with me to take the employer to an industrial tribunal but at the time I couldn’t do it. I didn’t know about the ADHD yet and I felt like a mobile phone on 1%.
So here I am. I have literally been working in either full or part-time capacity since I was 16 years old. I have postgraduate qualifications. Several of them.
I have applied for a LOT of jobs. I’ve applied for a lot of jobs in my old profession and I always get invited for an interview but I always get passed over for younger candidates who have nothing like the experience or qualifications that I do. How do I know this? Because recruitment for these types of jobs tend to be lengthy affairs, with things like group tasks, individual tasks, presentations, as well as the final interview so you get a chance to chat to the other candidates.
I’m not begrudging employers for wanting to choose the candidate they feel is best for them. I am not saying that I did absolutely everything perfectly at every single professional recruitment event. I just want a chance.
I’ve applied for all kinds of jobs. I can’t even get an interview for stacking shelves in a supermarket.
I’m a lady of 57 years of age. Due to the legal changes made by the UK government I can’t claim either my State or private pension till I am 67 years old, that is 10 years.
I have a modest amount of savings which I’m living off at the minute, so that means I can’t claim any unemployment benefits.
I tried to claim disability benefits for the ADHD, it was turned down. I appealed and it was turned down again.
I don’t have a husband or partner. I’m seriously worried what I’m going to do when my savings run out. I worked really hard to buy my house and I won’t be able to maintain it on job seeker allowance.
I feel like writing to the Prime Minister, just to ask for his suggestions being as he is so clever and all
PRIME MINISTER, PLEASE TELL ME
WHAT ON EARTH AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!