A father-of-two who battled addiction and homelessness is hoping to break down benefits' stigma and find new work by tweeting about his job search. James Doris, 35, has an impressive work history with big-name employers from the railway industry.
However, the tenacious dad said he is struggling to find a job due to a stringent budget that sees him unable to afford a suit or laptop for virtual interviews. His decline began after suffering a back injury.
An addiction to prescription pain killers saw him taking 32 pills every day. His relationship collapsed soon after, which led to him being homeless and sleeping at bus stops.
James has been clean for two years and is grateful for the roof over his head. As reported by BirminghamLive, James is living in shared accommodation near Solihull town centre and is "desperate to contribute to society".
He claims competition for jobs, issues with the benefits system and a move towards remote interviewing has made it extremely difficult for people who are down on their luck to find work. After bills, James said his Universal Credit allowance leaves him with £2 a day to live on.
He has also had to rely on the kindness of strangers from Twitter to loan him a laptop and a suit for interviews. "It's not enough to live on," said James, who is from Kingshurst.
"After bills and basic shopping, I'm living on £2 a day. If I need to get a bus somewhere, I have to try and plan it for the same day.
"I've been in the system for over two years now. I used to have a good job but I ended up becoming addicted to pain killers from the doctor.
"After two years, I realised I'd lost so much weight and at my worst point, my relationship broke down. I was taking 32 tablets a day, it was a really bad.
"I was living on people's sofas, in bus stops. I was truly homeless for about four weeks and I ended up unemployed.
"I got myself clean and got into shared housing and about a year ago, I started to try and get my career back on track. But it's very difficult when the support isn't there."
James said he was turned down for a job due to him not having a suit. The Department for Work and Pensions provided him with £70 towards new clothing, which James said came too late for the interview.
"I've had six interviews in the last three weeks which I got rejected for," he said. "It is a knock to your confidence to get turned down again and again, but you just have to keep going.
"One of them, I didn't get because I didn't have a suit. I felt like a tramp.
"I've begged Universal Credit for help but it can take ages for them to get back to you. I had one interview where they wanted us to do a video but I couldn't get hold of a laptop in time.
"There's a massive demand for work at the moment so there's a lot of people going for one role. A lot of places have moved over to technical interviewing too since the pandemic, which for some people just isn't an option.
"It's embarrassing to have to say that I don't have a suit or I don't have a laptop. I've got two As and a B at A-level, I've worked at Network Rail as a planner, then I worked at Chiltern and then I got the job at Wembley.
"I've got a good CV and experience but think how many people out there don't have that. How are they expected to get work and get their lives back on track?
"I just want to contribute to society." James recently took to Twitter to appeal for help ahead of a job interview and received two donations of suits and a laptop on loan from a kind-hearted stranger who cycled to his home to drop it off.
He's hoping to change people's perceptions of benefits claimants and has been tweeting about his experience seeking work. "The idea that I sit at home with the latest phone and wide screen TV, living the dream is nonsense," James said.
"I'm up every single day, working my hardest. I have a little girl who needs a role model, I don't have time to waste.
"I think a lot of people do see that the benefits system is broken, but they tend to vent their frustration towards the people are claiming. But there are a lot of people like me who are desperate to find work.
"The last few weeks, I have been the recipient of a lot of people's kindness, which I'm very grateful for. I hope more people stop generalising people on benefits and be a bit kinder."
A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said: “We provided Mr Doris with £70.57 for clothing and travel. We have offered access to computer facilities and our work coaches have been receptive and supportive in Mr Doris’s search for work.
"Universal Credit offers a vital safety net to millions of people, enabling them to support themselves and their families while building towards financial independence through work. Our dedicated work coaches are connecting people with available opportunities and we’re helping more people to access one-on-one tailored support.”
