“Nobody cares whether I’ve worked my whole life,” says Jo, 53, from Sheffield. “They hear the words ‘universal credit’ and think you’re a scrounger. As a workaholic, it’s hard for me to process not working. I feel like I’ve got no purpose, no worth.”
The mother-of-two held roles in the public sector all her life, including years as an adviser at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). However, when declining health forced her out of work, she found herself facing the other side of the benefits system.
