I'm based in UK, graduated several years ago and had mental health problems (mainly severe anxiety) keeping me out of/from looking for work after graduation as well as waiting for a diagnosis of autism (high functioning.) I was working part time as student but they literally denied me more summer hours, so alongside a breakup, I had a nervous breakdown, just went onto sick leave and disability and got stuck there.

Besides volunteering and various employment and training schemes which fell through due to EU funding cuts (and most recently COVID-19), to get rid of the black mark on my CV and get out of the house/have purpose, last year I completed a TEFL. I was originally going to China to teach English and leave the nest until coronavirus first broke it, although I always had cold feet about going. I've had no luck applying for any sort of sales, admin or customer service job, however I have been successful in both interviews for TEFL (the first I declined due to delays with the Visa.)

I had started looking at getting some experience in a school to help me get a feel for working as a teaching assistant, however due to coronavirus causing school closures it's unlikely I'll get any for several weeks now even if I did apply.

At the moment I have 2 real options open to me besides continuing to apply for office jobs

Online Distance Learning training courses to become a T.A. (e.g. CACHE). As soon as I updated my CV on CVLibrary etc. I got emails and phone calls from agencies like The Training Room and another random one halfway across the country asking if I'd like to enrol on their courses. I am supposed to have decided by tomorrow. Tutoring apps, in particular I'm looking at Tutorful (set up account but inactive/haven't applied for 1st client yet) and TutorNinjas (thinking about applying, this would require an interview and to make up an occupation though.)

The problem with 1. is I hear TTR is a scam, over-charges (it is very expensive for an online qualification imo) The other agency has a tiny Facebook page and no reviews except one bad one which might have been about a different company. I've been warned that if they don't offer a placement in a school then it's not worth the paper its on. Beyond this I'd love to do these courses, but some people in my life see my pursuing education and training as a way to avoid employment.

The problem with 2. is I have no experience or real confidence about being an entrepeneur and specifically filing tax returns as self employed, and given I am coming from unemployment I don't have the finances to hire an accountant long term.

As far as people to talk about it with I've got

Friends who are either still studying, chronically unemployed or have only known retail and public sector work e.g. DWP Family, including a mum who doesn't think I'd be able to cope and said that the tax side of things was a nightmare. Mum was not convinced about the TA online course either, nor me returning to uni to get a Masters; she really wants me to get an office/admin job The latest employment gateway scheme supervisor, who knows about my mental health problems and basically is like my mum, not sure I'd handle a school (this is disheartening) but also suggesting I'm avoiding by looking at more online courses etc. An older friend who can help, but is actively against the public sector and government in general such that I have to be careful what I say or it will trigger her into ranting at me about how the fact I am on disability benefit is evidence of a bad work ethic, which sends me into an anxiety spiral.

I really don't know what to do, I thought that joining these apps would be an easy way to make some spare cash a few hours a week and get an idea about whether I'd want to continue in the education sector or go ahead with making use of my TEFL.

N.B. I have some limited experience working in a volunteer capacity with kids, one of which I'm currently doing