then people wonder why “bureaucracy” is at the top of my to die list

[erastes]

Just spent two bloody hours in the dole office being treated like a fucking criminal because I didn’t receive my appointment letter until the day of the appointment and so consequently missed it.  I was grilled like something out of NCIS and then had to fill in about 20 forms – all this done by some flossie who CLEARLY had no fricking clue what she was doing, and had to go and enlist help about six times.  And kept saying “So you are saying that you didn’t receive this letter.”  ARGH. Then I had to wait for over half an hour while an adjudicator decided whether my “excuse” was “just” (surprise surprise, he did) and then finally I could sign on.

Then I made the mistake of (despite having been told that it was the best place to raise it) telling the said flossie about my carer application.  She knew ABSOLUTELY nothing about the logistics of this, didn’t know who handled it, or who to contact (despite me having found a helpful booklet on her desk while she was off on one of her help missions) or what benefits I could claim or who to go to for help.

How is this more efficient? TWO HOURS!!!

- -

Comments

[aunty_marion]

And this is why I no longer sign on. "One step outside the UK and you have to RE-APPLY FOR EVERYTHING HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Honestly. I thought the idea was to get people to sign off, and getting me as a carer, gets me off the books i was staggered they had no idea about the process. Apparantly this new "miss your appointment and you have to sign a statement" takes place today but she had no idea what she was doing - she asked me to sign one of the forms and I refused because it said "the letter was posted on 24th march" - and I said "i'm not able to avow to that, I'm sorry." the questions were pathetic and just like NCIS. "Have you had any problems with your post before" I put: "Who hasn't??" and "have you reported these problems and if not - why not?" Me: "bcause it's the royal mail - i'm always getting post for other people so I'm quite sure other people get mine!" What a waste of bloody time and paper.

[aunty_marion]

Stupid gov'mint. *smites*

Even local gov'mint is crap. I requested from the local library - online - a copy of The Folklore of Discworld on March 27th. I checked, also online, and found it was waiting for me, so I picked it up. On April 1st. (Yes, I know...)

This morning's post contained a slip from the library, telling me that the book was available to collect and would be held until the 6th (i.e. today).

POSTED on APRIL 1st!!! I ask you.

[lexin.livejournal.com]

You do know that Brown cut 35,000 staff from the DWP? Mostly from Jobcentre plus. And then replaced them with limited period appointments who are clueless. And even their contracts are about up so the situation is likely to get worse not better?

Point to note: All three parties have promised to cut even more civil servants so that service will get even worse.

[enolabloodygay.livejournal.com]

That is SO crap! The legislation has NOT changed, except for the fact that if you are late for 3 appointments (note - THREE, not late on the day for one), your benefit may be sanctioned for one week, not disallowed for one day.
The correct process, should you feel like enlightening poor Flossie, is a warning if you are late on the day, a warning letter if you then arrive late for the next appointment, followed by referral to an adjudicator if you arrive late for the third successive appointment.
No, you're right, she wouldn't appreciate it and they would probably mark you down as a Smart Alec and put you through the mill every time you went in.

Not surprised she has no clue about CA, she is probably on a temporary contract and has had minimal training. But someone there should know.

[beckyblack]

There are days one thinks "the Golgafrinchams had the right idea." Then again, I'm pretty certain I'm B Ark material myself, so let's not go there.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

There were big notices up saying that if you missed ANY appointments you would have to give a valid reason or you could have your money stopped for up to two weeks.

Looks like they've taken matters into their own hands!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid you've entirely lost me...

*baffled*

[beckyblack]

LOL, I wondered about that. :D

It's a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy thing. A couple of the characters end up on an "ark" type spaceship, full of people who say that they were told their planet was doomed and they all had to leave. That they'd be put into three arks, the A ark full of all the leaders and thinkers etc. The C ark, for people who actually make stuff and did all the manual work. And the B ark for all the inbetweeners. Bureacrats, advertising executives, hairdressers, telephone sanitizers etc

The B ark was filled and blasted off first and strangely enough they haven't seen any sign of the other two arks since they left the planet. But they're sure they must be back there somewhere. Not that they can do anything about it, since the ship's course is preprogrammed. And for some reason nobody explained to them, set to crash into their destination... Funny that...

Guess where the B ark people end up and whose ancestors they are. ;-)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

ah yes, i remember that - Arthur had a rabbit skin pouch. :)

[beckyblack]

That's right. :) I often have days at work where I think "I'd so be on the B ark" and think about going to retrain as a brickie or something. :D Or if I get published one day, maybe I can be A ark material.

[enolabloodygay.livejournal.com]

Sounds to me like a certain Jobcentre haven't read their guidance properly, in that case.

[cassiopaya.livejournal.com]

Sounds like my dealings with unemployment.