Saturday, December 16, 2006
..........and stand well back... and update!
I've had enough. I have been patient, nobody can argue with that, but it came to a head on Friday. My wife still hasn't received the Benefit owed to her from the beginning of November. We've had so many excuses, most based around the need for information from our local office, but on Friday I managed to contact them and they firmly stated that all relevant details had been passed to the main office at Swansea.
So I rang Swansea, and gave them this information. They were unable to pass this to the payments team because the office was closed for the afternoon. They were having a Christmas party! I then asked for the contact number or address of the Ombudsman who can deal with a complaint about the way our situation has been handled, and was told that the information was not available......... but someone would phone me back on Monday. I put the phone down.
To day, I had written to The Rt. Hon. John Hutton M.P, the minister for the D.W.P, the top honcho. I have fully detailed times, dates and subject discussed, the excuses and the broken promises. Even the fact that when I mentioned to one operator that I would have to go around with a begging bowl, she suggested that I take a dog with me as people are more generous when you beg with animals! Funny? Not really!
Now it's a case of wait and see. I didn't really think this would be settled before Christmas, but I did hope. Merry Christmas Department of Work and Pensions. Merry Christmas.
18th. Dec.
A part result today........... after another five phone calls, and for once they actually returned a call! The confusion has come about because my wife is older than me......... a whole three weeks. Her disablement benefit alters and three weeks later the Support I claim is transferred to another department. The information has not been transferred when it should have been as it was only asked for on 11th Dec, not soon after the 7th Nov. as we were lead to believe. Anyway, they have agreed to pay her four weeks benefit to the end of December, and have promised to rectify any back payment by then. We will see.
The fact that I mentioned my letter to the Minister might have had something to do with it, one can only wonder!!!!
So I rang Swansea, and gave them this information. They were unable to pass this to the payments team because the office was closed for the afternoon. They were having a Christmas party! I then asked for the contact number or address of the Ombudsman who can deal with a complaint about the way our situation has been handled, and was told that the information was not available......... but someone would phone me back on Monday. I put the phone down.
To day, I had written to The Rt. Hon. John Hutton M.P, the minister for the D.W.P, the top honcho. I have fully detailed times, dates and subject discussed, the excuses and the broken promises. Even the fact that when I mentioned to one operator that I would have to go around with a begging bowl, she suggested that I take a dog with me as people are more generous when you beg with animals! Funny? Not really!
Now it's a case of wait and see. I didn't really think this would be settled before Christmas, but I did hope. Merry Christmas Department of Work and Pensions. Merry Christmas.
18th. Dec.
A part result today........... after another five phone calls, and for once they actually returned a call! The confusion has come about because my wife is older than me......... a whole three weeks. Her disablement benefit alters and three weeks later the Support I claim is transferred to another department. The information has not been transferred when it should have been as it was only asked for on 11th Dec, not soon after the 7th Nov. as we were lead to believe. Anyway, they have agreed to pay her four weeks benefit to the end of December, and have promised to rectify any back payment by then. We will see.
The fact that I mentioned my letter to the Minister might have had something to do with it, one can only wonder!!!!
# posted by LePhare @ 11:52 PM 
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Do you think the Rt. Hon. will do the Rt. Hon. thing with this? I certainly hope so!!
It's terrible...just absolutely terrible...and then think of the people who live from one benefit cheque to the next...and this happening to them. Bloody eejits.
I hope this gets sorted soon Ian.
P.S. I always give to the person with a dog, what can I say, I'm a sucker for a dog!!
It's terrible...just absolutely terrible...and then think of the people who live from one benefit cheque to the next...and this happening to them. Bloody eejits.
I hope this gets sorted soon Ian.
P.S. I always give to the person with a dog, what can I say, I'm a sucker for a dog!!
# posted by 
: 12:12 AM
: 12:12 AM
I'm not too worried about the money. Anything owed will be back dated, but there will be others, not in such a 'comfortable' situation as ourselves, that would have been placed in a dire situation by these non-payments.
Hope it works, and I will follow it up with a phone call to Swansea to tell them what I've done.
Hope it works, and I will follow it up with a phone call to Swansea to tell them what I've done.
Sounds like the operator was taking the right p when she mentioned to you about taking a dog with you...f-ing hell!
The office party, I'm sorry but perhaps I'm being a scrooge here, but I think perhaps they could have it AFTER work hours??? I mean they don't sell carpet or toilet rolls....they're dealing with something far more important to people's lives especially considering as you say other people may not be in such a comfortable situation as yourselves.
The office party, I'm sorry but perhaps I'm being a scrooge here, but I think perhaps they could have it AFTER work hours??? I mean they don't sell carpet or toilet rolls....they're dealing with something far more important to people's lives especially considering as you say other people may not be in such a comfortable situation as yourselves.
# posted by : 7:50 AM
: 7:50 AM
Yup those Rt. Hons. wield a mighty sword at times!!
Am glad it's all working out finally Ian, how frustrating for you!!
Being a toy boy has consequences hey - my guy is my toy boy too, by almost 7 years though ;)
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Am glad it's all working out finally Ian, how frustrating for you!!
Being a toy boy has consequences hey - my guy is my toy boy too, by almost 7 years though ;)
# posted by : 3:32 AM
: 3:32 AM Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
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