MSE Parents Club Part 11

redstararnie76

Grrr. Sorry to vent, and please feel free to skip.
I've waited in all day as the garage are meant to be collecting my car today (with my daughter climbing the walls - she really needs some fresh air...). I rang them this morning and was told they would be here 'later this morning'. Still no sign, so I rang them 5 minutes ago to be told that their driver's not back yet 'but I'm next on the list'. I pointed out that I needed to go out at 3.15pm, and was told to leave my mobile number so they could ring me - but I'm taking my daughter to her swimming lessons, I can't just come back! Grr, so now they're saying that they can't guarentee he'll be here by then, and they'll have to come tomorrow - I really can't take another day stuck inside waiting in case they decide to turn up eventually....
Sorry for the rant..

My_Fathers_Daughter

SusanC wrote: »

I've claimed three times:
First time: received HB after about six months and CTB after about a year.
Second time: no significant problems
Third time: A complete nightmare - took four months to receive first cheque. Benefit incorrectly stopped without warning twice even though after the first incident we made a formal complaint and became the example in training. We had to go in almost every week with information - within eighteen months I had a whole ringbinder full from the correspondence between us.

It is the same people who do the council tax though and they tried to take me to court because they were too busy to read their correspondence.

I think it probably works well if your circumstances are constant (i.e. no fluctuating income or temporary/occasional jobs) but personally it was the times of great variability that I was claiming and the times of stability that I wasn't. The system doesn't seem to be able to cope if you are non-standard in any way.

The systems are woefully inadequate in general...and a case such as yours would need an experienced Benefits Officer to work on it...potentially for days at a time (these things aren't as easy as they seem) but they are there nonetheless and I hate the idea that there are millions and millions of pounds going unclaimed because people are distrustful of the system / find it to be too much hard work as much as I hate the millions and millions of pounds that gets claimed fraudulently each year.

It is just a sad state of affairs - the money doesn't go anywhere more deserving if it doesn't come to you, the government use it to pay bankers bonuses


See - this is why I don't work in benefits anymore (that and I earn more bossing hairy construction workers around!!)

jillie1974

having never claimed HB i'm not sure how the system works (not aksing) but i presumed it was just like Tax Credits...one easy to fill in form

i'm like MFD though... so many people fraudulently claim and get benefits no problem but those who could use it dont claim as the forms/prev experience puts them off!

i just think that if you are entitled to something you should get it. no matter how small. sm- i know you have had a rough time in the past so totally understand your resons for not going down the HB route again.

jillie1974

anyone seen this...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8604663.stm

Buttonmoons

jillie1974 wrote: »

anyone seen this...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8604663.stm

What were they thinking :eek:

SugarSpun

:rotfl: Jillie.

I imagine they didn't have health insurance and are now stuck paying the ridiculous repatriation fee for bodies. It costs a fortune, apparently.

redmel1621

I was also threatened with court and ended up being interviewed under caution(when 7mths pregnant) and only managed to come to an 'agreement' a few weeks before kai was born!

They wouldn't admit full liability, but I didn't have enough proof to prove it was them at fault, not me....They ended up wiping half off the amount they were trying to make me pay, I agreed to paying the other half otherwise it was up to me to fight it in court and given that I was heavily pregnant, couldn't really be bothered!! I am still paying them £80pm that I can't really afford.....I HATE THEM!!!

jillie1974

SugarSpun wrote: »

:rotfl: Jillie.

I imagine they didn't have health insurance and are now stuck paying the ridiculous repatriation fee for bodies. It costs a fortune, apparently.

any body repatriated has to be put in a lead coffin and it takes ages to sort out.

Buttonmoons wrote: »

What were they thinking :eek:

i know!!

r.mac_2

Now I've forgotten what convention I'm meant to be using in order to ask a question - so I'll just do it in bold!

Can anyone recommend a cup/beaker with a straw? Annabel loves sucking liquid through a straw from a littel carton (we've had a couple of instances where mummy has forgotten her cup!), but she doesn't get juice - just water normally. She drinks much more liquid than normal this way, which is great, but I'm not buying her juice all the time just to ensure she drinks lots of fluids Plus it's not as healthy as water and I ahve no way of watering a carton down.
So I'm looking for a plastic cup version. It needs to have a lid/sealed top otherwise she's liable to spill it everywhere. I've looked in all the shops I've been to recently but not seen anything suitable.

Should I just buy a pack of plastic straws and supervise very carefully?! Please can anyone help?

My_Fathers_Daughter

:T:T:T

Ooo - a shiny new HTC Hero being delivered to me tomorrow


Dunno if I will like it - Hubby told me that it was the one I wanted :rotfl:




OMG - a body on a plane - can you imagine if he was sitting next to you :eek: