Preparedness for when

Softstuff

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Where is everybody :huh:

Sitting in a state of shock. We just got formal mortgage approval, so the house is ours :eek: :j

I really need to get off my fat harris and oil the deck....

nuatha

Softstuff wrote: »

Sitting in a state of shock. We just got formal mortgage approval, so the house is ours :eek: :j

I really need to get off my fat harris and oil the deck....

Congratulations.
I know that means a huge amount of work ahead (and not just the deck) just hope it all goes smoothly for you.

GreyQueen

I'm still alive (boo! hiss!). Been busy and had about 2 weeks of feeling proper poorly to start the year. Did take time out to watch The Hobbit and noticed a couple of archery errors, tee hee.

I've been given archery homework - to practise my draw. You can do this with no arrow on the string, as long as you don't release the string. As with guns, this is known as 'dry firing' and is very bad for the bow. Because the energy has to go somewhere and it normally goes with the arrow, so if no arrow, you have a problem.

I tried to plead lack of indoor space but was told it was no excuse. Have also amused myself by trying to imagine what would ensue if I stepped out into the communal areas outside with a strung longbow, even one without an arrow.

My immediate neighbours include a former cage fighter with a short fuse and several people with mental health issues. I can easily envisage a visit shortly after from the local plod, so won't be able to do that, unless I am exceptionally bored and want to liven up my sad, wee life.

There was another burst water main in this city last night, saw it as I came home from archery class. We're still getting minimum 2 burst per week, I've never known anything like it. Aging infrastructure, anyone?

My water bill arrived yesterday. It's an estimate and I shall check it later, bit chilly to go outside now in my jammies. They only bill me every 6 months, you'd think the lazy so-and-sos could read the blessed thing, wouldn't you? It's outside, not like they have to chance catching me at home.

I also learned something interesting at archery class; although you can borrow compound and recurve bows from someone else, you do not lend a longbow. Especially a trad English longbow. The reason being is that they conform to the individual archer's draw length (the distance you can pull the string back) over time. Someone else uses it and has a longer draw length and it can snap the bow. Or in the case of a laminated bow like mine, cause it to twist and delaminate.:eek:

Righty, better see what the wicked of the world are up to or, failing that, check in with some other MSE threads. Have a good day, lovely peeps.

ETA CONGRATULATIONS to Softstuff and her hubby.

[Deleted User]

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Where is everybody :huh:

getting my karma sorted

clearing out and downsizing all my overdone prepping and shtf stuff, clearing spaces and getting on with life, making my home more comfortable for us and not for extreme `what if`

well you did ask and I am being honest

moneyistooshorttomention

Frugalsod wrote: »

I saw this which should be a cause for concern for many.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jan/20/jobcentre-hit-squads-benefit-claimants-sanctions

That is awful indeed.

Fortunately, the spells of unemployment I had myself were many years back now (ie before all this malarkey), but I was reading through the list of tactics DWP staff are told to use to hassle claimants and thinking I wouldn't like to be on the receiving end of that sort of stuff.

I lived in a city and could have made sure I turned up on time okay for every single appointment (even if they deliberately made me turn up daily)/applied for jobs I had no chance of getting (well...I used to do that anyway..as well as ask for the ones I actually wanted). However, even though I would have known exactly what the staff were up to and deliberately thought "one step ahead of them" as to what hassle they were likely to try on me next...I cant see how on earth it would be possible to turn up for appointments/job interviews I hadn't even been told about (as I'm not psychic) and I think that's a very dirty trick to play.

Just how on earth is anyone supposed to prove they had never been told about an appointment/interview? I'm guessing I would have turned the tables on them if they had mistakenly identified me as a "vulnerable person they could set up" and turned up at their office 9am every morning deliberately to ask if they had made any appointments for me that day and got the person I asked to sign a (dated) form from me each time to effect of "I confirm there are no appointments for me today". If enough people did that...then surely they'd get fed-up with all these extra people coming in each day to hassle them back/and protect their own backs?

Admitted I've not had to darken the doors of a Jobcentre for many a long year (so offices may be very different since my day)...but would that be a possible way for at least some claimants to "get their own back" if they felt they had been selected as a "vulnerable person to set up"?

EDIT; Remembering back and the only thing I can think of that I experienced was that the first time I was unemployed and had to sign on, I was told I was due a figure that amounted to my personal benefit only (ie nothing for my rent and one or two other household costs I was due for). I just thought it was an honest mistake on their part and told them what I was actually due for and got it. You've now got me wondering whether it was an attempted set-up going on, rather than an honest mistake...

There was also an incident where the first time I got back into employment I was due for a bit of a "run-on" of benefit for the first week or two and I didn't know that fact at the time. I never got it. I read subsequently that they were all told deliberately not to tell claimants about that and hope they weren't aware. (NB: That "run on" benefit has been abolished some years back now, but it was there at the time).

moneyistooshorttomention

Softstuff wrote: »

Sitting in a state of shock. We just got formal mortgage approval, so the house is ours :eek: :j

I really need to get off my fat harris and oil the deck....

Hang on in there a minute...have I missed something?

I'm not up on the latest news here I think. Have you sold your flat and bought a new house then? If so.... that was done at "warp speed" wasn't it? congratulations:T

jk0

I've always thought the dole office staff were a nasty bunch. (Sorry if any of you guys are one. I'm sure you are exceptions.)

I realise however, that they are only acting under orders, as they are worried about their own jobs. I guess that there are rather perverse incentives at work. (Getting people to stop signing on is the target.)

Back in 1996, Reading Jobcentre told me I'd have to take a cleaning job, when I turned down the rubbish wages offered by an electrical firm. Fortunately I had enough money to tell them to 'go to hell', but this and worse must happen every day.

Doveling

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04yk7h6

Think I've copied that correctly. It's about sanctions.

Karmacat

Softstuff: congratulations!

GQ: loving the archery

moneyistooshorttomention

Is feeling a bit "sick as a parrot" right now. There is a Radio 2 programme on right now that I've been listening to whilst making lunch. At intervals the "deliberate setting-up of claimants to fail" is coming up.

So...I'm listening along and there has been a good bit of debate about single parents shouldn't have to work nights and I've been thinking "Well...I don't work nights either and wouldn't even contemplate it" and I suppose they could do the same as I would and just lie and say they were prepared to do so???? but the truth of the matter is that its more a case of "Over my dead body that I would do that" and its something I regard very much as a case of "Nights are for sleeping and, if someone chooses voluntarily to work nights then that is their right. But anyone who doesn't choose to (for any reason) shouldn't be expected to - as nights are for sleeping".

I didn't like being turned into a liar back when I was unemployed. Up comes question of "What hours would you be prepared to work?" and the truth was "Standard office hours (ie at that point in history = between 8.30am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday) and I had to lie and say "Any". Then came the one about "How far would you be prepared to travel for work?" and I answered words to effect of "However far I had to", whilst the truth was "I expect to walk to work (ie I lived in a city and was only asking for lowish-level office jobs). If I absolutely HAVE to, then make that absolute maximum of 1 hour each way on public transport, with no changes".

I hated the system forcing me to lie like that...because I regard myself as an honest person and entitled to BE honest...but needs must...so I did.

But I'm feeling sick right now because a DWP person has been on the radio saying that, even back in the 1970s, there were instructions out to deliberately try and catch people out. Errr...yep...it does look highly likely to me that it wasn't an honest mistake that I had to tell them that I was due for rent/etc to be covered (ie as well as that personal benefit).

:eek:

As the man interviewed said "We could tell who was trying it on and who was genuine. You learnt after a while...but we weren't trusted to use our own judgement as to which was which...even back in the 1970s". Those weren't the exact words...but that was the general gist of it:shocked::sad:_pale_ as someone who was a genuine claimant (ie back in the 1980s in my case).

Adds on another layer of cynicism...