Why should I have to??

Why is it that I have to continually badger and harass people to even attempt to get anything done, I keep asking myself. I have as you know been trying to get this Grant for what I think is critically needed alterations to the house that will enable me to actually go to bed and most just as importantly, have a Bath or Shower. Due to my worsening condition I haven’t been able to get upstairs to where the Bedroom and Bathroom are for probably 8-9 months now and as a result of this it is and has been, causing so much stress and pressure not just on me alone but also on my relationships with my Judith and Tara. Just the whole psychological effect of not feeling clean at any time, although I quickly add that I am strip washing every day, but this isn’t the same is it?, is playing havoc with what little amount of brain cells I have remaining.

It seems all I get from people when I do eventually get to either speak to them or they reply to a letter or Email etc, or in the case of Mr Smith MP, NOT REPLY!!! Is the well practiced automated response that “We are looking into this matter and will let you know when we have heard anything”. My interpretation of this phrase would be something like, “BULLSH*T, BULLSH*T, BULLSH*T, BULLSH*T”, etc etc , I think you get the idea. Then it’s the 2-3 week wait or more in so many cases before you contact them again to pretty much be told a completely identical reply. This just goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on, Jeeez I sound like Mrs Doyle, “Do you want a cup of tea?”.

There is another phenomena that never fails to absolutely irritate me, that’s is apart from “Patientline”, which talking about them day light highwaymen you should all head off to visit, after finishing reading this of course, Peters new Blog called “PaytientCrime” on all things “Patientline” as well as anything else that causes hassle for patients/families etc. It will no doubt attract a lively debate as has his original post and comments on the subject which you can read on the new blog or on his “Peters Hospital Diary” blog. Okay lets get back to the rant shall we?? Oh yes “The Phenomena”!! It is The Benefits Agency, in all its guises. Whether it is The Benefit Enquiry Line, The Income Support Helpline, and The Carer’s Allowance Help centre etc etc . THE WHOLE BLOODY LOT OF THEM!!! I tried ringing yesterday to chase up a claim which has been ongoing since January now. They have already managed to conveniently lose one of my forms in the meantime as well as all the other hassle they are causing. I started to ring at 9.30am and finally after around 20 phone calls or so and lots of banging my head against the wall I got to the person I needed to speak to who was dealing with my claim at 12.45pm. What has been happening is that locally as in Wales I think it is, they have been moving responsibility for assessing and paying out benefits between one place and another and are happily using this excuse as to why things are taking their time. I know just from various people who have rang to confirm one detail or another on the forms that my actual application has been in offices in, Bridgend, Barry, Penarth, Cardiff, Aberystwyth and Newport and that’s just the ones I know about. The poor thing must be knackered by now. So when I asked the million dollar question, “What’s Happening With My Claim?” I sat there waiting for the dimwit on the other end of the phone to find the relevant response card entitled, “The Bullsh*t Answer” and recite off his part with the usual gusto. To my surprise he didn’t actually do this, instead he told me that all they have been waiting for is a phone number for Judith’s past employer as I never put one on the form and as I had spelt the company name ever so lightly wrong they had difficulties finding the number on the internet too. A BLOODY PHONE NUMBER!!!!! Is that all you want a lousy phone number. Why didn’t you ring and ask like all the other drones who have hassled me for information. He hadn’t even felt the need to write to me requesting the number either, so until I would have eventually rang they wouldn’t have done anything about it, which would have meant having to start the whole process over again. In about 2 mins flat I gave him the number which I got from the internet by changing the slight spelling mistake, (all it was, was instead of it being Synergy I had put Synergie) They were the only business in the area with any name that even resembles it in all the searches I did. Well, he gave me the usual assurances that the claim will now be processed, which will probably mean being sent to yet another department and area, “I hear it’s nice in Rhyl this time of year”. I am however not as optimistic as he is that it should all be straightforward now. Well for those of you mere “Normal people” and the odd few “Crips” like me, you will now, through bitter experience haw the whole system works or rather, like Mr Smith MP, Doesn’t Work!!!!!

Oppps!!! That’s 2 digs at the completely useless, hopeless, ignorant, pointless Mr Smith. I really must control myself!!

See Ya!!