WFA? POA? YSHC? PS? WTF?
Last August I thought it wise to inform the Pension Service that my mother had moved into residential care and therefore (amongst other things) wasn't eligible for her winter fuel allowance.
*ring* *ring* - press a load of "1"'s and "2"'s - and eventually...
"Hello, how can I help?"
"Yes, my mother's moved into care and I just..."
"Sorry, who are you?"
"I'm her son and I just wan..."
"Sorry, can't speak to you, Data Protection and all that."
"I have Power Of Attorney (so bloody well listen mate)"
"Sorry"
"No, just listen please, she's changed her address and I..."
"Ah, please send in the POA. Bye"
Right.
I sent off POA with a covering letter about her change of circumstance, my winter fuel concern and 'please send all correspondence to me', amazingly enough, get the POA back within 24 hours.
My sister rang me up a few days ago.
"I've just been to Mom's house and there's a letter from the Pension Service. I thought you'd told 'em everything?"
"So did I."
*ring* *ring* (again) (explain everything)
"Sorry, there's nothing registered. Can you send in the POA again?"
"WTF? No I damn well can't! Not at £5.80 each time!"
"Oh. In that case, go to your local Job Centre, they can fax it to us after stamping the copy as legit."
"Right. (thanks)".
I went to the Job Centre today. It was shut for lunch and it was raining. I waited in the cold for *precisely* 1:45 and waited for the doors to open. Nothing happened. I rang the bell. A very nice young(ish) lady opened the door and looked at me quite puzzled.
"Can I help you?"
"Yes the Pension Service told me to come to you and give you this document so you can fax it to them"
"Why would they do that?"
"Err, because my mother has moved and I need to inform them?"
"Does it help if I tell you that this isn't the Job Centre, but the Youth Sexual Help Clinic?"
"Ah."
She had no idea where the Job Centre was and suggested I try the Council Offices on the other side of town.
(time passes)
"Hello, Mrs Council Receptionist, can you tell me where the Job Centre is please?"
"Yes, it's in the square behind where the old Job Centre was, that's now the Youth Clinic. Do you know where that is?"
"Humph. Yes. Thanks"
(time passes)
I walked into the only official looking building in the square.
"Hello, it's about my mother, she's moved into care."
"Are you a resident?"
"Err, yes, I've lived here for 30 years. Why does that matter?"
"What house is it?"
"It's in Wolverhampton, but this is about me being POA, not about her house."
"We don't have any houses in Wolverhampton, we only deal with houses in Kent."
"Eh? But you're the Job Centre!"
"Err, no, we're the people who let houses to people. You want the Job Centre around the corner."
"(jeez)"
"(idiot)"
I eventually made it onto the Job Centre where the nice lady copied the POA document.
"What number shall I fax it to?"
"The bloody Pension Service in Edinburgh or wherever it is!"
"Sorry, we're the Government, we don't have joined up systems..."
I rang the Pension Service from my mobile.
"Please give me your fax number, and, by the way, you've paid my mother winter fuel allowance, even though she's now in a care home for the winter."
"Yes, that's right. She was in her own home at the beginning of July, therefore she is eligible for this year's winter fuel allowance."
Oh. Makes perfect sense...
*ring* *ring* - press a load of "1"'s and "2"'s - and eventually...
"Hello, how can I help?"
"Yes, my mother's moved into care and I just..."
"Sorry, who are you?"
"I'm her son and I just wan..."
"Sorry, can't speak to you, Data Protection and all that."
"I have Power Of Attorney (so bloody well listen mate)"
"Sorry"
"No, just listen please, she's changed her address and I..."
"Ah, please send in the POA. Bye"
Right.
I sent off POA with a covering letter about her change of circumstance, my winter fuel concern and 'please send all correspondence to me', amazingly enough, get the POA back within 24 hours.
My sister rang me up a few days ago.
"I've just been to Mom's house and there's a letter from the Pension Service. I thought you'd told 'em everything?"
"So did I."
*ring* *ring* (again) (explain everything)
"Sorry, there's nothing registered. Can you send in the POA again?"
"WTF? No I damn well can't! Not at £5.80 each time!"
"Oh. In that case, go to your local Job Centre, they can fax it to us after stamping the copy as legit."
"Right. (thanks)".
I went to the Job Centre today. It was shut for lunch and it was raining. I waited in the cold for *precisely* 1:45 and waited for the doors to open. Nothing happened. I rang the bell. A very nice young(ish) lady opened the door and looked at me quite puzzled.
"Can I help you?"
"Yes the Pension Service told me to come to you and give you this document so you can fax it to them"
"Why would they do that?"
"Err, because my mother has moved and I need to inform them?"
"Does it help if I tell you that this isn't the Job Centre, but the Youth Sexual Help Clinic?"
"Ah."
She had no idea where the Job Centre was and suggested I try the Council Offices on the other side of town.
(time passes)
"Hello, Mrs Council Receptionist, can you tell me where the Job Centre is please?"
"Yes, it's in the square behind where the old Job Centre was, that's now the Youth Clinic. Do you know where that is?"
"Humph. Yes. Thanks"
(time passes)
I walked into the only official looking building in the square.
"Hello, it's about my mother, she's moved into care."
"Are you a resident?"
"Err, yes, I've lived here for 30 years. Why does that matter?"
"What house is it?"
"It's in Wolverhampton, but this is about me being POA, not about her house."
"We don't have any houses in Wolverhampton, we only deal with houses in Kent."
"Eh? But you're the Job Centre!"
"Err, no, we're the people who let houses to people. You want the Job Centre around the corner."
"(jeez)"
"(idiot)"
I eventually made it onto the Job Centre where the nice lady copied the POA document.
"What number shall I fax it to?"
"The bloody Pension Service in Edinburgh or wherever it is!"
"Sorry, we're the Government, we don't have joined up systems..."
I rang the Pension Service from my mobile.
"Please give me your fax number, and, by the way, you've paid my mother winter fuel allowance, even though she's now in a care home for the winter."
"Yes, that's right. She was in her own home at the beginning of July, therefore she is eligible for this year's winter fuel allowance."
Oh. Makes perfect sense...
Comments