I Managed To Avoid Getting Too Down On My Birthday
In a way it's just another day...or it is now...
But the day is not over yet.
I slept well, my mind did not wander too much to sad matters...then I went downstairs early this afternoon and found two letters on the mat in the hall...
One was from my landlord...informing me that I am approx £500 in rent arrears. That this goes back as far as the end of April around the time Mum passed away. That my Housing Benefit had been suspended!
I'm still unsure why they left it almost 6 weeks before informing me so I could've sorted it all out sooner.
After having me upset and believing that I may lose the roof over my head, I managed to talk to the appropriate department at the council and it was a mistake and all is ok at this minute...also the money the landlord says they are owed had been sent over to them so someone somewhere has messed up!
The department I talked to said that they had sent me a letter about the mess up and it should've arrived here perhaps two weeks ago...it hasn't!
What could've made my Birthday not so good has been corrected and I am feeling much calmer again...
I shall have a rest and then decide what to have for my Birthday Evening meal, I suspect it may be a pizza and salad...there's exciting for you...
It's definitely cooler today and I may have to think about putting something warmer on and perhaps an extra blanket when I go to bed...Now where are my hot water bottles?
Someone heard my story about Mum when I was shopping today(well I'd mainly gone out to get my prescription drugs and some milk)and tried to offer me £10 as a gift...I didn't take it but it was a lovely gesture...I wasn't offended that it was offered, I'm not proud and am always ready to accept help and suggestions. But you have to weigh a situation up...
But the day is not over yet.
I slept well, my mind did not wander too much to sad matters...then I went downstairs early this afternoon and found two letters on the mat in the hall...
One was from my landlord...informing me that I am approx £500 in rent arrears. That this goes back as far as the end of April around the time Mum passed away. That my Housing Benefit had been suspended!
I'm still unsure why they left it almost 6 weeks before informing me so I could've sorted it all out sooner.
After having me upset and believing that I may lose the roof over my head, I managed to talk to the appropriate department at the council and it was a mistake and all is ok at this minute...also the money the landlord says they are owed had been sent over to them so someone somewhere has messed up!
The department I talked to said that they had sent me a letter about the mess up and it should've arrived here perhaps two weeks ago...it hasn't!
What could've made my Birthday not so good has been corrected and I am feeling much calmer again...
I shall have a rest and then decide what to have for my Birthday Evening meal, I suspect it may be a pizza and salad...there's exciting for you...
It's definitely cooler today and I may have to think about putting something warmer on and perhaps an extra blanket when I go to bed...Now where are my hot water bottles?
Someone heard my story about Mum when I was shopping today(well I'd mainly gone out to get my prescription drugs and some milk)and tried to offer me £10 as a gift...I didn't take it but it was a lovely gesture...I wasn't offended that it was offered, I'm not proud and am always ready to accept help and suggestions. But you have to weigh a situation up...
posted by The Great Gildersleeve | 4:55 pm
11 Comments:
I'm not being nosy, but roughly how much money has your Mum left you ? & did she keep any hidden away at home ?
I suspect whoever overheard your story, must have thought you were down to your last penny ? !
What a mess up at the Council and the Landlord's offices. It seems to me that nobody knows what they're doing any more.
You were quite right to get it sorted out straight away, Gildy.
No point in worrying yourself sick about it unnecessarily.
P.S. Yes, I did get your email, thank you.
I'm agreeing with Anon!
That person must have heard you pleading poverty and felt sorry for you. Good for refusing it though. You could hardly have taken it!
Sorry but however poor I was , I don't think I'd be telling complete strangers in shops all about my situation , to the extent that they offered me money ! It's a bit below your dignity don't you think ?
Anon,
I've mentioned what Mum has, no point going over that again...
It is going to be tough, that said anyone would worry getting a letter like that.
It's all there for anyone to see...I don't think if anyone manages to have a nest egg for emergencies today its a bad thing...I'd say that whether you are in work, retired, ill or unemployed.
The threshold is too low...if you were allowed more in savings perhaps more people would not have to ask for help from the Government in the first place and could manage longer into old age...
I can see why older people distrusted banks and the interest given in banks is so low these days.
Many who own their own homes are not always ok, they often need some extra cash for those repairs that need doing.
One of the few relatives I have needs her roof repairing(replacing more like)
The Father of my best friend at school had a heart bypass/hips replaced and though a medical professional, he watches how often he puts the heating on, how often he can afford to run the car, his garden needs some attention as does his house. Many are suffering...
And for those who think I have been spending too much, there is nothing now that I need or want. Unless you include a mattress and a sofa.
Really I haven't bought much, I replaced old tv's that are almost clapped out(I did not buy a 42"+ TV and what I have is modest in size)I have some ovens that I hope will save on electric if I try to have a hot meal so it's not on as much.
My food store cupboard is not as large as you may think. I've tried to choose things that last a long time and I can throw a meal together if I am caught short and most of what I have are not well known brands so they are not expensive.
Thrifty? I bought 16 three ply toilet rolls for £4(packs of 4 rolls £1 each)bought in a pack of 16 they come in at around £6.50. BTW a well known brand like Andrex(2 ply)with 9-12 rolls in the supermarket can come in at nearer £9+ I have seen packs of 4 toilet rolls(2ply)costing £2 so to me, that's a bargain and I have not given up on quality.
This offer is in Wilkinsons and though not a well known brand the quality and price is good...I think the brand is called Imatations 3D. Even at the usual price its quite good value and its better than some of the cheaper brands that fall apart...or you go through quickly becase you use more.
As long as I can stay reasonably warm, watch a bit of tv and listen to the radio, do some things on the computer and eat I'm happy. I can accept that I have health problems, it might have been you on a previous post/comment who said most of us have and that is true.
VQ,
A neighbour over the road was asked if she'd changed her name by the same departments(she hasn't)they'd said they'd lost her daughter's birth certificate(and then it arrived in the mail at her home)and she too has had her benefits suspended and had to sort things out.
Some time ago a taxi driver said I would have times like this that would stress me out.
The people I was talking to knew Mum and they were concerned for me, she did not know Mum had passed away(well it was two actually)and one of them almost said "How's Mum?"
The person who offered help had come passed me just after I had talked to Mum's friend and saw me struggling with some shopping bags...
She was also a person who kept mentioning "Jesus!" I don't know that she heard me talking about the letter...
I think she had just seen me hobbling about and heard that Mum had passed away recently and probably wanted to do a good deed and felt a bit sorry for me...
There are some nice people still in the world.
I'm still not always sure which Anon I am replying to and sometimes what I say is taken the wrong way...
I'm sorry that in some ways I seem to cause hostility towards me...when I think I am quite open and honest.
Most of the time I think I am coping quite well considering how its still early days and its quite a sudden change in circumstances...and most of the time I am not feeling sorry for myself I just get on with it!
I've looked at my post again I never said the passer by heard about my finances or the letter, I just said she heard me talking about Mum probably just that Mum had passed away some weeks ago so there has been some assumptions made.
She probably did though, because you appear to tell everyone something about your circumstances, because you know plenty about theirs. She wouldn't have given £10 willy nilly, so she must have heard something.
On the whole I think its been a good day...
I'm not going to convince you otherwise so I'll just give up...and move on...
I don't have many people to talk to and don't see many of my neighbours but unless you keep yourself very private you must hear things from who you talk with especially if you e-mail or frequent forums or if working talk to colleagues, I cannot see the difference...
Never mind...
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