Xmas & New Year

So that's 2010 done and dusted and we're off in to 2011 with a flying start from the DWP.  Do you think they've paid me any money?  Of course not.  Do you think the people at the job center know why?  Of course not, they just direct you to the phones in the corner to ring up "Jobseekers Direct" so do you think they know why?  Nope.

None of the people on the phone can actually access my account, which necessitates getting a supervisor to take a look at it and then call me back.  I've no idea if we've even gotten to the "supervisor" stage of things but I do know we've not yet reaching "call me back" yet either.

So that made for an awesome Christmas & New Years didn't it?   Of course the media is still, occasionally, reporting about the increase in unemployment figures, the state of the economy and how it's all the fault of the scroungers.  But I've got to wonder... how many of those people are not actually recieving money despite being included in the figures?   It's highly doubtful I'm the only one.

Liar, Liar, pants on fire!

It seems any interaction with the DWP, it's services or those making use of it for offering employment ultimatley results in me being called a liar.

Take for example the position I applied for the other day.  Now it flashed up on the DWP website as being valid & live.  But had a closing date of earlier this month.  Odd.  Not unheard off but strange.  So I chance my arm and send a quick hello, explain that this appeared on the DWP website and whilst the date's long past I can see it... so it might well be live and here's a copy of my CV.

Now I'd have accepted "Odd", "technical glitch", "WTF?" or similar as a response. 

The e-mail I get back pretty much calls me a liar.  I'm tempted to go for Libel/Slander but it is a private communication.  Ho hum.