The saga continues…

Glasgow City Council have awarded us housing benefit! Shock! Scandal!

Yes, it’s true.  Two months after I finished work, after meeting their impossible deadlines and sending them every piece of paper they required and many many phonecalls and a rejection letter that was before our case had even been considered.  Hurray!

And the other shoe drops.

So instead of paying the backdated benefit into our bank account so that we can repay it to the bank and you know, eat food, they paid it to our landlord, in spite of us sending them the letter and form required to ensure that we could receive the money directly.

Cue ANOTHER phonecall to the council to ask why and to try and get the money paid to us directly.  But no!  The money has already gone to our landlord (‘but I’ve suspended your benefit for now and sent a request to change it to your bank account from now on.  Sorry about that! That was our mistake.’)  Not only that, but the amount they have sent is different to the amount on the letter.

Cue phonecall to landlord.  The money will not be paid to them until the 30th September apparently and they have no idea how much they’re going to be paid.  They don’t get that information apparently.  So where is the money in the meantime?  No idea.  But I will get it back at some unspecified time in the future.  Well, as long as there’s something in my bank account before the rent comes off on the 1st.

Seriously.  What a fucking mess.  And the scary part is, I’m stressed out of my mind, and I’m one of the lucky ones who have the capability and the resources to deal with this stuff.  This system is designed in a way that hinders the most vulnerable and prevents them receiving the help they need.  Appalling.