And I live in a blue state....
Monday, I spent over two hours on hold on the phone to talk to someone about my Food Stamps situation and contest the new decision. Instead of having a dedicated line for this issue, they're funneling everyone to a general helpline, so I'm competing with people trying to reach live human agents to talk about Food Stamps, Medicaid, Fair Fares, ID NYC, the health insurance programs for kids from impoverished families, etc. Three minutes before 5 pm, when their office closes, a woman picks up the phone. Her computer system keeps going down so she can't look at my case for minutes at a time, and I have to tell her three times that I'm calling about Food Stamps, not Medicaid. When I ask about getting a meeting or State hearing she says she doesn't do that, and that she could connect me with that office-- oh, wait, it's after 5 pm so no one can pick up the phone. She gave me two phone numbers, which might not work given my past history of getting phone numbers from Human Resource Administration agents. She says she'll put in a service request, but it'll take 14 days to register. What, I wanted something more immediate?
Tuesday. The phone number idiot girl at the HRA "helpline" gave me worked but funneled me through endless voice message branches, with me not knowing which was best to choose, so I decided to drive 30 minutes to the HRA office. Parked half a mile away so I wouldn't have to pay for parking and walked there. Everybody there talked to me like I was an idiot for not automatically knowing exactly where I had to go. To my surprise, I waited for only ten minutes before my number was called. Tried to explain my case to a woman at the counter who absolutely did not give a shit and didn't want me to hand almost any of the paperwork I brought over.
Who told me that my case is in the system as being fine and getting the usual amount of Food Stamps in May.
Me: "So the notice mailed to me is an error?"
Her: "Seems to be."
Me: "Can I have a case number to prove this interaction happened?"
Her: "No. I can print something up-- Oh, our printer doesn't work so I can't."
Me: "Can I take a photo of the screen with my phone as proof?"
Her: "No."
I know better than to ask for her name, because they won't give it.
So May 6 I get to see what money arrives and if I need to start a hearing thing all over again.
As, burnt out, I walked back to my car, I remembered that idiot girl on the phone Monday started some case number thing, but I don't know for sure she even entered it right, kicked myself for not remembering it or mentioning it at the counter, then remembered it would supposedly take 14 days for that case thing to hit the system and thus wouldn't be visible anyway and I can't trust these clowns to do something for me 13 days later if I did mention it.
Tuesday. The phone number idiot girl at the HRA "helpline" gave me worked but funneled me through endless voice message branches, with me not knowing which was best to choose, so I decided to drive 30 minutes to the HRA office. Parked half a mile away so I wouldn't have to pay for parking and walked there. Everybody there talked to me like I was an idiot for not automatically knowing exactly where I had to go. To my surprise, I waited for only ten minutes before my number was called. Tried to explain my case to a woman at the counter who absolutely did not give a shit and didn't want me to hand almost any of the paperwork I brought over.
Who told me that my case is in the system as being fine and getting the usual amount of Food Stamps in May.
Me: "So the notice mailed to me is an error?"
Her: "Seems to be."
Me: "Can I have a case number to prove this interaction happened?"
Her: "No. I can print something up-- Oh, our printer doesn't work so I can't."
Me: "Can I take a photo of the screen with my phone as proof?"
Her: "No."
I know better than to ask for her name, because they won't give it.
So May 6 I get to see what money arrives and if I need to start a hearing thing all over again.
As, burnt out, I walked back to my car, I remembered that idiot girl on the phone Monday started some case number thing, but I don't know for sure she even entered it right, kicked myself for not remembering it or mentioning it at the counter, then remembered it would supposedly take 14 days for that case thing to hit the system and thus wouldn't be visible anyway and I can't trust these clowns to do something for me 13 days later if I did mention it.