Serves me right for making assumptions about the DWP. New Rates of JSA apply from April - this does not mean from the 1st of April, nor does it even mean the first week in April. After some digging it appears that it actually applies from the 9th of April and they won't be bothering to add in a few days worth of increase if your giro only just ( Read more... )

Today wasn't a good day. Off to the hospital (without having had coffee!) for a fasting blood test this morning. Appointment with my Work Programme "advisor" this afternoon. Was already brain dead from the morning, so got on the wrong bus and ended up at the Racecourse before I noticed. So I was late. I rang in to warn them - one of the rare ( Read more... )

in the sitting room. It's never a good sign when you get in and there's a pile of feathers next to the cat flap, so I was prepared for the worst. Fortunately Molly wasn't in (she's the killer), so there was a proud Muffin lolling in my computer chair and a somewhat traumatised juvenile thrush sitting on the livingroom carpet. It was therefore a ( Read more... )

Been pretty quiet on the subject this year - mainly because I haven't had much to say with it being a rather subdued competition. Wales won the Grand Slam and deserved to having been the better team this season without being outstanding. England are rebuilding and it showed, but made good strides forward. France were as weirdly French as usual and ( Read more... )

and yesterday was the day. My computer chair, the place where I have spent the bulk of my waking hours for longer than I care to think about, has finally given up the ghost. It was a present, many years ago from a friend who knows me rather too well. It cost quite a lot in relative terms, and over time had adjusted itself to my shape and habits. ( Read more... )

I've been paying more attention. for various reasons, to what is going on in politics recently. I normally only skim the surface because otherwise I tend to want to rant and scream a lot, and that way lies the men in white coats. This time, in an effort to avoid an unwelcome visit to a no doubt underfunded and understaffed mental health institute, ( Read more... )

It's been a year since I signed on again for JSA, so today I was informed that I have been sucked into the dark pit of private profiteering known as the Work Programme. As far as I can tell this will involve some poor sucker working for a private company doing what the staff at the DWP would be doing if only they had enough staff. And if this doesn ( Read more... )

Xmyth is a happy time of year for my cats. Not because they get presents (though they do) but because presents come in boxes, and boxes are just the coolest thing ever if you're a cat. Muffin usually dips out a bit on this front because he's a bit big to fit in most of the boxes - not that it stops him trying - but this year he's on a winner. Molly ( Read more... )

Just to say I have some awesome friends - you know who you are, and thank you!

For those who get kicked off incapacity benefit by the ATOS machine, there is yet another reason to go immediately onto JSA and lie once a fortnight about your capability for work whilst waiting for your appeal date (currently well in excess of 12 months for most regions I believe). Not only will you get more money, but (as I discovered this week) ( Read more... )