Looking forward to starting out on Monday studying for a degree in Construction Management, like many, I am a construction worker affected by the downturn, but rather than wallow in self pity like so many I know, or resign myself to years on the dole, for those that are lucky enough to receive it, I decided to hopefully ride out the recession by becoming a mature student.
My gripe is the breathtaking level of utter incompetance encountered whilst dealing with the various officials that we have met along the way.
I say "we" as my wife has pretty much done all the groundwork, mainly because in her line of work she does actually know the system and the way it works, working as she does with the long tem unemployed.
Therefore with much agonising we have overcome the hurdles in front of us culminating in Mondays first day back at school!
At almost every turn those officials dealt with had absolutely no concept of the rules and regulations that are applicable to their own individual departments.
I was astonished for example dealing with one vile official who was, and has, a reputation for being rude arrogant and aloof (and that's being kind) who was dismissing our application outright as he was oblivious to the "rule" in question, until my wife had to point out their official policy outlined in their own website, "thirty years in the job" as he kept pointing out did not furnish him with the most basic workings of an everday undertaking that affect hundreds of applications that must fall upon his desk every month.
This same scenario was encounterd and overcome several times and we still have one jobsworth to deal with who is insistant that back to education IS a means tested payment when it simply is not.
My point is, how many thousands if not tens of thousands of people around the country are being rejected out of hand for assistance when those that deal with any applications do not have the relevant knowledge of what entitlements are legitimate and those that they "think" to their own mind are not official policy.
From day one, sitting opposite an official who had to be shown three or four times how to sub divide a yearly income, it has been a head banging battle.
That first day we would have left that office had we not known better beaten at the first hurdle and I have no doubt whatsoever tens of thousands of individuals are beaten before they even start with such scandalous incompetance.
From bitter experience it is not a good idea to make those with who you deal with aware that you know the rules and regulations inside out, it does you no favours to tell someone how to do their jobs as they resent it immensely and go to great lengths to hinder your progress.
Just how many families are hindered in this way on a multitude of scenarios by the inept officialdom beggars belief...and believe me if my experience is any kind of barometer it is often on the most basic of criterea that any person in a place of authority should be abjectly ashamed not to be aware of as the very fundementals of their occupation.
When it affects people in such a life affirming manner it is truly shocking.
My gripe is the breathtaking level of utter incompetance encountered whilst dealing with the various officials that we have met along the way.
I say "we" as my wife has pretty much done all the groundwork, mainly because in her line of work she does actually know the system and the way it works, working as she does with the long tem unemployed.
Therefore with much agonising we have overcome the hurdles in front of us culminating in Mondays first day back at school!
At almost every turn those officials dealt with had absolutely no concept of the rules and regulations that are applicable to their own individual departments.
I was astonished for example dealing with one vile official who was, and has, a reputation for being rude arrogant and aloof (and that's being kind) who was dismissing our application outright as he was oblivious to the "rule" in question, until my wife had to point out their official policy outlined in their own website, "thirty years in the job" as he kept pointing out did not furnish him with the most basic workings of an everday undertaking that affect hundreds of applications that must fall upon his desk every month.
This same scenario was encounterd and overcome several times and we still have one jobsworth to deal with who is insistant that back to education IS a means tested payment when it simply is not.
My point is, how many thousands if not tens of thousands of people around the country are being rejected out of hand for assistance when those that deal with any applications do not have the relevant knowledge of what entitlements are legitimate and those that they "think" to their own mind are not official policy.
From day one, sitting opposite an official who had to be shown three or four times how to sub divide a yearly income, it has been a head banging battle.
That first day we would have left that office had we not known better beaten at the first hurdle and I have no doubt whatsoever tens of thousands of individuals are beaten before they even start with such scandalous incompetance.
From bitter experience it is not a good idea to make those with who you deal with aware that you know the rules and regulations inside out, it does you no favours to tell someone how to do their jobs as they resent it immensely and go to great lengths to hinder your progress.
Just how many families are hindered in this way on a multitude of scenarios by the inept officialdom beggars belief...and believe me if my experience is any kind of barometer it is often on the most basic of criterea that any person in a place of authority should be abjectly ashamed not to be aware of as the very fundementals of their occupation.
When it affects people in such a life affirming manner it is truly shocking.