to think that brown-envelope letters from the benefit/tax/DWP people

[HappySpills]

should come with a smiley/frowny/neutral face on the front, just so you know whether the thing you're about to open is likely to be a notification that you're getting some extra money (yay ), a statement of taxable income for the year (okay fine), or a sudden demand that you fill in a seventy page form about all your shortcomings, or that you're losing £35 a week, or something similarly unpleasant ()? I don't think I can cope with another Schrödinger's envelope on my doormat this week.

The tax people have lost one of my colleagues january tax payment. It went from her bank and into theirs but they can't find it to assign it to her tax account. She was getting awful letters from them. I hate them too.

Yes! I totally understand this as I also have a severe post phobia due to Ex's debts and his business set up that was more labyrinthine than Amazon's tax arrangements. We/he used to receive several dreaded brown envelopes a day from HMRC - self assessment dept, ni dept, corporation tax dept, paye dept, then all the ones relating to the utter cock up they made of our tax credit claim (won that one in court but it took 3 years), then all the Companies House stuff, various depts, for his seven non earning businesses... and the white debt collection letters and Student Loan letters... no wonder I'm a wreck when I hear the postie come through the gate!

A simple smiley system would at lease enable me to sit down with a stiff drink before I opened it

YY ro ALWAYS keeping a record of letters sent, plus getting proof of postage every time. It was solely us having proof that a form was sent back that 'won' us £9.5k in Tax Credits being finally paid to us (not that I should have to explain, but this was for a period of four years during which time we literally couldn't feed our kids any relatives had to send us food, we were both working FT at the time. The tax credits consisted mostly of WTC for childcare costs - well we could have taken DS out of nursery and bought food whilst it was sorted out, but then I would have had to give up work and we'd be £20k a year even worse off... don't wish to be judged as a 'lazy fucker on tax credits as per one charming thread this weekend !

YANBU! But then I get a lot of these letters. Mostly saying we have suspended all your benefits until you provide a shit load of evidence we already have. And then take two to three months of not giving me any housing benefit until they have okayed it.

I had one that had "we are sorry" at the beginning..

except they were sorry they had not made a decision yet. bastards. rather tey not send it or say we are still processing your claim... sorry

There is a company (think phone) that sends out their advertising in brown dull envelopes (not even the shiney ones)

I've had a few and you do think oh official then get junk mail. If I could remember who it is they would be added to my 'do not deal with' list

Schrödinger's envelope indeed!

A shame you cant just bin them unopened and leave it all theoretical!