to send the tax credit numpties a cactus with a message saying, "sit on this"?

[onlyjoking9329]

I may be being a little unhinged unreasonable but thought I would check with mumsnet before I smack phone tax credits and listen to their plinky plonk music for half an hour whilst they sup tea and chat about whatever whilst I am left on hold.
I phoned them on 18th June to tell them that Steve had died so he would have to be removed from existing claim, when "sandra" took a break from chewing her gum, she asked to speak to Steve to verify the changes.
so I explained again using shorter words with heavy emphasis on certain words until she seemed to understand that she couldn't speak to Steve.
so gave her all the info and she filed her nails the info said it was all sorted no problems hope you have a nice day type stuff.
today I got a letter....
dear mrs oj thankyou for your phonecall on 18th about the death of mr oj.
please accept my apologies not for having to write to you at the time.
the claim for tax credits that you made with mr oj has been
ended, you may however want to stick pins in
your eyes make a new claim and I have arranged for a new form to be sent to you separatly.
so they have stopped our money.
I think there is a typo on the letter because it is signed. E Walker and I think it should have been... A Wanker.
if you got this far thankyou, I needed to get that off my chest.

Oh for fucks sake! Why don't they justchange your name over. Arseholes! they know all the info on the form already! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Message withdrawn

Sorry - just realised I said a wude word.

Oh OJ! What a bloody carry on! Ring back and complain/see if you can someone with 2 brains cells to sort the claim on the phone.

claim was in both our names. She told me on 18th it was sorted and updated on the file.

Message withdrawn

Definitely call back and speak to the regional manager or somesuch. This is absolutely disgusting!

"she asked to speak to Steve to verify the changes"

YANBU she is obviously a complete fuckwit!

Can you not re-apply online?

Quite aside from the fact that you shouldn't have to reclaim - I would be livid about Sandra asking to speak to Steve

I would be complaining about that if nothing else.

I am having a tearful under the duvet day and just don't want to phone anyone thats going to make me feel worse, tax credits is our main income, I still have all the funeral grant and widows benefit forms to do. I need to feel a bit stronger/ braver to tackle them.

((hugs)) Do you have Tracey or anyone there with you? Maybe they could call and give the manager a rollocking on your behalf and when they ask to speak to you say, "No, I'm sorry, she is currently distraught about her husband and your staff have made things ten times worse."

Got to CAB, explain the situation and let them fill in the forms. You can just answer while they do the mind bogglng form filling.

Twats.

Got to go out now OJ, but I have my phone if you need to chat. x

OJ, if anyone's entitled to a crying under the duvet day atm it's you. You shouldn't have to put up with this shit when you have so much to deal with

How much can you do online? Would someone else be able to type up or write out the applications for you?

If I were you I would wait until you feel a bit stronger and then complain.

Message withdrawn

I am on my own today tracey has been here every day I was planning to relax and try to get some sleep.

Message withdrawn

Oh thats terrible!
They deserve a really harsh complaint. I hope that you have someone thst can make the complaint n your behalf.
Try and get some rest today

Sorry, OJ. They are absolute idiots. But, if it makes you feel any better your tone of sarcasm has made me smile. I particularly like the spelling error of "A Wanker".

When you phone them, refuse to be fobbed off with the monkey and demand to talk to the organ grinder. I normally tell people that dealing with me is above their pay grade as I am about to lose my temper and I don't feel that they deserve that. That normally bumps me up the food chain fairly quickly.

Sandra is just doing the sloped shoulders and avoiding dealing with the issue thing that lots of low paid civil servants do.

wtf !!!! Idiots gone mad ....

PLEASE send an email to your MP right now or tell me who he is and I will do it for you and then follow it up with a letter.

I find tax credits such absolute shite because of things like this.

There is absolutely NO reason why they cannot set up a system that will continue to pay you out with an update in a situation like this and give you 60-90 days to submit a certificate of death to verify the change.

ANY system which puts poor people at an even worse advantage is just pure, unadulterated shit as far as I am concerned.

Don't waste your money on a cactus - photocopy your hand doing the "V" sign instead.

You stay under the duvet and do the forms tomorrow.

Speak to your MP? They are used to dealing with the crappy benefits agencies all the time