Thursday, 23 June 2011

Terror

I must admit to be quite frankly terrified. Why?

I knew I would be reviewed and possibly have to sit a medical to show how my disabilities made work impossible for me - or at least highly improbable as who would hire someone with my limitations and disabilities, let's be honest here - and as I already had been reviewed just before this plan was announced originally I knew I was OK as I was informed that I would be reviewed at the pre-stated time given after my last review.

So I was alright until December 2012 and I hoped that this new 'system' would have some problems ironed out a bit so imagine my surprise when I got my letter saying this review affected me now as I would be starting my review process within the next 2 weeks with a phone call from a benefit adviser.

Wow, I hadn't realised it was the end of 2012 already, yet here I am getting dragged into the first reviews in my area of Scotland. So I checked the process and the postings of those already reviewed or in the process of being reviewed and was disgusted with what I found. Talk about a rigged jury to face with these review boards. Already their has been an 80% appeal success from those in Scotland who had their benefits wrongly removed through reviews held since January 2011. Can't be that many wrong initial results unless it's rigged and no matter what you say (either in writing or in face to face 'interviews') you get cut off and put straight into able to work and job seekers allowance and basically to find a mystical job.

Yup less than 500,000 jobs for the current 5.5 million unemployed and they are rigging their reviews to add more to that total.

I felt secure knowing that even if I was put in the disabled but work worthy I would still have my DLA to help me y'know live as the DLA was to be left alone for those awarded as infinite when reviewed to be given it. Which I am. But I found that DLA is being replaced and my mobility component that I get is being vastly changed and quite frankly almost phased out. So the future is bleak as they are introducing the new system next May and my future is feeling less than bleak now.

So given the horror stories so far in my area and what is to come for me on both my small incomes (no matter what scare stories out there I am getting nowhere near they claim individual claiming it fraudulently are getting) I am quite frankly terrified I will be forced into poverty and no way out while those who really should be forced out are sitting in the pub and going on holidays with their ill gotten gains.

What makes me mad is there is no announcements to cut back on help to those who self-inflict themselves with drink and drugs. For years, even while on these benefits, I paid for all my 25 a day medication while druggies got expensive heroine replacements free of charge. How about forces these drunks and druggies into rehab and if they refuse or don't try cut them off and save your billions instead of penalising and witch hunting those with real (medically backed up) disabilities and diseases.

Friday, 17 June 2011

Finally Friday Once More

I am glad to see the end of these past couple of weeks I can tell you.

Last Saturday I got the declaration from my bank to verify the bogus iTunes charges, also on Thursday before I heard back from iTunes about the charges and they were reversed, my account frozen, re-enabled and password changed again.

The iTunes CS person was quick to respond after the initial response to further emails, and I found out how my removed payment card was used. Even though I deauthorised use of this card used to create and verify my account as well as removed it from my account my details were kept on record and reverted back to once store credit was exhausted.

If only it hadn't taken 72 hours to send an order confirmation on the first order placed I would have caught this before a further 4 orders were placed as well. If only iTunes sent an automatic email as soon as an order is placed I could've nipped this is the bud.

I was all set for a relaxing day starting with a sleep in as I knew I had babysitting duty on all three of my nephews tonight for the second night in a row at their house. Last night it was the two youngest only but tonight it's all three. Luckily - or rather unluckily - the middle is being punished and had to be put to bed straight after he finished his dessert after his evening meal. So that left two, the youngest is playing in his room while the eldest is out playing on his bike with a friend.

Now the youngest is sitting next to me as I type this watching Fireman Sam, at least this way I know he isn't bothering his middle brother who is on punishment in his bed for spitting on a girl he decided he didn't like at school today. Really vile, I really hate spitting, a pet peeve of mine.

Hopefully this weekend will be more relaxing, we did our shopping and don't need to go out until Monday for groceries. So barring any emergencies or unexpected favours for any family members I can get some reading and some blogging done.

Wednesday, 8 June 2011

Dreams II

I've had at least two dreams which I can remember bits of since the one I blogged about here previously. So it looks like my dear departed Auntie isn't giving up on getting her message through to me, I think.

Don't know where or if I'll take my writing urges any further but I'm keeping myself open to possibilities.

I've been reading a lot postings by published authors within the Romance genre - and sub-genres - about the ins and outs of not only writing but attempting to get published. It's a lot of hard work, this I already knew, but it helps to keep yourself informed which I am. So I'm not at a stand still yet.

I've been returning to my romance reading roots over the previous month and reading a lot of Harlequin/Mills & Boon releases. Both old and new. After the sheer deluge of less than enjoyable books I've experienced - and still do experience - of late while digging myself out my reading rut. Something I've blogged about, if not here, but at my book blog. The Crimson Inkpot.

But going back to my roots has helped greatly.

Recently I've read the latest Nalini Singh Psy/Changeling book "Kiss of Snow" and am in two minds whether or not to post my own review of it given how many reviews are floating around out there in book blogverse already.

Originally I had the countdown widget up in the sidebar of my book blog and waited with eager anticipation for it to reach zero. Once it did I was disappointed to realise that as I was in the UK I couldn't purchase it, so as I've done before I went to Amazon assuming I could buy the imported US hardback version, only to find that no hard/pb releases where available and release dates where two months away for both which coincides with the UK official release. But strangely - and I'm not knocking it - the Kindle version was available from June 2nd, just 2 days after the official release date in the US and research seems to tell me that the Kindle edition available in the UK Kindle shop is the only version available to the UK until the official UK release date for hard release.

Either way glad I only had a 2 days further wait rather than the 2 months till the official UK release date.

Venting

I have just finished a long post on my blog, The Crimson Inkpot, venting about fraudulent charges made to my iTunes account which cleaned out my credit balance - a gift from my parents which makes it burn me even more what this scammers done - but also managed to charge over £100 to my bank card which I removed from my account months ago.

So doubly, if not triply, furious about this happening and having to spent 25 minutes tracking down a way to contact Apple about these charges didn't improve my mood in any way.

A web search today brought up hundreds - if not thousands - of these attacks in both the UK and US dating back almost a year. So not a new problem but one I've only discovered first hand!

But as I've vented this over there I won't repeat it all here as it would just wind me up further. I do however commend my bank with taking swift action when I called them today and having these charged refunded. I have to wait and contact them again tomorrow as a fourth charge on that account is pending and they can't fix it until it's actually debited from my account. But I thank them for helping decrease my stress level over this business.