Another year is coming to a close. Of course, there will be the customary midwinter celebrations, religious and/or secular, there will be too much to eat, too much to drink and if I am to be honest, also way too much of well, everything. (more…)
Category: Unemployment
My first Christmas present of 2013
Categories: Uncategorized, Unemployment
This Friday, I got a brown envelope in the post. I saw it while I was on the way out (shopping I think but I don’t remember) and so I didn’t get to open it until I got home. It was from the DWP† regarding my benefits, and said roughly that they were stopping all my payments because I hadn’t returned a form they “sent me” fast enough, and that I would not be permitted to appeal this decision. Now, it goes without saying that no such form was sent to me. (more…)
Coffee and coding
Categories: Looking for work, Uncategorized
There is always something truly special about that first coffee of the morning, and one of the few – and they are few – benefits of unemployment is to be able to enjoy it from my bed. It doesn’t quite make up for a day without work (or, if I am to be completely truthful, without pay – the work is just a means to an end), but it does mean at least that the day starts more pleasantly. Today is no different and I get to sign on at lunchtime.
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Tuesday Blues
It’s signing on day today, which means that I have to set aside my search for employment in order to spend the morning documenting what I’ve been doing to find work. This will then be followed by a bus journey of 30-40 minutes each way, a queue in the job centre of maybe another 15-20 minutes, in order to wave some paper in front of the adviser, sign and date a form and leave. (more…)
Catching up…
Categories: Food and Drink, Going Out, Kerbal Space Program, Looking for work, Movies, RIFT, Uncategorized, Unemployment
It’s been a while since I wrote anything here so I suppose an update is well overdue. I had meant to write a few things last week, but for one reason or another, things started to get on top of me and blogging drifted slowly to the bottom of the list. Never a good thing really. Even so, it’s no excuse for absence. (more…)