Two Reorganisations and a Review make a Retirement and Redundancy – as a maths tutor I can relate to that. As the amount of funding allocated to adult education has decreased and fees increased it seems that the anticipated income may not pay all of our salaries –reorganisation seemed like a good idea for the management and for me redundancy seems even better…. so a leaving do on the pier and fish and chips all round then the August holiday but now it’s September and time to review my resolutions.
Resolution 1 – sort out the £s I think. Allegedly I am entitled to contribution based Job Seekers Allowance for six months. Look online surely it will all be there? Yes I can register online so that’s easy isn’t it? Three attempts later I phone the enquiry line and explain my problem Ok they will do it then…hmm…computers… several more attempts and I am informed I will be sent a form to complete manually… is it my name? the date? The jobs I have held? No idea it just doesn’t like me. Looks like retirement will be much the same as work with IT problems then. Complete the form manually and make appointment to visit jobcentre plus. After all the stories about being sent to unsuitable jobs and insistence on O levels and updating IT actually the officer was very sympathetic and recognised the sort of work I was seeking. I am given signing on times and I am told my money will follow. I have after all paid contributions for over thirty years so there I am told an entitlement. That is until I read the small print and find if you receive a pension your JSA may be reduced… so I think have they not read the booklet? No they say they don’t know what the regulations are only the processing office can help me but because I have a manual claim the office can’t view my form or give me any information. When will they be able to look at it… oh it usually takes a week … but it’s now three weeks! Well they’ll look into it… lucky I’m not depending on it then. And is there any help in looking for jobs? Speak to the advisor – but I need another appointment for that…. where’s your form ….. I can’t find it on the screen.. no its a manual entry… well it’s in transit then.. so you can’t advise then.. no phone for an appointment… watch this space then…
And Resolution 2 get fit – join the gym…the private gym is very clean and bright with banks of machines looking to the uninitiated like the bargain basement for the Spanish Inquisition and there’s free juice and shampoo! But for £80 a month I expect free breakfast, lunch and supper and a personal masseur. The exercisers don’t look as if they have retired recently rather an excess of stretchy lycra in neon and body sculpting classes – what on earth? I am going to Try Drawing (of which later) but body sculpting? And its LOUD (now I do sound old) so let’s see what the council can offer… its very local and only a 10 minute walk so that will serve as warm up but still I need to understand those machines! Am I going to learn to ski/walk or cycle across the world? The choice would seem to be in the hands of my instructor who weighs and measures me then feeds the information into the machine. And I’m off! Daytime TV with subtitles holds my attention while I cycle across the col… in your dreams! Then a cross trainer and stepper –a whole new language is waiting for me. Meanwhile human misery parades across the screen “my husband is bigamist and cheated on me six times” “my mum seduced my boyfriend”” I have an alcohol problem”… never mind according to the presenter all of these problems can be solved if only people talk to teach other “We will provide you with a counsellor and help and I’ll be there to support you” he tells the sufferers, the audience and me.. would he tackle Jobcentre plus for me perhaps?
Tags: , gym, job centre, retirement
