Nightmare with the benefits system

Since I had to stop working back in June 2009, I have been claiming benefits due to my ill health. I was on benefits due to my ill health before starting working for Jelsoft so going back on to them should have been a straightforward process. However, the benefits system had changed and the benefits I was previously on, Incapacity Benefit and Income Support, stopped being available for new claims or returning claims in October 2008 and have been replaced by a new benefit called Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

When I initially spoke to them on the phone in June 2009 to start the claim process, I was told that although it is a new benefit, it would be a straightforward process to claim and that as I had previously been on benefits for the same reason that there would be no problems with claiming. This turned out to be completely untrue. Read more…

Tags: angry, annoyed, appeal, benefits, ESA, health, JSA, nightmare, stupid, working

Merry Christmas

I would like to wish all my readers a very merry Christmas. Starting from now I’m going to be getting back to updating this site more often, and have already started drafting some entries to make to cover the long gap between my last entries and now.

I hope everyone has a great Christmas and would like to wish everyone all the best for the new year too.

7/7 In Memory

Just realized while writing up my last entry that today is 7/7. It is 4 years since the horrific London Bombings.

I know the internet will be full of people giving lots of details and accounts of it, so I’m going to be different and not do so.

I just want to take a moment to remember everyone who died in the 7/7 bombings, their families, the injured and their families, and the heroes that responded to the situation, putting their own lives in danger to help other people.

Tags: 7/7, London Bombing

The end of an era

Well, this is it. My first day without having to think about working. It’s quite a scary concept really after being involved with the staff at Jelsoft for 4 years (18 months at vBulletin.org and 2.5 years at vBulletin.com).

In some ways I’m sad to have left, but in other ways I’m happy. I’ve really enjoyed my time there on the whole, but events over the last 6-8 months teamed with my poor health led to me having to leave. At the end of the day, my health always comes first. I’m just sad that it actually got to this point.

Looking to the future, I have no idea what I am going to do, but it likely involves going back to university next year unless something else comes up. I was enjoying going to uni even though I wasn’t really learning anything, until things changed and I started having to pay fees to go and not learn. That was when I gave up and dropped out. It was good for meeting people though and I quite enjoyed the whole experience. I just laughed at how easy the work was. I guess the fact that I have been dealing with code for such a long time made it so easy for me and explained why I had some interested debates with my tutors about the fact that they were teaching HTML 4.0 when the current standards are HTML 4.01 or even better XHTML.

Not blogged for a while

I’ve not blogged for a while, mainly because I’ve not had anything of much interest to say.

However, I have been talked into getting on twitter (still refusing to go on facebook!) and I am planning on adding my tweets to here (when I work out how to do it of course!).

I’m gonna try and get blogging again soon, but I have added a couple of things that came through my emails recently just to give you something new to read while I’m trying to get organized again.

Things Only Women Understand

10. Cats’ facial expressions

9. The need for the same style of shoes in different colors

8. Why bean sprouts aren’t just weeds

7. Fat clothes

6. Taking a car trip without trying to beat your best time

5. The difference between beige, off-white, and eggshell

4. Cutting your bangs to make them grow

3. Eyelash curlers

2. The inaccuracy of every bathroom scale ever made

And the number One thing only women understand:

1. OTHER WOMEN

Manchester United win the premiership

Man Utd have won the premiership after a 0-0 draw with Arsenal! Congratulations United!!!

(will post more later)

Tags: arsenal, champions, football, man utd, manchester united, premiership, sport

Today’s Britains Got Talent

Here is my summary of the Britain’s Got Talent show that has been on ITV1 tonight.

Read more…

Tags: Britain's Got Talent, Conrad Brissett, Dean Clune, Dreambears, Emma Czikai, Frankie Siragusa, Freedom movement, Greg Pritchard, ITV, Jon Dempsey, Lewis Taylor, Merlin Cadogan, Mr Methane, Pavaboti, Schwing, Shaun Smith

Another TV day

I’m enjoying another day with the TV catching up on a load of CSI episodes that I’ve recorded over the last couple of weeks.

I nearly cried when Danny and Lynsey got married in CSI: New York! I never thought they would actually do it.

Tags: csi, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: New York

Think google has a sense of humour?

I’m sitting here laughing at google - it obviously picked up on my recent tooth problems….. All the ads it just showed were for dentists, toothpaste, and oral healthcare!!! And there was me thinking that not having toothache any more was a good thing! I think google thinks I should still have toothache!

Tags: fun, funny, google, humour