International Law

It's a nightmare

By John Hirst

It was my signing on day yesterday. In the morning I recall telling James Higham of Nourishing Obscurity, who was staying with me at the time, that I had to sign on at 3.55pm at Brittania House. Then it went out of my mind. At 3.30 James returned from the City Centre, when I should have been setting off for the Job Centre, and at 3.45pm we watched Flog It on BBC2 until 4.30pm. It wasn't until 6.30pm, just as Look North came on that I suddenly realised I had forgotten to sign on. It was no good worrying about it because the damage had already been done.

About 9.15 this morning I rang the Job Centre and was given an appointment for 12.10pm. When the interviewer asked for the reason why I had failed to sign on, I admitted I had simply forgotten. She completed some paperwork and faxed it off to someone who would make a decision. After 20 minutes the decision came. I would lose a day's money, and a new claim had to be made which meant another tree being cut down to supply another form to replace the existing form. "All that just for this?" I asked. "Its a nightmare" she responded. And went on to say that it could also affect my housing benefit. What with NatWest hitting me for a £28 overdraft charge, the DWP taking £20 for Yorkshire Water, a day's lost benefit and even more cost if Housing Benefit is also affected, it was a costly mistake forgetting to sign on.

Full post as published by prisonlawinsideout on September 02, 2008 (boomark / email).