Svenskaflicka
Fountain
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2002
- Posts
- 16,142
LONG THREAD, TITLE RELEVANCE EXPLAINED AT THE BOTTOM
On another thread, I complained about the sad fact that intelligent -not to mention humble! - people like myself are unemployed, whereas complete morons have well-paid jobs. As everyone understand, I was in contact with an Authority Figure this morning.
My education ends in 3 weeks. I'm looking for a job, and the day school ends, I'll register as Unemployed at the agency. Since I only have school the first two weeks, I'll only get half of my monthly study-pay from the state. That won't cover my expenses, so this morning, I called the social office, to ask them to send me a form to apply for financial aid. I got to talk to what sounded like a young woman.
Now, I don't know how you handle these kind of things where you live, but in my town, people who work in the social office only have one brain cell to share among the employees. Today was not this young woman's turn to have the cell.
First, she determined that since I had been to the social office before, 6 months ago, I'd have to go back to my old supervisor rather than to be registered as a new case. Whatever. So, I was a student? Of what? Webdesign. And why did I need to seek financial aid?
I explained that I wouldn't get enough money from my studies, since I was only going to study for half of April. That brought on Genius Question no 1: "Why won't you get a full monthly pay? Haven't you applied for a full payment?"
Through my teeth, I explained that this is the way the CSN (which handles student payments and loans) works. According to their rules, my course was ONE WEEK too short to qualify as full time studies, so therefor they refused to give me full payment. I've been living on 5.000:- SKR/month for 6 months, which is actually 2.000:- SKR BELOW what the state considers to be the minimum monthly income for survival. And, now in April, I'm only going to get about half of that. 2.500:- SKR won't cover my rent, let alone food and bills.
Then she fired off Genius Question No 2: "One usually plans ahead and make a budget when one is going to study instead of work. Haven't you put any money aside for a situation like this?"
"Sweetheart," I said, "I make LESS than minimum income - how the FUCK am I supposed to put money aside?"
She let out an embarrassed giggle, and said she meant if I had put aside money BEFORE I started studying. Before I started studying? As in, the 2+ years that I've been unemployed and lived on social security? The clever girl then asked if I by any chance had had a part time job while I was studying? I wanted to counter by asking if she had ever done any full time studies in her life, but took a deep breath and just said no, I hadn't had any job.
She booked a meeting for me for next week, but added that my situation looked pretty hopeless. Earlier, they had this rule that if you were a student, you had to apply for a maximum amount loan from CSN, and put yourself in debt, and only if CSN refused to lend you money, then you could get social security. Now, they have changed those rules, so that if you're a student, you can't get any help at all, not even if CSN doesn't give you anything! According to these new rules, I have no right to get financial aid until the 17th of April, when my school is over. IF I get any help, they will count only the expenses I have from 17th to 30th of April. However, they WILL count all the income I get PRIOR to April 17th.
Don't you just love the system?
"OK," I said. "So, if I would get enough money - not very likely, but lets suppose I do - to pay my rent in time -and that has to be done no later than March 31st - then what do you suggest I live on for the next two weeks..?"
"That's something you'll have to discuss at the meeting next week."
She has a job. I don't.
When my emotions catch up with me, I'll cry about this. Right now, I just feel numb.
Mum suggested that I'd write down all the bloopers and dumbass questions and comments I hear from Authority Figures, and make it a book.
Would you mind helping me? Could you share some stories like the one above, and let me publish them, so I won't have to go through mornings like this one for the rest of my life? And so you won't have to hear me bitch and whine about my bad economy all the time?
On another thread, I complained about the sad fact that intelligent -not to mention humble! - people like myself are unemployed, whereas complete morons have well-paid jobs. As everyone understand, I was in contact with an Authority Figure this morning.
My education ends in 3 weeks. I'm looking for a job, and the day school ends, I'll register as Unemployed at the agency. Since I only have school the first two weeks, I'll only get half of my monthly study-pay from the state. That won't cover my expenses, so this morning, I called the social office, to ask them to send me a form to apply for financial aid. I got to talk to what sounded like a young woman.
Now, I don't know how you handle these kind of things where you live, but in my town, people who work in the social office only have one brain cell to share among the employees. Today was not this young woman's turn to have the cell.
First, she determined that since I had been to the social office before, 6 months ago, I'd have to go back to my old supervisor rather than to be registered as a new case. Whatever. So, I was a student? Of what? Webdesign. And why did I need to seek financial aid?
I explained that I wouldn't get enough money from my studies, since I was only going to study for half of April. That brought on Genius Question no 1: "Why won't you get a full monthly pay? Haven't you applied for a full payment?"
Through my teeth, I explained that this is the way the CSN (which handles student payments and loans) works. According to their rules, my course was ONE WEEK too short to qualify as full time studies, so therefor they refused to give me full payment. I've been living on 5.000:- SKR/month for 6 months, which is actually 2.000:- SKR BELOW what the state considers to be the minimum monthly income for survival. And, now in April, I'm only going to get about half of that. 2.500:- SKR won't cover my rent, let alone food and bills.
Then she fired off Genius Question No 2: "One usually plans ahead and make a budget when one is going to study instead of work. Haven't you put any money aside for a situation like this?"
"Sweetheart," I said, "I make LESS than minimum income - how the FUCK am I supposed to put money aside?"
She let out an embarrassed giggle, and said she meant if I had put aside money BEFORE I started studying. Before I started studying? As in, the 2+ years that I've been unemployed and lived on social security? The clever girl then asked if I by any chance had had a part time job while I was studying? I wanted to counter by asking if she had ever done any full time studies in her life, but took a deep breath and just said no, I hadn't had any job.
She booked a meeting for me for next week, but added that my situation looked pretty hopeless. Earlier, they had this rule that if you were a student, you had to apply for a maximum amount loan from CSN, and put yourself in debt, and only if CSN refused to lend you money, then you could get social security. Now, they have changed those rules, so that if you're a student, you can't get any help at all, not even if CSN doesn't give you anything! According to these new rules, I have no right to get financial aid until the 17th of April, when my school is over. IF I get any help, they will count only the expenses I have from 17th to 30th of April. However, they WILL count all the income I get PRIOR to April 17th.
Don't you just love the system?
"OK," I said. "So, if I would get enough money - not very likely, but lets suppose I do - to pay my rent in time -and that has to be done no later than March 31st - then what do you suggest I live on for the next two weeks..?"
"That's something you'll have to discuss at the meeting next week."
She has a job. I don't.
When my emotions catch up with me, I'll cry about this. Right now, I just feel numb.
Mum suggested that I'd write down all the bloopers and dumbass questions and comments I hear from Authority Figures, and make it a book.
Would you mind helping me? Could you share some stories like the one above, and let me publish them, so I won't have to go through mornings like this one for the rest of my life? And so you won't have to hear me bitch and whine about my bad economy all the time?
But my words are true - the more bullshit you can sputter, the more idiots believe it, and the better the job - hey I worked in POLITICS for christ sake. I'm in the know 
