The second realization of the unspoken facts of unemployment
is: Dealing with the government is much
like dealing with computers, they are very, very stupid and only do exactly
what they are told to do. Just like it is impossible for a computer to
do anything other than what it is programed to too, it is impossible for a government
employee to have one ounce of free thinking while on the clock, or for an
agency to do what it is set up to do.
You see, the real purpose of government agencies is not to help people
whether in the form of charity, education, policing etc…, the real purpose of
government agencies is to process redundant systems of questions and hoops to
jump through. And if you don’t fit the
square peg through the square hole precisely the way the policy of the agency
says you should, or get the funny bone out without setting the buzzer off
because you touched the side, you fail. Do
not pass Go and do not collect $200.
1) One Office Doesn’t Talk To The Other
Now here is when you really find out just how screwed you are. So you have filed for unemployment and are
even collecting it. You are approved and
have received money for unemployment. So
the Florida Department for Economic Opportunity has already contacted your previous
employer to verify your loss of employment so you don’t have to endure the embarrassment
or anxiety of dealing again with the person who just fired you.
Next you decide to apply for Medicaid and food stamps since the
unemployment you are receiving pays less than minimum wage and doesn’t amount
to much. You go to the Department ofChildren and Families to apply. You fill
out the most confusing form you have ever seen, asking for more information
than even you know off the top of you head.
One of the questions being about if you are currently receiving unemployment
benefits. It even asks how much you receive
from unemployment. Now the logical
assumption would be that they could verify this because they have your social
security number and can cross reference with their employer, the State of
Florida and see that this is true. NO,
NO, NO. They make you give your former
employer fill out a verification of loss of income form! So you have to go face your former employer
again. Of course by the time I had to do
this my pride was already gone so que
sera sera.
2) Government Agencies Don’t Even Read Their
Own Forms
Weeks ago I finally got a real live person on the phone down at the DCF
office to find out what the holdup was for my assistance. Remember my daughter has a serious medical
condition and I am desperate to get her on Medicare. The brain-dead moron on the other side of the
phone insulted me. He literally called
me stupid, and reprimanded me for not turning in forms in time. Forms I knew nothing about. Then told me to get a lawyer! In the end he said there was only two things
missing to complete my assistance.
Within a few days I had those forms filled out and sent with proof of receipt
to the idiot at DCF. And I waited. And waited.
And waited. Finally I am told
that they are missing a form. One I was
never told about by the jackass that berated me previously, and this one is the
best. I need a loss of income
verification form for my minor daughter that has never had a job to lose in the
first place! If they would have looked
at the original application they would had known this. But now, the policy says they have to have
this form for everyone. So instead of
seeing her age and using common sense the redundant system of stupidity of the
system takes over.
So now yet another month passes and I don’t have assistance
because if there is one thing you can guaranty in life is that if you trust it
to the government to deal with it the not only can but they will mess it
up. They don’t have a choice because
they only navigate according to policies and not business common sense.
No comments:
Post a Comment