Grumble Thread

[Petrushka]

Got my letter yesterday telling me I was about to receive a Winter Fuel Supplement of £200 into my bank account. Lower down the page it said this was because I was 1) over 65 and 2) no one else in my house would be receiving it.

Turn over the letter- on the other side it says the full amount will be recovered by HMRC for anyone with an income over £35,000.

SO - why send it to me in the first place?

I think that this is due to the fact that paying out of the WFA is a straightforward process as it is paid out to all those in receipt of the State Pension and is cheaper for the DWP to do this than to means test it. That is the way it was introduced by the Blair government and paid out until the current government stopped the WFA last year.

However, with the reintroduction of the WFA it is now effectively means tested so that wealthy pensioners don't get it. HMRC know who the wealthy pensioners are so it is more cost effective for them to claw it back. In other words, it would be adding an extra layer of bureaucracy to the DWP that is not their primary function whereas it is for HMRC.

It might look bizarre but it actually seems the right way when you think about it.

[Old Grumpy]

Treat it as a kindly interest-free loan from HMG.

[french frank]

It might look bizarre but it actually seems the right way when you think about it.

But ... the dashed hopes!

[Old Grumpy]

It might look bizarre but it actually seems the right way when you think about it.

Yes, I've seen that explanation written elsewhere and I did think about it. I guess my main grumble is with the structure of the letter...

...I have no gripe with removal of the WFA from more wealthy pensioners.

[french frank]

...I have no gripe with removal of the WFA from more wealthy pensioners.

And for those of us who won't get their payment clawed back, but who don't really need it, National Energy Action is a registered charity set up to help combat fuel poverty.

I may give mine to the Salvation Army.

[smittims]

My only gripe with Oxfam is those infuriating little square price tickets they use. When I peel them off they break into about nine separate segments . I don't know why they are designed that way.

[oddoneout]

Yes, I've seen that explanation written elsewhere and I did think about it. I guess my main grumble is with the structure of the letter...

...I have no gripe with removal of the WFA from more wealthy pensioners.

Letters from DWP often have to try and explain as many factors as possible in as basic a way as possible to as many people as possible, and too often end up being less than clear or, (in part at least) superfluous. At least this issue can be sensibly covered in a generic one size fits all letter.
Given the confusion created by last year's totally unnecessary shambles and that the U-turn was not just an "as you were" response there were always going to be the double HMRC references, as there are now income thresholds to take into account. At least I don't have to remember to include the £200 on my self assessment tax form apparently as it will be pre-filled.

[french frank]

On which subject, I had my boiler serviced this morning so I anticipated the clock change this weekend by asking to have the boiler left switched on after testing. I note that the joint energy bill is already twice what it would normally be by this time in the day. The gas bill increase is incalculable as It would normally be either £0.00 or a matter of pence.

[Cockney Sparrow]

My only gripe with Oxfam is those infuriating little square price tickets they use. When I peel them off they break into about nine separate segments . I don't know why they are designed that way.

I was a regular browser at my local Oxfam bookshop. The manager was regularly in the shop area and I expressed my dissatisfaction, asking why, having paid them a fair (more than fair) price for a stock item given to them for free, I had to spend a minute or more getting the segments off and the sticky residue?

The answer was that it was the labels they are supplied and have to use. I found out (internet search, even then...) they are to deter price label switching - i.e. peeling a label off a low priced item and putting it on one of greater value. However, I had made several references to my exasperation, and after I mentioned writing to the director of their commercial operations, the local manager had sourced some one-part labels.

I haven't bought books or CDs in Oxfam for few years now, so I don't know what labels they are using.

I would add, finally, having donated books to them - I need to purge books to a manageable size, I was conflicted when asked to register for the Gift Aid scheme, where they tot up the total realised from my donations, and claim gift aid on it - as though I had made a currency donation. This seems like the cherry on the icing of the cake for an organisation which was the death knell of secondhand booksellers, gets its stock for free and most of its workforce are unpaid volunteers.............

[kernelbogey]

... I anticipated the clock change this weekend ...

Thanks! I'd overlooked this... but I suppose I would soon have become aware of that during Sunday!

[french frank]

Thanks! I'd overlooked this...

They also serve ...

[oddoneout]

Last week I had to return an item to the Sue Ryder shop - they don't have a changing room so fitting has to be done at home. I had paid by card and had the receipt, the tag was still attached, the transaction went through but then before I was given the receipts I was asked for my name and address. I asked why and was told it was an anti fraud measure, so that people didn't get a refund on an item they hadn't actually bought there. I said I was not happy(but got the feeling that the refund might be refused if I didn't oblige) and then asked who the information went to and how long it was kept. The assistant/volunteer didn't know. I have contacted the organisation to raise it with them as I don't understand why it was necessary. It was obvious I had purchased the item from that shop(receipt plus price tag) the previous day, and the refund was going back on the same card. I know that people do defraud the charity shops by demanding cash refunds for items for which they don't have receipts or price tags, as it has happened locally, but I had an audit trail and wasn't demanding cash so I don't see the relevance. How does taking my name and address help in that case?
What am I missing?

[Petrushka]

Last week I had to return an item to the Sue Ryder shop - they don't have a changing room so fitting has to be done at home. I had paid by card and had the receipt, the tag was still attached, the transaction went through but then before I was given the receipts I was asked for my name and address. I asked why and was told it was an anti fraud measure, so that people didn't get a refund on an item they hadn't actually bought there. I said I was not happy(but got the feeling that the refund might be refused if I didn't oblige) and then asked who the information went to and how long it was kept. The assistant/volunteer didn't know. I have contacted the organisation to raise it with them as I don't understand why it was necessary. It was obvious I had purchased the item from that shop(receipt plus price tag) the previous day, and the refund was going back on the same card. I know that people do defraud the charity shops by demanding cash refunds for items for which they don't have receipts or price tags, as it has happened locally, but I had an audit trail and wasn't demanding cash so I don't see the relevance. How does taking my name and address help in that case?
What am I missing?

What you are missing is that no-one is allowed to show any initiative or flexibility anymore and that they'd face the sack if they did. Them's the rules!

[Pulcinella]

Trying to get through to E.ON the other day, the initial automatic voice contact (I think she might have introduced herself as Angela) twice failed to recognise my postcode (so as a consequence in fact I quickly got through/rerouted to what I think was a real person, who had no problem).

Should I have given each digit/letter separately, I now wonder, instead of, for example, saying 'ten' or 'twenty' for a combination?
If so, Angela needs better training.

[Old Grumpy]

Trying to get through to E.ON the other day, the initial automatic voice contact (I think she might have introduced herself as Angela) twice failed to recognise my postcode (so as a consequence in fact I quickly got through/rerouted to what I think was a real person, who had no problem).

Should I have given each digit/letter separately, I now wonder, instead of, for example, saying 'ten' or 'twenty' for a combination?
If so, Angela needs better training.

Just do the same next time...


...you'll get through to a human more quickly!