Posted on 03/11/2012 2:44:21 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
A grieving family have been left furious after they received a letter addressed to their dead brother - advising him they had stopped his tax benefits because he was dead, but urging him to REAPPLY.
Steve Hutchings died on February 22 after sadly losing an 18-month battle against cancer and eight brain tumours.
But that didn't stop Bristol City Council writing to him - on the day of his funeral - to explain why his council tax discount was no longer available - because of his death.
The letter goes onto explain that if he wanted to reclaim he could, but urged he please do so without delay. It also suggested he call the council's tax hotline if he needed help renewing his claim.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Sounds like something straight out of a Monty Python skit.
He is not fooling anybody.
General Streck, German High Command: [talking on the phone] What is the condition of Sergeant Kruger?
[pause]
General Streck, German High Command: Very well, let me know if there is any change in his condition.
[Hangs up]
General Streck, German High Command: He’s dead.
- Top Secret
Sounds more efficient the the US system ... we keep sending the checks to the dead folk. And allow them to vote as well.
My Dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer when he was 62. Make no mistake, he was VERY ill by the time they figured out what was going on.
We applied for disability benefits, not knowing at the time how long his life might be able to be extended with chemo etc. One would THINK that medical records, letters from Docs at Mayo, etc. would be enough for this...but no.
My Mother spend countless hours putting together financial documents, net worth statements...there was just a constant stream of requests for ridiculous and unnecessary information.
GOOD NEWS THOUGH! We received his “Congratulations, you have been approved..” letter in the mail the day after he died.
The letter should have been phrased:
Our condolences,
According to our records, the recipient of these benefits, Mr. __________ is deceased. If this is in error, the recipient will need to reapply for benefits. Again, if this is the case, they should be sure to bring appropriate identification when they do so.
Britain itself, has sadly become something of a prolonged Monty Python skit...
the infowarrior
My husband has been dead nearly a year, and I get this type of crap all the time.
I am even being dunned for an exorbitant bill (addressed to him) from the ER where he was DOA.
People are really insensitive, stupid, or both.
Yes, you are right, would that have been sooooo hard?
I always remember years ago I applied for a job at a bank (or maybe credit union) associated with some trade union, it was actually located in Union Square in NYC. It was a low level file clerk job, I’m sure I would have been very bad at it, and in the end I didn’t get it, which was OK.
However, what happened was this: I go on the interview, they say “we’ll let you know” and I go on my merry way. Weeks, several weeks, later I get a letter in the mail.
It was a form letter which was so rude and unfeeling, well, how can I put this? - it really stuned my beeber.
Basically it said: please be advised that we have found you to be not qualified for the position you applied for and therefore we are not offering you a job at this time.
To borrow from your post, brumuy, why could it not have said: we’re sorry to say we cannot hire you for the position you applied for, thank you for your time.
That letter made it sound like I had wasted their time, that I had been a great bother to them, and that I should pretty well go jump in a lake.
And this was a UNION, for the little guy, or so I thought!
It was very hurtfully phrased, for no reason, it was a form letter.
Now, I myself didn’t really care, I might have already found a job, I’d certainly given up on that one. But all I could think was what if my heart had been set on that bank job, what if I was counting on it, if it was my only hope? And then to get a letter like that?
Well, I’ve always been pretty conservative, but like most folks who grew up in NYC I believed in Unions, etc. That experience really opened my eyes.
I’ll never forget it, because it really was a part of the things that changed my world view.
Under some circumstances, if you’re in the mood, a hurtful letter like that could be turned into great fun.
That is, send a letter back explaining why you would never work for them, because:
1) You found the racism and sexual harassment by the interviewer to be offensive.
2) You refuse to give the interviewer a kickback in exchange for being hired, and resent being contacted by others in the bank also demanding money.
3) After having your new, unused credit card verified as part of the process, a $500 charge from a massage parlor was added to it, which forced you to cancel the card.
4) You were surprised to see other employees looking at pornography on their computers during business hours.
5) Using the restroom before leaving you were appalled at the accumulated filth within.
Therefore you request that they destroy the information you provided them, as you fear that otherwise it will be used for unlawful purposes, and for them to delete your name from their database and never to contact you again.
And you all thought “Monty Python” was fiction!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.