Bloody Government Agencies!
In November last year I made a decision. I decided to go back to Polytechnic and get qualifications to be a Pharmacy Technician. I went for a interview and was offered a place on the course right there. Now usually they say 'we'll discuss your application and get back to you', so I must have impressed them!
My course is due to start on the 12th February. I'm entitled to a Training Incentive Allowance to help pay the $4500 course fee. And a Childcare Subsidy to help with the $100/week its going to cost me to put Nicole into before and after school care. To get both of these I need to fill out two forms and make an appointment with WINZ where they'll process them both.
I realized these were important. So I first rang WINZ before Christmas to make an appointment. They took my name and phone number and told me they'd ring me back. They didn't. I rang back the first week of January. There were NO appointments available with the woman I normally see. I got an appointment with someone else for today.
This morning at 8.25am my phone started ringing. It was the woman I normally see at WINZ. Apparently the person I had the appointment with today had a family emergency. Okay, I say... I need a new appointment before the 7th of February. She offered me an appointment in the middle of the day on the 8th February. Which is no good for me because I'll be at a study skills seminar all day that day. So then she offered me an appointment at the end of February. Thats no use, I need this to be sorted by the 7th. Thats the day Nicole starts the out of school care.
They claim they have NO appointments available with anyone before the end of February. I offered to go to one of the other offices, but no, I'm apparently not allowed to. I suggested checking though appointments and seeing if theres anyone with a non urgent need who can be bumped back. But apparently most appointments this time of the year are for the Training Incentive Allowances. WINZ is closed two days next week for 'staff training'. The woman I spoke to said this is the busiest time of the year for them. So sounds perfectly logical for them to close the office and take all the employees on a team building rope course or some bullshit rather than dealing with the excess of clients who need to see them.
I told the woman she needs to speak to her boss about this because its not acceptable. Shes now offered to come in at 8am Friday next week on one of the training days to see me. I really hope she can keep that commitment. Its really discouraging when you do all the right things and are really looking forward to something, and some dumb fuck government agency have the potential to fuck it all up and spoil everything. Because if I don't pay my fees by the 12th I can't start Polytechnic. And theres no way I can afford the $100/week out of school care.
Get your shit together WINZ!
My course is due to start on the 12th February. I'm entitled to a Training Incentive Allowance to help pay the $4500 course fee. And a Childcare Subsidy to help with the $100/week its going to cost me to put Nicole into before and after school care. To get both of these I need to fill out two forms and make an appointment with WINZ where they'll process them both.
I realized these were important. So I first rang WINZ before Christmas to make an appointment. They took my name and phone number and told me they'd ring me back. They didn't. I rang back the first week of January. There were NO appointments available with the woman I normally see. I got an appointment with someone else for today.
This morning at 8.25am my phone started ringing. It was the woman I normally see at WINZ. Apparently the person I had the appointment with today had a family emergency. Okay, I say... I need a new appointment before the 7th of February. She offered me an appointment in the middle of the day on the 8th February. Which is no good for me because I'll be at a study skills seminar all day that day. So then she offered me an appointment at the end of February. Thats no use, I need this to be sorted by the 7th. Thats the day Nicole starts the out of school care.
They claim they have NO appointments available with anyone before the end of February. I offered to go to one of the other offices, but no, I'm apparently not allowed to. I suggested checking though appointments and seeing if theres anyone with a non urgent need who can be bumped back. But apparently most appointments this time of the year are for the Training Incentive Allowances. WINZ is closed two days next week for 'staff training'. The woman I spoke to said this is the busiest time of the year for them. So sounds perfectly logical for them to close the office and take all the employees on a team building rope course or some bullshit rather than dealing with the excess of clients who need to see them.
I told the woman she needs to speak to her boss about this because its not acceptable. Shes now offered to come in at 8am Friday next week on one of the training days to see me. I really hope she can keep that commitment. Its really discouraging when you do all the right things and are really looking forward to something, and some dumb fuck government agency have the potential to fuck it all up and spoil everything. Because if I don't pay my fees by the 12th I can't start Polytechnic. And theres no way I can afford the $100/week out of school care.
Get your shit together WINZ!
posted by eMMa at 10:30 AM
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