The lite posting of late.
Back in September, I reluctantly made the decision to both apply for disability and to take early retirement. Theoretically you can do both at the same time. Sadly, theory rarely seems to work with the SSA. Once disability is filed, you lose the ability to file online for retirement, or do some other things apparently. Which means you have to go into a SSA office or work over the phone. However, they are still in full COVID mode and many offices are closed or appointment only, with a number of hurdles in place to get one.
I’ve been told multiple times now that nothing can be done in the office, it all has to be by phone, and the wait time for a phone appointment is now about three months. So, something that should have taken 15 minutes has dragged out since September. Thursday was supposed to be the day, and I sat ready on my end as the time came and went. Called Friday morning, finally got a person, and was told that when the office called my number, they were told can’t be completed as dialed.
Was advised to go to the downtown office and ask for the manager. Went to downtown office, and after an hour got sent to a window. Nonce on the other side grandly informed me that I should be glad a bureaucrat deigned to talk to me, and that waiting until Feb was a privilege and I should shut up and accept it. When I asked to speak to a manager per the instructions from the SSA person on the phone, boy did it get huffy. How dare I! I dared, and he (?) flounced off after grandly telling me they didn’t have managers, just supervisors.
I was also advised it would do no good and might make things worse. Go for it Scooter. After a while, he flounced back to his chair and grandly informed me to go to a certain spot where the supervisor would put me in my place in the fullness of time. Took a while, but supervisor came and was a nice, polite, and helpful person. We talked, he listened, and net result is that some things are getting corrected, he’s reaching out to the office that needs to be involved, and will be keeping me in the loop.
We tested my number, and for some reason they can’t call it. So, he has my email and such and will get me one way or another at need. I should be hearing from the people I need to hear from next week. If he does what he says, some or all of this could be resolved next week. We will see. Right now, still not a lot of faith but if he does what he says he will, I will have to admit that there is at least one good man in the SSA. That, and it pays to be a Karen and ask for the manager. Hopefully, this isn’t going to drag out into Feb. and Mar.
So, several hours of my time, $10 in parking (out of the grocery budget), and that is why I had a drink yesterday.
Hope it works out.
Here where I am we now have to dial the area code to call across the street. Something new.
My wife and I had several interesting interactions ourselves the past few days. I use a catheter every week. I usually get them a few weeks before I need them. Well, starting in Oct I have had one order returned and the next two were not what was I needed now on the invoice. I talked to a nice man and I hope the next order will be correct.
It seems that so many things are going to Hell in a Handbasket right now. And COVID is getting the blame, not shoddy workers.
First, all the best on getting the right catheters! Second, isn’t that the truth, it’s COVID, not the workers. I’ve quit rolling my eyes when I hear that somewhere, as I’m afraid at this point they might just roll on out. 🙂