Bad Day at Black Rock

Some days just suck. There's no getting away from it - trying to maintain a positive outlook isn't always going to cut it. But we can learn from the bad as well as the good, maybe better.

I've been signed off on the sick for 6 weeks now, and I've been trying to sort out some benefit entitlement. The good news is I should be able to claim. The bad news is there's so much form-filling and red-tape it's no wonder those that end up homeless are often the 'woolly minded' - there's been more than a few days these last few months where that option has seemed preferable to dealing with yet another government department. Still, I'm sure traipsing from one side of the city to the other, clutching various documents only to be told I need to provide more documents before my claim can be assessed (this is despite being helped by a housing support and advice caseworker to fill in the form) is good for the body if not the soul.

Not having made any kind of claim before, it is reassuring that there's help out there, but the system can be so confusing. All I can say is stick at it. I'll post more on this subject when I finally know where I stand.