Day of Stupid

[Victoria J]

I have other posts but I'll start with the Day of Stupid. It really is rare. Mostly I empathise with my customers, mostly my customers are just in a bad situation. it's why I don't post more often. In 7 years I've been asked an amazing assortment of surreal and odd questions, a lot of questions that have pretty easy answers from my point of view, and only 2 that I consider just plain stupid ("Will you phone me next Tuesday or last Tuesday", and "If I get down on the floor I can't get up again. Would you like me to show you ?")

Monday last week however was practically made of stupid. I had 8 customers to advise so this is 50% of them !

Have you tried looking for it ?

This guy came in because he was desperate for money and his benefit hadn't been paid. So desperate he came all the way here, waited about an hour, went home and got a bank statement when I asked about the last payment he'd received...

What he hadn't done was check his bank account.

I phoned the benefits agency - they said they'd paid. He couldn't remember when he'd last actually looked for the money.

That happens when you stop paying !

I saw a woman who is being taken to court for not having a TV license (a strange idea for those not from the UK - but still the law).

SC = Stupid customer

SC - I paid it
Me - Do you have any evidence of paying ?
SC - I pay on a card [card scheme for those on benefit]
Me - OK, can I see the card ?
SC - I lost it
Me - So how have you been paying ?
SC - On the card
Me - But you lost the card. How have you been paying ?
SC - On the card
Me - Since you have lost the card how have you been paying
SC - *looks blank for a long time* When they write to me I can pay with the slip on the letter
Me - OK, when did you last pay ?
SC - *looks blank*

I phoned up. She last paid in August. They cancelled her license in September. The inspector caught her in January. She will now receive a court fine.

I wrote a letter to the court saying she didn't know she wasn't licensed and had immediately reset up the payment agreement - but I'm not sure the court will believe anyone is that silly.

No - that is not a good idea.

This guy is mostly unlucky and we feel pretty sorry for him. He married at 17 - from someone he knew since his childhood in his country of origin. His family moved here and got citizenship, she is now all on her own. Her country is not a good place to be, and indeed she's been staying in a third country because there's no British Embassy in her own.

He wanted to bring her here. The law said you could only do that if you were 18. He's working, he can support her and they have somewhere to live. But he was just a few months too young. Unfortunately 2 months before his birthday they changed the law - now you have to be 21. It's apparently to cut down on sham marriages, but it's certainly a bit cruel for someone like him in a real relationship.

So far so unlucky, but here's the stupid in classic American Express ad style :

Asking us how to apply for an entry visa for you wife, when you have already applied - £515

Making a second application when we told you that this had no chance of success - £515

Asking me if you should have a child when she cannot join you here and there's no guarantee that the third country will let either of you stay - priceless.

Actually probably pretty expensive and that's not including the charge I'm making for my brain cells dying due to the stupidity of the question. I won't normally answer questions like that ("Should I give up work ?" "Should I move?" "Should I leave my husband ?") - I just tell people what will happen if they do X and then leave them to make up their own mind but I replied "No, I don't think that would be a good idea" before I could stop myself.

Everyday foolishness

A sadly common one. A woman who worked in the UK for three years - but is from a country where this is only legal if you register with the Home Office. Registration is free, and can't be refused under normal circumstances. All you do is fill in a form.

Customer has now lost her job and is desperately looking for another one. If she'd registered she could get unemployment benefits.

She didn't so she can't.



Victoria J

[vloglady]

Sorry, what's a TV license? You have to have a license to own a TV set?

[crazylegs]

Esentially it funds the BBC, so yes you have licence to own either a TV, a Card in your PC capable of receiving the correct signal and a couple of other bits and bobs.

[jerkface11]

It's how they pay for public television.

Dang you beat me to it.

[Victoria J]

Esentially it funds the BBC, so yes you have licence to own either a TV, a Card in your PC capable of receiving the correct signal and a couple of other bits and bobs.

Correction - you need one if you have equipment such as that set up to receive.

You also need one to use live internet TV of stations that are also shown on normal TV.

I have a TV, and a USB thing for the computer. However I also have something wrong with my aerial so neither receive a signal at all. I only watch TV on the internet catch up service. I therefore do not need a license.

One of these days I will get round to signing up with Tiscali TV and getting there service, and then I will have to purchase a license.

Victoria J

[PhotoChick]

What if I only use my tv to watch dvds (i.e. I have no antenna)?

[Broomjockey]

I believe it's only if you have something *capable* of getting the signal, not whether you actually do it or not.

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

No - that is not a good idea.

This guy is mostly unlucky and we feel pretty sorry for him. He married at 17 - from someone he knew since his childhood in his country of origin. His family moved here and got citizenship, she is now all on her own. Her country is not a good place to be, and indeed she's been staying in a third country because there's no British Embassy in her own.

He wanted to bring her here. The law said you could only do that if you were 18. He's working, he can support her and they have somewhere to live. But he was just a few months too young. Unfortunately 2 months before his birthday they changed the law - now you have to be 21. It's apparently to cut down on sham marriages, but it's certainly a bit cruel for someone like him in a real relationship.

So far so unlucky, but here's the stupid in classic American Express ad style :

Asking us how to apply for an entry visa for you wife, when you have already applied - £515

Making a second application when we told you that this had no chance of success - £515

Asking me if you should have a child when she cannot join you here and there's no guarantee that the third country will let either of you stay - priceless.

Actually probably pretty expensive and that's not including the charge I'm making for my brain cells dying due to the stupidity of the question. I won't normally answer questions like that ("Should I give up work ?" "Should I move?" "Should I leave my husband ?") - I just tell people what will happen if they do X and then leave them to make up their own mind but I replied "No, I don't think that would be a good idea" before I could stop myself.

I feel sorry for them, too. I hope he can get her out of there somehow. Is there any way he could appeal for an exception?

[Kirachan]

just out of curiosity, how much does it usually run? (the license)

[Golden Phoenix]

A colour TV Licence costs £139.50. A black and white TV Licence costs £47.00.

From the tv licencing webpage

[Victoria J]

I believe it's only if you have something *capable* of getting the signal, not whether you actually do it or not.

It's kind of inbetween. It doesn't matter whether you actually use the TV to get a signal for TV programs, but a TV that could get a signal that is not set up to receive should be fine.

A TV in a box in the cupboard while you're saving up for a license - OK

A TV that you only use to watch other channels but is all set up and tuned to the BBC - not OK

If you have a TV only to watch DVD's your probably best of detuning it and making sure it isn't hooked up to an aerial etc. is fine.

I think it's really just about trying to work out how believable it is that you aren't watching the TV really.

I can check at work what the actual wording is but I can't remember now.

I have never had a TV license. It used to be my one act of irresponsibility - and getting one meant finally admitting I was an adult. You can pretty much get away with it if you're as anti-social as I am and just don't answer the door (everyone I actually know and like would know better than to turn up on my door uninvited). However as I mentioned above I currently don't have one and don't need one.

You still get regular harrassing letters because they won't believe anyone really doesn't have a television.

They also harrassed my mother for ages because they refused to accept that flat A 78 HER-ROAD was the same as 78a HER-ROAD...

They also have an absolutely delightful habit of interviewing people who speak no English and claiming they made statements. They tried to prosecute one of our clients having gone round to the house when his wife was there on her own. Wife speaks no English but apparently admitted to using a TV. They are a very strictly religious family who won't have a TV because they think it's a bad influence on the children. My colleague (our refugee project adviser) did manage to get that thrown out of court.

Victoria J

[Victoria J]

I feel sorry for them, too. I hope he can get her out of there somehow. Is there any way he could appeal for an exception?

I don't think so.

We couldn't think of anything but we're far from immigration specialists. But he approached some immigration solicitors and none would take his case.

We've suggested he talk to his MP.

I've sent his details of to our national organisation who take part in various campaigns and could bring it to the attention of the government.

But that's more likely to help change things eventually than sort it out for him.

His best bet is probably to try and join her in the third country if he could find work. But then he has to leave his family including his sick mother behind...

It sucks.

Victoria J

PS I love firefox sometimes. My system just crashed, blue screen of death and all, and when I restart everything it had saved everything I typed to reply to this post.

[Lace Neil Singer]

The BBC is pants, despite all the money that goes into funding it. The irony. XD

[Victoria J]

The BBC is pants, despite all the money that goes into funding it. The irony. XD

*shrug*

I use their IPlayer a lot, particularly for the radio programs.

They have a truly stupendous website. From one of the best sites for little children (my sister used to love CBeebies) to the news service.

Of course you don't need a license for that. Their actual programs aren't always so impressive though

Victoria J

[ArcticChicken]

Of course you don't need a license for that. Their actual programs aren't always so impressive though

Have you tried american public television? In comparison, the BBC is....actually, I can't think of a good metaphor to explain how much better it is than american public television.