So....
I was hit by a guy that caused me to wreck my work truck, May of last year.
My Co. wanted me back to work because they thought there were no injuries... Well, when doc said I'd be out for at least six months, they 'found' a way to fire me... by claiming that I had violated a policy that not only wasn't a policy, but I had permission to do (carry a firearm in work truck when going out of town)..
So, doc cleared me back to work despite lingering back pain, unable to stand/walk for long distances.. and granted, I'm severely overweight, but my back/knee pain didn't start until the accident occurred...
Thus, L&I compensation stopped and I had to file for unemployment.
Unemployment was filed first week in Jan.... Employer contested, and in mid Feb. ESD said I violated a policy that didn't exist, and denied me.
I filed an appeal, and was told it would take a month (Mar.) I never got any notification...
Now, I've had zero income since late December, and bills are stacking up... I've been able to apply for jobs but who wants to hire the overweight gimp?
So, I keep calling ESD....every week.... they say nothing has been scheduled, and to call every 2 weeks not every week.... So through the end of April I was calling every week..
Now, I was scraping by with credit cards but couldn't pay rent for May, so I told my landlord I'd be out May 1st, rather be homeless than owe money.....
I get a PO box, FWD all my mail, and update everything.
Now, 5 months in, I call on May 7th..... still nothing... Nothing planned, no hearing set... I'm now homeless, because zero income does that....call back in 2 weeks.. ugh... fine....
I just called today....
Well, apparently the 'notice' was mailed out on the 8th, and scheduled the hearing for YESTERDAY, and because I didn't appear, I lost by default....
Keep in mind, STILL don't have any mailed notice.... and I've been calling every 2 weeks at THEIR request....
Now, I have to go through ANOTHER appeals process that's gonna take who knows how many months... I've lost track of my 'applied for jobs' worksheet....which is needed to prove I was actually looking for work, AND I can't apply for disability because then I'm instantly disqualified for unemployment, OR they see I've been looking for jobs and not disabled (even if temporary)..
So... Even if I HAD made the hearing, and was approved, I'd still have been homeless...
WTF good is a support system that I pay into if I'm homeless by the time the supposed hearing is anyway, and then botch the delivery of the notification making you miss it anyway?!
So, yes, as of the 1st of this month.. I've been living in my 5 ton... (which apparently lost 2nd gear somehow and is estimated about 3k to fix).... and gov't is taking its sweet time to continue to eff me over for benefits I paid for...
Meanwhile, if I was on drugs, I'd be offered housing, supplemental cash assistance (Addiction is a disease, remember?),free needles, safe shoot up sites, etc.
But a hard working guy gets injured on the job, screwed by his employer, and then screwed by the gov't program that he paid into that's supposed to be a safety net...
Brilliant.
_________________ Oh! Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Help, help, I'm being repressed!
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