Ready to throw inthe towel and give up ( sorry long)

pop goes the weasel · 06-02-2009, 11:22 AM

This is more of a someone to listen post than anything else. I have been on EB unemplyment for a month. I had all the bills caught up with the help of some utility programs and just plain doing without. Thought things were fine. Well I have got one check since the end of Febuary.I called the office and they said give it ten days and call back so I did. Then it was the holiday is holding them up call again in a couple days so I did. Now When I called the unemployment office this morning all they can do is send out forms to redo and send back which will take at least two weeks and then I wait again.( This is a federal government unemployment program and they are having problems issueing the checks.) The gas company says I owe the 53.00 due on the day my dh gets paid or they will shut it off. No amount of phone calls will convince them to give me enough time to go to the bank, get the money and pay it as we don't have a check card or a checking account. I have called every agency I can find and nobody can help me. I need one lousy hour and they won't budge. The tax office found taxes from 3 three years ago that they say aren't so I need to come up with almost 500.00 by the 11th. I have tried sp hard to get where I am with no debt except the house payment and now it blows up in my face. I have used my EF fund but more than half of it was gone due to sd taking it and I have used up most of the freezer stock and canned stock. I'm ready to give up.

Contrary Housewife · 06-02-2009, 11:33 AM

The unemployment thing stinks. If it was their checks you can bet they'd be on it pronto.

Have you talked to the tax people? We had problems with that in the past and sometimes you can get on a payment plan, which means they have you do some paperwork and the whole thing takes a few weeks to set up, so you get a bit of a delay. Also, I have found it is better to call them and try and find some solution than to ignore the bill.

vickilynn · 06-02-2009, 11:47 AM

Praying that your next conversation with the gas company will allow you to talk with a compassionate person and you will not throw in the towel.

Hang in there. God is with you!

pop goes the weasel · 06-02-2009, 12:06 PM

Well the tax thing is a payment plan that I have to set up. I called our state rep and she is going to see what she can do but I doubt if she can do anything either. What stinks is if I can't get the gas bill paid in time it will be another 200.00 on top of it. The lady called back from the state reps office and she got the same snotty lady I did and she told her that she couldn't talk to anyone but me and that was that. The woman I talked to was sarcastic and snotty. She wouldn't let me talk to anyone else about the problem and there is no contact info other than the number I have. Thanks for listening

Gardengal18 · 06-02-2009, 12:20 PM

Hang in there. I would get that snotty lady's name and then contact the Public Utility Commission's office and file a complaint. See if they can do something about it. Definitely do the payment thing as far as the taxes go and the paperwork for the UE. That will take a week or so. In the meantime I would try to set up a checking account that way Unemployment can just directly deposit the money into your account on a weekly basis.

rowdy35 · 06-02-2009, 12:26 PM

hang in there ! good luck to you ! don't give up ! This too shall pass.

Thevail · 06-02-2009, 12:28 PM

If nothing else, send the gas company at least something. It's much harder for them to turn it off if you are making "good faith payments".
At least it is here.

Where is your bank? Is it really far away?

Don't throw in the towel.. it angers the magic towel.. (shudder)

On the brighter side, at least they are not threatening to turn off your gas in January.

frugalfranny · 06-02-2009, 12:41 PM

Jump up the ladder.......that is always my motto.

Call the unemp. office AGAIN, and ask for a supervisor....or MANAGER...explain again, and ask what can be done. DOCUMENT....DOCUMENT...DOCUMENT. (Having worked at one years ago I will say that 'generally' their hands are tied but you might find out if it was HUMAN ERROR that screwed it up......and if they are messing with the computer system and that slowed it down.) Ask her for the names of any agencies that might help with the gas bill......they should have a list of all state 'assisting' agencies.

Also try all the emergenciy agencies in your area.....don't know if they do a one time help thing but worth a shot.....Red Cross, Sal. Army, etc. Just start calling and digging around to agencies. If they refer you to someone else.......do it.....won't hurt and could help.

Good luck......hope you find some help.....

Sassyclass · 06-02-2009, 01:08 PM

Hugs and prayers. Do you have a church that can help you with the gas bill? Do you have anything to recycle for some quick cash? Anything for a yard sale or ebay? I'd sell my blood. Can your husband talk to his employer and explain the situation and get a cash advance on his check? Don't give up, that's what they want. Fight every step of the way.

Cat

Missy · 06-02-2009, 02:02 PM

call 2-1-1 its the number to your local united way. They have referrls to help. Local church (you don't need to be a member of the church), go up the chain, keep calling, keep going, even if that means mayors office or higher.

dean · 06-02-2009, 02:14 PM

Hang in there, my BIL went 6 weeks without an UE check but he finally started getting them and the back amount that was owed to him. They were so far behind, but when the lump sum was deposited, it all got straightend out. He called daily, until they were tired of hearing from him and did something.

miss_thrifty · 06-02-2009, 02:21 PM

we wentr before too 6 weeks and vert frustrated and had to go to si years ago. U do what ever u have to do dear. huggsss

hollyhill · 06-02-2009, 06:58 PM

Oh my, I feel your pain.... I 've been there too. When we were down to nothing after my Dh's unemployment last time... we both offered our services as gardeners/ painters. It brought in quick cash to pay things which were about to strangle us. And yes, we did go to the food bank, that was so hard. But the children needed food.
Then when Dh was in school I continued to do the part-time gardening because I could bring the children along with me.
But I understand... when things get real bad it is like your mind goes numb... and nothing is clear. It is an awful place to be.

RABBIT · 06-02-2009, 08:19 PM

I am sorry to hear of all your troubles. As far as the gas bill goes, I know here in the Detroit area all three of our local tv news stations have a number that you can call if you need help with a problem. They have a news reporter from each station who has people volunteering for them to handle calls, ect. My dh has called in the past and they resolved our problem with the phone company very quickly. It's amazing how fast things get resolved when a tv news station is calling, nobody wants a story done on them for mistreating the public.

MommyBliss · 06-02-2009, 08:37 PM

Hugs, sweetie, I hope they will help you out. I am praying for you. If you tell me what area you are from I could do some searches for you, I was a social worker in a past life. Also, try Catholic Charities as well.