Good things come to those who don't give up.

Darklings,
Since last time I have had some very good karma indeed. In fact I can't quite believe the good luck I have been dished out.
Firstly things started out very badly - I had been waiting and waiting to hear what the outcome would be for my request for the DWP to look at my claim again for ESA in the support group.

Let me set the scene - I'm getting ready to go to a doctors appointment, my phone rings, it's a blocked number but I answer it anyway.
Dimwit jobsworth lady from the DWP: Can I ask you some questions about your recent letter? (Recent? ha, more like 3 months ago)!
Me: yes ok.
Dimwit jobsworth: what makes you think you should be in the support group and not the work related group?
Me: because both Disability North and my job centre advisor told me.
Dimwit jobsworth: but the work related group doesn't mean we expect you to work, we acknowledge that you're too ill to work, we just want to make sure you're getting the help you need to get better.
Me: Er, then why is it called the work related group? And that's not what the people at the job centre are telling us.
Long pause............
Dimwit jobsworth: I see here on your forms that you say you go to group physiotherapy once a week, how far is it from your flat?
Me: about a mile, I get there by bus.
Dimwit jobsworth: and how far is the bus stop from your flat in metres please?
Me: I don't know, I've never measured it with a tape measure. ( perhaps if I'd have said 20.4 metres exactly she might have believed me)!!!

Anyway, blah, blah, blah you get the idea of the kind of moronic questions that were fired at me for half an hour.

Doctors appointments at our surgery are like gold dust, and I really needed to see my doctor, I was looking at the time getting more and more stressed/angry.

Finally dimwit jobsworth woman summed up by saying that I didn't fit any of the criteria for being put in the support group, she would let me know her decision by post.
I said that if it came to it, that I would appeal.

I would have put money on not getting the decision I wanted.

Fast forward to a week later..........

A letter comes in the post from the DWP - I brace myself for bad news.

The letter was dated the very same day that dimwit jobsworth phoned me, it said that they had decided to change their decision and award me support group status - yippee, I was over the moon, I really couldn't believe my luck!
Then I had a separate letter stating that my money would be going up by £20 per week! Wow, I had no idea that I would get an increase as well. This covers the bedroom tax and the council tax I am now having to pay.

Things couldn't be better, I feel so very lucky. I've fought for what I know I should be getting and not backed down. I've since found out that some of the things dimwit jobsworth told me are complete lies aimed at trying to get me to withdraw my claim. I stuck to my guns and stood up for what I believe in AND I won!

It just goes to show what you can do if you have the right attitude - I unleashed some of my angry 15 year old inner punk, I wasn't rude or sarky to dimwit jobsworth, I just spoke calmly and politely which made it all the more difficult for her, but I did make her questions sound ridiculous (which they were).

So, my big dollop of good karma is here and I will be rolling around and immersing myself in it wholeheartedly ..................