Sally's World

Aaron passed away three years ago now…3 years, two months and eight days to be exact.

So imagine how I felt when I got a lovely big letter through the post, in Aaron’s name, with leaflets and brochures about the adult learning centres that were available to us, as Aaron would be turning eighteen this year and leaving full time, special needs education.

Now, I expect the odd letter from the dentist/opticians/brochures we prescribed to. ..But call me naive, didn’t really expect them from any kind of government run department.

When Aaron should have turned sixteen I got a letter talking about changes in benefits, and other educational provision, and I rang them up and gave them a bollocking that would have made a sailor blush. So it seems strange they have made the same mistake again.

When Aaron passed away, I rang the benefit people, they had no trouble stopping his benefits, I had an adapted vehicle for him at the time part funded by a special scheme, and within a week of his passing they turned up to collect it, with no regard for the fact that I needed it for Deion too, child benefit, yep, all stopped. And worse thing of all, Aaron’s one to one key worker at school, a lovely girl called Mel, who had (understandably) gotten attached to Aaron, was told the day after he passed away that she was out of a job…with complete disregard for the fact that the poor girl was grieving also.

So they don’t seem to have a problem stopping anything that costs them money, no problem making sure that there is no unnecessary outlay…god no, I had visions of them rubbing their hands together at all the money they were going to save now that Aaron was no longer on their list!!!! Bastards!!!!

So now, am I totally stupid in thinking that somewhere in the governments special needs education system, the very system that deals with education of all kids with special needs, that there is information on Aaron, information with regards to his passing???

I’m incensed, angry beyond words…I know its just a letter, I know these people are more incompetent than a bunch of chimps at a tea party…couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery…yep, I know all this…but the truth is these letters are heartbreaking, they put you back months.

I KNOW you dozy, lazy, incompetent arse holes what Aaron SHOULD be doing…you complete utter useless shits…I KNOW about all the thing I SHOULD be having to arrange for my soon to be eighteen year old son….so thank you so much for the reminder, how kind of you, and how lucky you are that guns are illegal in this country, because if I owned one I just might be tempted to use you all as target practice!!!

Is there a government workers manifesto we know nothing of, something along the lines of
1) clients must be thoroughly ignored at all times
2) when it is impossible to ignore them, they must be treated with complete contempt
3) complete disregard for feelings must be adhered to at all times
4) you must never ever call back when you say you will
5) if you see an opportunity to upset/depress/stress/anger a client, it must be taken, at all times.

How many grieving wives/mothers/sons/daughters have to put up with this????