Do you not have someone to help you?

I do get the occasional nightmare in sorting stuff but in asking to younger people they have had the same being messed about problem.

I am fairly techie ie photographing/sending documents after signing and so on never a problem. I'm actually separated not widowed but it was me used to do most of the stuff.

But I've been gratified as there ARE some lovely younger people out there on the other end of the phone when I start off by saying... now I'm xx years old and you need to speak clearly and slowly to me I'm nt very techie, and do a lot of thanking and "I'm so gratefuls" and some do go the extra mile for you. Many of them like being given a chance to behave like a real human bean too.

www.poundland.co.uk/332228-2-x-magnifier-with-light/

kircubbin2000

I've been told that if I read the meter myself I will get a discount. However they have given me a new meter whose numbers are so small I can't read them.

i bought a magnifying glass with in-built light, which helps for this purpose.
i think i bought it in poundland. was £2.

I wonder if you could ask a pharmacist? Lathyrus
My DSis suffered a cut on her head and severe bruising at the weekend after a fall. She opted not to go to A&E so went to the chemist who sold her various dressings and she thinks she will survive. She will have a scar as she needs stitches but battle wound?

growstuff

Grammaretto

I am so sorry Growstuff but what a ridiculous situation. I am glad you were eventually seen face to face.

I hope the brown spot turned out to be benign.

Calendargirl I have decided to write all these complaints to their email. If that is the only thing they understand, it's probably much quicker than the helpline,

Yes, it was benign (thank goodness), but I was told to keep an eye on it . I'm trying to develop a swivel neck!

I’ve sometimes thought there should be a mobile van that visits the town centre where you could just walk in and ask a nurse to check your back.

I had a rough patch that I could feel but not see. Felt very bad about taking up a doctors appointment with a bit of ageing rough skin?

Being single (and glad of it) Ive always had to do for myself. things like online shopping, banking and bill paying. My next door neighbour (NDN) who abdicated financial responsibilites to her OH and was widowed in December 2021 is now in a real muddle. After knocking on my door without success she tried her other NDN and started pestering them for help. She was wandering around in what appeared to be a nightie and I have suspected dementia for some time. Her children live a distance away. A few years back I mistakenly got myself into the situation of being a "virtual PA" to a needy neighbour and dont intend for it to happen again. This is one situation where the ring type doorbell is worth its weight in gold.

Much sympathy from here. I live a couple of hundred miles away from my hard-of-hearing mum and trying to get things sorted for her is very hard work.
No matter how much I tell them to make an appointment so that she knows when to expect them - and so will be ready and listening for the doorbell - utilities persist is just turning up and then telling me that no-one was home. And no, I really can't just pop down to be there. It's infuriating.

Here's tae us; wha's like us?
Damn few, and they're all dead

I am not ready for this new world we inhabit. Nobody warned me!

I m reasonablly computer savvy but after taking my 6 month ‘dragging on’ case with my fuel provider to the Ombudsmab I was asked by them to send evidence of my case
I photographed on my iPad all the conflicting emails I had receive from the fuel providers and went to ping them over only to find their system didn’t support that method
Head in hands
I had to ask my daughter for help and she sorted it for me but I hate with all my being, having to ask someone else to do what I should be able to do myself it shouldn’t have to be this hard

So sorry Grammaretto, it's all part of the widowhood administrative hell. Can you photograph the forms on your phone? I upload to Facebook, making sure the setting is 'me only', and download to my computer from there.

When my husband died he'd paid for all the family phone contracts, and 02 were absolutely dreadful. I was told no-one could speak to me as I wasn't the account holder and I would have to drive to the nearest 02 shop 20 miles away to show the 'death certificate'. As the kids and I relied on our mobile phones I was very scared they'd suddenly be out of action, and after a month felt strong enough to do the drive. I'd been having panic attacks in the car and was so nervous of going.

When I got to the shop a pimply kid sauntered over and I explained, and he said 'we don't need that' and turned away from me to deal with another customer.

I left the shop and rang the 02 bereavement line outside and tore them off a strip, they transferred the account to my name on the spot.

Vodaphone were the only decent company, they waived my husband's last bill.

Grammaretto

I was hoping that my venting on here would make me feel better but, hearing these dire stories has actually made me feel worse.

But at least you are not alone in that!

If you take a photo kircubbin you can enlarge it to read the figures, although I agree that’s not the point.

I've been told that if I read the meter myself I will get a discount. However they have given me a new meter whose numbers are so small I can't read them.

Some of these people whose job is communications are so ignorant of the basic of communication which is to be aware of who they are talking to. They ought to be trained in the knowledge that there are forms of life unlike their own.

Thanks Jaxjacky for your very kind offer.

glammanana I had to take photos of my meters for my energy supplier. They haven't asked since so perhaps others have complained too.

I think we let these companies get away with too much.
I suggest you inform your local councillor and at least they will know what difficulties you and others are in.

We are not alone. (though it feels like we are)

I’m happy to help if I can? I can find away around most bureaucratic procedures online. I understand if you have personal data you may not want to share, but I can pm with guidance if it makes things a bit easier.
Can’t nip up to photo your back though growstuff ?

I was hoping that my venting on here would make me feel better but, hearing these dire stories has actually made me feel worse.

Grammaretto

I am so sorry Growstuff but what a ridiculous situation. I am glad you were eventually seen face to face.

I hope the brown spot turned out to be benign.

Calendargirl I have decided to write all these complaints to their email. If that is the only thing they understand, it's probably much quicker than the helpline,

Yes, it was benign (thank goodness), but I was told to keep an eye on it . I'm trying to develop a swivel neck!

You are so right Charleygirl and it doesn't get easier, although since DH died I am quite proud of the way I have coped considering he was the one who did all the online stuff.

My DS is 50 and he thinks he's too old for all this too!

I have this all the time!

The simplest of things is made so much more difficult because I haven't got a fleet of friends just waiting to sort out my admin, and take me to places.

People are aghast when I tell them.

I am so sorry Growstuff but what a ridiculous situation. I am glad you were eventually seen face to face.

I hope the brown spot turned out to be benign.

Calendargirl I have decided to write all these complaints to their email. If that is the only thing they understand, it's probably much quicker than the helpline,

I’ve experienced this at hospital. I’m hard of hearing and partially sighted and have had consultants tell me that I should bring someone with me who can tell me what’s been said after the appointment rather than expect them to speak just a little more slowly. Wrong on so many levels.

I can usually find somebody to sign forms or witness signatures.

However, I had a real issue when I had a brown mark on my back. I could only just about see it in a mirror and, as far as I could see, it looked suspiciously like a skin cancer. I could only get a telephone appointment with my GP and was told to send in a photo. I found it incredibly difficult to take a photo of the exact spot on my back and it was out of focus. The GP was really grumpy about it and said he couldn't diagnose from the photo and eventually agreed to a face-to-face appointment. I guess if I'd had somebody to help me, a better photo could have been taken.

People cannot understand some of us live on our own and friends are in the same position if not worse.

Last week I sent off 18 pages of drivel asking for the higher Attendance Allowance having filled it in for a friend who is registered severely sight impaired, is 92 and amazingly could not fill in the form herself.

One is expected to be a whiz with computers and have at least 6 relatives living with you.

I try to shame the idiots when I am asked to get a relative to help to say that is a tad difficult as they are all dead.