Hi there, Dear Readers! It is great to see you as always! As you know, life isn't always easy but it is made harder with these idiotic sanctions. Just hang in there! I know it is hard. If you are holding on to pride and it stops you from going to the Food Bank then I strongly urge you to think again! You will find that you will meet some lovely people and they are very sympathetic to what you are experiencing - at least that's how it was for me. You can also meet knowledgeable people that can give you some advice if you are having problems with your housing and how to set about winning your tribunal. At some point, I am going to write about how to prepare for your tribunal in great detail. I am just going to tell you how I managed to win all my tribunals. I am no legal expert by any means and nor am I stating that I am an expert in these matters. I just used cold hard logic. I want to talk about... THE JCP WORKER & COGNITIVE DISSONANCE If you have been following my updates you would know that I have been assigned a new work coach. Foolishly, the line manager thinks that is enough. No. I want to take this as far as I possibly can! I am furious! As much as I am grateful for my new work coach, I want something to be done about these psycho sociopath "work coaches" that dwell in the void called the JCP - Enfield, in my case! One of the things that my new work coach said in our meeting, 4 January 2017, 16:00, that struck me as odd was, "You should have checked your bank account to see if you had received payment (of the Hardship Fund)..." And... "You could have gone to that job interview..." Think about it... This was my second application for the HardShit Fund and I was told that I was going to get a confirmation phone call on 29th December 2016 that never came. So, I thought that, once again, I was denied the HardShit Fund. Now, bear in mind that in the month of November 2016, I had £135.20 stolen (sanctioned) from me. It is not like I can afford to be £135.20 down. Then come December 2016, I have a further £291.20 stolen from me. Again, the line manager knows that this 28-day sanction should never have happened. So, that's a grand theft total of £426.40 stolen from me like Ocean's Freaking Eleven. Once again, both sanctions were avoidable. The line manager could have prevented the 28-day sanction. My former work coach who I have dubbed "Tricky Vicky" could have prevented this sanction but it was done deliberately. I want her to pay! In fact, I want all those in the JCP Enfield involved in this conspiracy to pay for their transgressions. I don't know if you are able to understand this, but I did not want to look at the state of my account after the theft of nearly half a grand, £426.40! I didn't want to face the music at that time. I was feeling quite tired and very frustrated knowing that all that I have been experiencing could have avoided. It is not like that I haven't been actively looking for work and even if I was not, obviously not the case, the DWP/Universal Credit system should not impose the removal of financial subsistence. I am sure that there are other solutions. This interview came out of the blue (no pun intended) and I shelling out train fare was the last thing on my mind as the last time I looked at my account I saw that there were some unpaid direct debits. Unpaid direct debits cost me! So, at the moment I am looking at having to write to my bank to ask for the fees to be waived on the basis that I am on Universal Credit and that I have been unduly sanctioned. It is embarrassing. It was also embarrassing having to call up the prospective employer to say that I was not going to make the interview. I am in the process of a rearranging the interview date. When sanctioned - consecutively and so heavily - what is going through your mind is: How on Earth am I going to keep up with the bills??? It is essential to keep the electricity, gas, broadband and phone going! How am I going to eat??? At that time year people were going crazy at the supermarkets buying food that they probably couldn't finish and there I was just trying to get by. Luckily, I got by with the very basics and that my local supermarket put the traditional Xmas foods i.e. parsnips, potatoes, Brussel sprouts, and carrots, etc down in price. My food spend came to less than £10 and I watch as people are checking out with over £100 worth of food in their trolleys that they struggle to push! LMAO! HUMBLE Recently, I have become a Born Again Vegan. I tell you, I, in a way, appreciated not having any money and that I just bought what I needed for food. No mince pies heavily saturated with refined sugars, no sickly sweet Xmas puddings, no hormone and chemically treated meat or fish, and booze! Amen! I am so glad that I was able to step out of the pattern that is overeating and boozing until you can no longer fit into your clothes. This time last year I had put on so much weight that it took me around September to lose! And it is just because I indulged in the 'Hate Your Body' frenzy called Xmas and New Year! Oh, not forgetting my birthday which is close to the New Year. I was so happy to be able to enjoy good, basic, clean as possible eating and drinking. Yeah, I like cider but on closer inspection, I can see that artificial sweetener is used along with sulphites! Jeez! Why must our food and drink contain these chemicals??? We are people and not a living chemistry set! Oh, I always wanted a chemistry set as a young man... My parents couldn't stretch that far... Never mind... I might actually treat myself to a chemistry set when I get my stolen money back! And speaking of family... I am very blessed to have their support! The thieving bastards that are the DWP/Universal Credit/JCP deliberately tried to destroy my enjoyment of the Winter Holidays but the family bond was and will always be stronger! Even if I was on my own, my will is stronger! They can't bring me down! As I have stated in previous updates, I have been targeted. They keep coming for me at around September/October starting from 2013! They must have something on their systems to say, "We are going to make this guy's life a misery in time for Xmas!" Well, they can try! ASSUMPTIONS One of my many wishes is for these freaking work coaches to stop assuming that I can afford to be sanctioned and consecutively. I have bills to pay! The HardShit Fund for £180-odd is never going to cover the stolen £426.40! Imagine that, huh? "We've sanctioned you for no reason at all. It has cost you £135.20 and I am sure you won't miss it!" What??? "Hello! Weeeeee're baaaaack! And this time we are going to sanction you for no reason once more! This time it's for £291.20! Whoohoo!" Huh??? "Don't worry! We'll give you some hardship money - if you fill in a lengthy form that asks you questions such as why you need deodorant and toilet paper, for example! And the funny thing is... Wait for it... You are going to love this... Are you ready..." Huh??? "We are the ones who put you in hardship in the first! Ta daa! Isn't that fantastic?" Why??? "For no reason other than because we can! Hahahahahahaha!" Now, can you understand why this system of sanctions must be stopped and NOW!!!??? The people who are behind this crap are psychopaths!