Things come in threes.

[K@]

First, was a shock. My next-door neighbour came down to find his wife, on the sofa, with a blue face and not breathing.Ambulance was called. He, being ex-army, did CPR and all that, but she died.

I'll miss Monika.

Second, was me throwing up, everywhere, getting the squits and generally being in the grip of what seems like a bout of my friend the norovirus.

Again. 

Third, is a long story...

Way back in the late eighties, I worked for a company, as a project engineer, doing this kinda stuff:

https://www.mikropul.com

I was only with them for about five years.

Well, a couple of weeks back, Equitable life managed to get hold of me, via the dreaded DWP, telling me that I had a pension, with them, that was due to pay out. I had to fill out this huge bloody form and thought "Is it worth it? This must be worth all of 50p".

Anyway, I sent it off and forgot all about it.

This morning, a letter arrived.

They want to throw £22K at me!!

I'd rather that Mon hadn't died, coz she was my friend. We shared the naughty step, when we had a ciggy.

I'd rather that I wasn't ill and feeling total shite.

But, twenty-two grand has rather cushioned those blows. In all honesty, I'd give it back, tomorrow, if we could have Mon back, though.

[Tâf]

Noro hit me hard too :-(

£22k? Is that the lump sum with an annual pension afterwards? If so, extra nice... unless like me it puts you just over the threshold for any state benefits. I have less to live on now than before the pensions kicked-in. 

[Tâf]

A mate, also a Carer, started to receive a private pension. His CA plus his pension meant he had to pay tax, effectively wiping-put the CA. They get you every bloody way.....

But he has now told them that they (DWP) must provide the care as he is not going to do it. It's with lawyers at the moment...

[El]

Sorry about your friend .that must have been a shock.
I think DWP rubs their hands together in glee every time a pension pays out. I notice the rules have changed with the goalposts again for annuities.  We are locked in one that would be better in our pockets than theirs. But. We can't release it. Apparently because we may squander it as others have and have nothing left to pay for our care.
It's in our best interest too don't ya know 

[K@]

Not sure what we're gonna do, yet, Taf. My pseudo-daughter's gonna stick her oar in, as she's good at this kind of thing. The care allowance is the only benefit I'm on and I don't get much, at all.

Every little helps, I guess...