Waiting for a letter
By MysD
@mysdianait (66009)
Italy
November 26, 2015 9:54am CST
When was the last time you were waiting for a special letter?
Were you expecting good news or bad?
How long did you have to wait?
At the beginning of last week I received a phone call from a government office in UK asking for comfirmation of my personal details so that they could start sending me my pension. The man on the phone said that he would get a letter in the post (seems they don't use email) telling me how much I would receive and I am still waiting, patiently, after almost two weeks
Whatever the amount, it will be good but I would so like to know whether I am about to become rich or (more likely) not
26 people like this
29 responses
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Nov 15
HUI@ mysdianait Im waiting for a special letter telling me In
allowed five more years of using the access bus for physically handicapped people, They pick me up take me to my destination, then return me back home once I am done with my appointments.
This is such a big help for me to keep appointments.
5 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
I hope that you don't have to wait too long for that letter to arrive and I hope that it will be good news for you when it does come. I sure hope that they do not stop you beiung entitled to using that bus!
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
Oh that sounds strange that you have to sign a form through the post rather than in your bank for that.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (472182)
• Switzerland
26 Nov 15
@mysdianait Oh, I did not sign with my Bank for the credit card, it's a Swiss organization that takes care of the credit cards.
2 people like this
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
26 Nov 15
@mysdianait The UK Pensions department have only recently got rid of dial phones and their computers are one to an office with green screens still, I hear. Besides, why would they trust important personal information to such an ephemeral thing as email where just one letter typed wrong means it goes somewhere completely different?
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
@owlwings If they hired competent typists then maybe that would not be an eventuality?
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
Oh you just burst my bubble!
I know it won't be much as I didn't work many years in UK but as the man said it will be a monthly payment, I believe it will still buy more than a bus ticket. Had it been less than £5 a week it would only have een sent every three months.
I am surprised that things like hospital appointments some through the post rather than through an email. I even though that the UK govenrment would use email or at least that I would have online access to the pension site to see my situation like I can here. Seems that is not to be the case at all.
1 person likes this
@much2say (56226)
• Los Angeles, California
26 Nov 15
Well I'm glad you are getting this letter (if I'm not mistaken, I think there were some concerns about the pension thing with all the politics going on out there last year?). I truly hope you get the good numbers soon!!
Oh yes, I had been stressing out for weeks about a particular letter - which we needed (an invitation) in order to be able to get my 10 year old daughter into a gifted visual arts audition. We are out of the school attendance zone since we moved, but the school doesn't know that because if they find out we may be booted out. So I was sweating just HOW we would get this invitation that was supposed to come in the mail. Well, I jumped some hoops and guess what - we actually got this invitation (successfully sent to another location with the chance I took). I can't tell you how relieved we all were!!
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
Gosh your memory is amazing! I did indeed have problems almost two years ago waiting to know whether I would get the Italian pension or not. Then almost a year ago it started arriving and there have been no more problems at all with it. Hopefully the small amout that will arrive from UK will also run smoothly too once it starts arriving.
I can imagine that waiting for that letter to arrive really had you on edge until it arrived. What a good idea to have it sent elsewhere too. Has the audition already taken place?
4 people like this
@much2say (56226)
• Los Angeles, California
26 Nov 15
@mysdianait So happy things have all worked out for you! Even a small amount is an addition - it'll be good when it does start coming!
The audition took place last Saturday! None of the parents were allowed in, and even so, no matter what opinion I had on how it went, it's all up to the judges. Gifted or not, I tell her she is still an artist!
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
@much2say Oh I agree absolutely that whatever amount it will be it will be welcome as it all adds up!
You will let us know how it went I hope
2 people like this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
26 Nov 15
As you keep waiting for the letter (which is always a daunting thing), I have some letters for you. Please pick the one you need.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Sorry, I dont know Italian alphabets and yet, I am in a playful mood
3 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
You didn't state a limit so I will choose 4: TYVM
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
26 Nov 15
Did you not get that pension money yet? Boy, that's been a long long time.
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
Oh no, I got what I was entitled to from the Italian pension. That started arriving almost a year ago. Now I can also have a small amount from UK too.
Then I will feel like a proper pensioner!
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
@AbbyGreenhill Oh I didn't mean to suggest that was the case at all - because it isn't
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
26 Nov 15
@mysdianait Oh good, I must have missed that a year ago! Glad you're rolling in the dough!
2 people like this
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
26 Nov 15
I forget when I last was consciously waiting for a letter. It was probably an insurance claim form, so a mixture of good and bad, if anything (I hate filling in claim forms and am usually only a little less worse off when I have than I would have been had I not done it).
It's nice that Britain wants to pay you at least some pension. I hope that Italy won't promptly remove most of it in Tax!
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
Indeed some of it will go in tax but as the two together don't add up to much and I have no assets, not much should have to go. The exchange rate is in my favour here so that will probably cover the taxes
Oh I can't remember the last time I had to fill in an insurance claim and even then it was in their office and not by letter. Not much is done with letters nowadays here.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
Oh it's absolutely real! My UK pension was due to start on 6th if this month and is paid one month in arrears. I already receive the Italian pension since a year ago. While I can still do things offline though I am not online all day - no yet anyway
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
@yugocean Oh yes you do indeed! Even in the middle of the night when I am sleeping!
2 people like this
@yugocean (9963)
• India
26 Nov 15
@mysdianait Oh eh, anyway anytime anyplace I will chat even if you are offline isn't it going to be good time
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
I am wondering whether the letter will be here before the pension goes into the bank next month and, if that is the case, they could have saved on postage At least I get some extra exercise by going down to the letter box every day to see if it is there
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
26 Nov 15
@mysdianait Don't you have letters put through the door?
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
@jaboUK No. I live on the second floor of a 5 floor block of flats and each flat has a letter box in the main entrance hall. We each have our own key to open it if there is anything inside. It is glass so we don't need to open it if we can see that it is empty.
3 people like this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
26 Nov 15
I hope you get more than you expect to. It's hard to organize your bills when you don't know what you'll have to pay them with.
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
It is indeed though I have no idea at all what to expect so anything will be welcome!
1 person likes this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
26 Nov 15
My oncologist's secretary (she's terrible) told me he'd just signed my letter with some blood test results and it would be in the post. She then went on holiday for two weeks and didn't post it. All was fine but I was really irritated to have to call every few days until I finally got him.
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
Oh that was an appalling mistake that she made! She should have dealt with posting it before she left for her holiday. I hope the resuts were good
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
@boiboing Oh yes that was an absolutely ridiculous waste of money inded and a waste of time for you too! Good that all was well though!
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
26 Nov 15
@mysdianait Yes, everything was fine. But what really annoyed me was the doc got me to have them done at the private clinic rather than my GP. My insurers paid nearly £300 and it still took over 4 weeks to get the results. I could have had them in two without paying a penny.
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
26 Nov 15
I receive very little mail anymore. Before the Internet, letter writing was very popular. Now just about everyone emails or Instagrams, etc. ,etc. I realize that you were waiting for a business letter, rather than a personal letter, but I MISS receiving letters from friends and relatives.
I still send out a lot of cards. Sympathy cards, Get Well cards, Thinking of You cards. Anniversary cards, but even I rarely write personal letters anymore.
I know that the people who receive my cards do appreciate them.
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
Here too the onòly letters are utility bills (which if received online dn't come either. We will soon all be unable to write with a pen and paper I fear
I sent some post cards when I was on holiday this year and I still send greetings cards to older friends abroad as they don't use internet. I am so pleased each year when I receive an anual letter from my sister with details of how her year passed. She does one every year and puts it a Christmas card for almos tall faily and friends. Thta is now the only personal letter that I receive at all.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
@IreneVincent Yes. I am in Italy and she is in US. It is now over four years since we last met too. We are in touch online almost daily but her letters are still most welcome.
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
26 Nov 15
@mysdianait I've received letters like that around Christmas time, bringing me up to date on what has happened that year. I haven't received one of those types of letters for years however. Do you and your sister live a long way from each other?
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
26 Nov 15
BEfore you retired there wan't a meeting to explain all of this? Yikes. How does anyone plan without info?
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
@PhredWreck @ElizabethWallace I wasn't working when I became of pension age. It is all done automatically both here and in UK. Everyone knows the date that they can retire and all that the government require is the number of the bank account where it should be credited.
4 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
26 Nov 15
@mysdianait But do you not know what you will be receiving?
1 person likes this
@birjudanak (14320)
• India
26 Nov 15
i am waiting for special letter of my credit card because first time i get credit card after long time so i am waiting for it and whats the limit of it and what kind of benefit i get like in movie ticket 1+1 free and in hotel some discounts.it come after 20 days long time and while i get i am very happy because after long time i get it.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
I hope you receive it soon but then be careful using it. It is so easy to spend and then spend eome more and then you get in a muddle really quickly.
1 person likes this
@birjudanak (14320)
• India
27 Nov 15
@mysdianait i just got it 2 days ago but i keep low limit of amount because first know proper how to use and spend.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
27 Nov 15
For sure it will come, it is a snail letter so it travels like snail. Just don't forget to post if you will become rich.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16799)
• China
27 Nov 15
Good News!Sounds like' windfall ',if I remember it correctly ,you went to Italy long ago .Anyway it is a heartwarming thing !
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
Well it will be nice to know exactly hw much it will be, though I doubt it will change things much at all
1 person likes this
@amnabas (14720)
• Karachi, Pakistan
26 Nov 15
@mysdianait Anyeays congrats to you whatever the amount declared.
1 person likes this
@vickyrose (2235)
• Cooma, Australia
26 Nov 15
I never give my personal information over the phone even though they claim that they're from the government office. It's a no-no over here as people had their identity stolen by giving these information or money siphoned out of their banks. I hope that you didn't give yours and the caller is legitimate.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
26 Nov 15
The caller was definately from the UK pension place and the number was the same one that they had used to call me a year or so ago. They also had information from the Italian pension people and there is no doubt whatsoever that the person was representing the pension office. They did not ask my bank details on the phone as I had already provided that through a previous meeting with the Italian pension people who dealt with the request from UK in the first instance a couple of months ago
1 person likes this
@Namelesss (3365)
• United States
28 Nov 15
Maybe you'll get it sometime between now and Christmas. I can see why you called this place home. :) I really like the atmosphere here.