Monday, October 21, 2013

Another Monday In Limbo ...


Have you ever had one of those days when nothing seems to go your way?  When you feel like you've genuinely tried to accomplish something and yet nothing gets done?

So today is Monday.  I thought, being as how the government is back up, I might get a deposit today.  Severance?  The lump sum for my leave?  Unemployment?  TSP?  Nope.  Nothing.  I got out all my paperwork ... organized it in various piles on my bed ... and started making phone calls.

Step one ... unemployment.  I spent 33 minutes on hold with IDES to be told that a) I'm approved and b) I'm pending.  These two things mean that I "should" be getting a payment on Wednesday.  However, they don't know for sure if I will get a payment ... or if I do they don't know how much it will be.  Why?  Because the federal government still hasn't validated my income.  They told me to wait until Wednesday, my scheduled payment date ... and if nothing comes through on that date, call them back and they'll look into it.

Step two ... I called TSP.  I sent in a disbursement request two weeks or so ago ... knowing they couldn't finalize it until I'd been separated 30 days from the government.  Today is officially 30 days, so I called to verify that I could expect the payout this week.  Nope.  They were waiting on proof of my divorce.  That would be fine ... but no one bothered to notify me of that snag.  So I drove clear across town to fax my paperwork in ... and now I have to wait another 15 days before I see any money from them.

Step three ... I called ARS to ask about severance and the lump sum payout on my leave.  I learned two things ... each worse than the last.  The lump sum payment?  No one's bothered to send in my final leave paperwork ... so that payment?  Is not even in the works.   My severance pay ... guaranteed for 24 pay periods?  Since the shutdown, the government has decided that severance payments were non-essential.  Not only is there no plans to push last Monday's payment through?  There's no plans to push the next payment through.  OPM has not released any severance pay.  They assured me they will fix the issue ... but no one knows when.

So ... no severance, no lump sum, no unemployment, no TSP.  It is so frustrating to know that you will have money to pay the bills ... in fact, more than enough money to pay the bills ... but you have no idea when that money will show up.  I start working on October 28th ... they pay on the 15th and the last day of every month ... so I won't get a paycheck until November 15th.  But at this rate?  I may get paid from my new employer before anything else comes through.

It's alright ... I have money to live on.  I was responsible and I planned for delays.  This isn't the end of the world ... it's just exasperating.  I spent three hours on the phone today and got nothing for my troubles ... it's so frustrating.  I'm going to learn patience if it kills me ...

I'm alright
Don't nobody worry 'bout me
You got to gimme a fight
Why don't you just let me be
Kenny Loggins - I'm Alright

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